Three & Out: Mini-Musings, Willis McGahee commits to Nebraska, and top lists mean nothing
Three & Out is Nebraska On3’s feature in which recruiting analyst Bryan Munson gives his weekly takes on topical issues concerning Nebraska football and recruiting.
In this week’s Three & Out, we cover some mini-musings from over the past week or so, Willis McGahee IV is excited to be a Husker, and we wrap it up with top lists have no meaning.
Mini-Musings
I had several thoughts that weren’t significant enough to put into their own section of Three & Out. I am going to try and put these thoughts together because I think that they are all newsworthy and wanted to pass them along:
I had a chance on Saturday night to speak face-to-face with several of the top players in the nation. The first thing out of that meeting is that it’s hard to imagine players like Brandon Baker and Aydin Breland are still in high school.What’s more, is that their size is verified. Combining their size with how well they move on film is much more difficult to understand. I have seen some big kids before, but players with that size never have that type of mobility. Breland and Baker are light on their feet.What was interesting was the similar build between Breland and Vincent Carroll-Jackson. It was amazing to see Breland and then Carroll-Jackson and pick up on the similarities. Most signees are ready to get to Nebraska, but I would have to give the edge to Carroll-Jackson for chomping the hardest at the bit to begin his life as a Husker.It was a good shot into the arm for Nebraska to pick up Willis McGahee IV on Saturday morning. I will have more later in Three & Out about McGahee and his commitment, but the time has been drawing near for the great visitor list weekends to start yielding some results.The offer to 2027 Furian Inferrera is very interesting. I spoke with Furian and will work on his update to bring it to you on Wednesday, but while waiting for him to pick up the phone, I was thinking about calling my seventh grader and what he would sound like.The Inferrera’s don’t have to worry because as I spoke to their young man, I completely forgot that he was in 8th grade. Furthermore, he came in at 6-foot-3 and 187 pounds this past weekend. There are some really good nuggets about the offer to Inferrera that I will have in the story, and I will probably hold some of them back for the next TT. There are some strong NU ties already through his father that I will be able to share with you soon.I think that it’s pretty safe to say that Nebraska is firmly out in front for Peyton Morgan. He did have Texas Tech in the lead, but he couldn’t get over how great the visit to Nebraska was.Although Ian Flynt didn’t visit for the spring game, I did have some nuggets to include about his commitment. First, it was surprising that he wasn’t in Lincoln this past weekend. It seemed like a slam dunk weekend to get back again.While Flynt wasn’t there, watching the offer to Eric Ingwerson go out and how that could impact Flynt has been interesting. I have little doubt that as much as it was a serious offer to Ingwerson, it was also a message to Flynt. Also don’t rule out Ingwerson playing offensive tackle at the next level. Many think that’s his long-term projection. As stated before, I don’t know if Flynt was holding out for an offer from another school. But I did get the feeling that he didn’t necessarily appreciate being limited after the offer from Nebraska and the immediate visit to a Nebraska commitment by default. I do know that he did have a strong interest in Kansas as well.His reaction was strong when I asked him about being part of a possible multiple tight end class. I changed the wording mainly because I wanted to share it with all of you more privately.I asked Flynt: “I am guessing here, but I am assuming Nebraska sees a guy like you and Carter Nelson as the two tight ends they want to add to the class. What are your thoughts about that?”Flynt’s response: “We really didn’t talk too much about taking two tight ends in the class, but F it. If I get to learn from Carter Nelson, Thomas Fidone, and Arik Gilbert, then I do not mind!”Another recruiting note to pass along, I heard from four-star wide receiver Michael Turner, Jr. late last night. He said Nebraska told him coach Matt Rhule would not be in Lincoln this weekend, and they canceled his visit. He told me that he would be setting one up at a later date.I was told in confidence that Georgia and Alabama were standing out at the time of the Nebraska junior day in March for Jerod Smith. I assume that when Jacob Smith visited Nebraska without Jerod a couple of weeks ago indicated that the two aren’t as committed to playing with one another at the next level as they once were.Last thought here, Nebraska re-offered Miami (Fla.) Palmetto wide receiver Jacory Barney on Tuesday night. Barney is lifelong friends with Willis McGahee IV. McGahee, just days off from his commitment to Nebraska, is trying to get others to join him in the class. Barney told me that McGahee had a lot to say about Nebraska, and Barney is planning an official visit to Nebraska.
I just had to get those thoughts off my chest now instead of waiting another week for TT.
McGahee excited to be a Husker
I caught up with Nebraska commit Willis McGahee IV from Miami (Fla.) Christopher Columbus. The Edge/LB recruit is saying many of the exact words that all other recruits, visitors, and commits have been using. It’s the coaches at Nebraska, and it feels like home.
“The coaching staff and how they treat me along with the players,” McGahee said. “It’s everything about how it is up here. It’s the environment. It’s everything about Nebraska. It’s like a second home for my parents too! They felt like they could trust me up here.”
McGahee didn’t visit Nebraska with the plan he would commit. The Huskers were at the top of his list, but this time the right family members made the trip with him.
“It wasn’t the plan, but we thought about it. Nebraska was high up on my list, and we thought it was a place I could go. They were top three or even top two, but this was my mom’s first appearance.
“Last time, it was just me and my pops. This time, it was my mom, dad, and little brother. They all liked it, and I already liked it. I really needed to just get that approval from my mom.”
The visit technically started on Friday for McGahee. He was in town and had a chance to tour the Nebraska facilities with his family, and after a family talk, he got the green light.
“We toured the campus on Friday, and we talked about everything on Friday night. I got the approval, and I wanted to do it the next day.”
After committing before the spring game on Saturday, McGahee and his family went out to watch the game. Willis was impressed with Husker Nation and how many Nebraska fans were in attendance to watch a scrimmage.
“The game day environment is super different,” McGahee said. “It’s super, super different. It’s more than nice for a spring game. There were a lot of people there for a spring game.
“I have been to other spring games, and this was the best one. No one is even close. For a spring game? No one else is even close to what I saw this weekend.”
McGahee was tuned into the game on Saturday. He came away with a good feeling about how the Nebraska staff intends to use him in their defense.
“I was really excited about watching the defense. I like the way that they run it and how Nebraska coaches their guys. I think that it’s a really good fit for me.”
The Nebraska staff feels that McGahee can be a versatile tool for them. He has played Edge and will move to linebacker this year.
“They see me as a Swiss Army knife. I am switching to linebacker this year, and I will be able to see that after playing Edge last year. They like my versatility and being able to put me anywhere on the defense.”
McGahee could be back in Lincoln very soon for an official visit. He does want to get back for a game this fall.
“I am pretty sure that I will be back soon,” McGahee said. “I don’t know yet when I will be back, but I think that it will be in June. I do want to see a game, too, though.”
Top lists have no meaning
It’s been a peeve of mine for some time now: Top Lists. I fully expect several of you to agree with the following paragraphs I will write on this, but I finally got to my wit’s end recently on the subject.
Releasing a top list and recruitment is 100 percent open – I am not even sure what this is supposed to do except let all of the other teams that have been recruiting someone where they are at that moment. The player is just giving a status. It’s a ticker for their recruitment, and the teams that are standing out, for whatever reason, are on the list, and the number of teams is likely very random. How random? See number two.The top five list has been announced and will take more than five official visits – I think many of you can guess which recruit this was from. It’s possible that at that moment, the recruit just said that he could go beyond five official visits. I can give a pass on that. The number five though seemed like more than a coincidence. Like it coincided with the number of official visits, perhaps? Top list and visiting other schools outside of that top list – This might be my biggest problem with top lists. If you have things down to a top list, why would you visit another school, especially in the spring before your senior year, when there aren’t coaching changes or other scenarios like that?
I am aware that this is working both ways for Nebraska. Some recruits with a top list that didn’t have Nebraska on it are now visiting Nebraska.
As a fan of college football recruiting, what’s irritating is that the value of announcing a top list is just gone. It was something to determine the probability of a recruit committing to Nebraska or another school. That value may have been gone for a while, and I am finally admitting it.
So, count me in with the rest of you; feeling like top lists mean nothing. It’s just another part of recruiting that feels way out of control.
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