{"id":54671,"date":"2024-06-05T02:30:54","date_gmt":"2024-06-05T07:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/?p=54671"},"modified":"2024-06-05T02:30:54","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T07:30:54","slug":"nebraska-adds-late-2024-roster-addition-in-the-form-of-german-ol-david-hoffken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/nebraska-adds-late-2024-roster-addition-in-the-form-of-german-ol-david-hoffken\/","title":{"rendered":"Nebraska adds late 2024 roster addition in the form of German OL David H\u00f6ffken"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOUSTON<\/strong> \u2014 You never know what storylines will emerge from a satellite football camp. Over the last two days, the Nebraska football coaching staff has been in Texas at Mary Hardin-Baylor and Houston Christian universities. <\/p>\n

On Tuesday, the Big Red made one of the most unique roster additions in recent history. Over the last two days, 22-year-old offensive lineman prospect David H\u00f6ffken<\/a><\/strong> participated in camps in Belton and Houston in front of the NU staff. The Germany native has not played organized football in over two years, but the 6-foot-7, 257-pound H\u00f6ffken has re-committed to the game and has picked up multiple Division I offers. <\/p>\n

RELATED \u2013 Satellite camp notebook II: HCU coach Bachtel will welcome back Nebraska coaches even though the teams will<\/a> square off in 2025<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

He picked up his biggest one yet Tuesday and officially committed to the Huskers. H\u00f6ffken plans to join the team this summer with a full eligibility clock. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not the first German Husker,\u201d H\u00f6ffken said. \u201cBut I\u2019m going to try to be the best German Husker. <\/p>\n

\u201cI met Nebraska at yesterday\u2019s camp, worked out and talked to the coaches. They liked the way that I moved, and I liked talking to them. We met up here today, and I had a nice talk with them again.\u201d <\/p>\n

H\u00f6ffken began his football journey in Germany, hoping to move to the United States, but that path did not materialize for him after 2020. <\/p>\n

\u201cI started playing football in 2016 for a small countryside team,\u201d H\u00f6ffken said. \u201cIt was five-on-five full contact for two seasons. Then I joined the all-star team of my state in Germany, and as a member of this team I was voted the MVP of our bowl game we played in. Two years later, I was on the all-star team again, and they told me to play for a bigger team. Then I played two years for the Cologne Crocodiles. I played in the highest youth division there. In Germany, we don\u2019t have school teams; we have more local clubs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nebraska OL addition David H\u00f6ffken. (Photo credit: Sean Callahan) <\/p>\n

Gridiron Imports helped H\u00f6ffken get back on track<\/h2>\n

H\u00f6ffken picked up his first Division I scholarship offer from Massachusetts in 2020. However, for various reasons, he was not able to move to the United States and eventually stepped away from the game. He recently got back into football and linked up with Gridiron Imports. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a U.S.-based non-profit that works with German and other European football prospects to get college football opportunities. Gridiron Imports is taking around 50 European prospects to several camps in June. <\/p>\n

This week, the players are all staying at a hotel in Dallas and making drives lasting up to four hours each morning to different camps. H\u00f6ffken went from Dallas to Belton, back to Dallas, and then to Houston on Monday and Tuesday alone to be seen by the Husker coaching staff. The commitment paid off for H\u00f6ffken and Gridiron Imports. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an amazing four days for David to come back to the game of football and end up on Tuesday with an offer from one of the top programs in the history of college football,\u201d Chris Adamson of Gridiron Imports told HuskerOnline. \u201cI don\u2019t know if you saw the emotion, but he broke down and teared up. It was amazing for the work that he\u2019s done in the game of football to come back and hang in there and persevere to believe and come out here and work his butt off.\u201d <\/p>\n

H\u00f6ffken has spent the last two years working part-time at a drugstore in Germany. <\/p>\n

Everything on Monday and Tuesday has happened so fast with Nebraska, who has been in the market for offensive tackles over the off-season. <\/p>\n

The next step now is getting to Lincoln to begin his Husker journey. <\/p>\n

\n\n

9\u20194 broad jump@GridironImports<\/a> @GIfootballChris<\/a> @ImmoOsterkamp<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/bADQ892MRu<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 David H\u00f6ffken (@DHoffken) June 4, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cTomorrow morning we are going to try to figure out how fast we can get the visa,\u201d H\u00f6ffken said. \u201cThat\u2019s the most important thing. All my transcripts are already translated. I have them at the eligibility center. No worries about that. We will stay in close contact with the coaches and get the work started as early as we can.\u201d <\/p>\n

Despite his time out of football, Adamson has no doubt that H\u00f6ffken has what it takes to succeed at the next level. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s just so incredibly focused now and mature with his approach,\u201d Adamson said. \u201cHe has made a lot of ground in a short amount of time.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, I think the guy can play in the league (NFL) as an offensive tackle if he puts on the weight. He can do a lot of different things from defensive line to offensive line. I think Nebraska does like him as an offensive lineman and I think he can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A 6-foot-7 and 257 pounds, H\u00f6ffken has a nearly 7-foot wingspan with a 9-foot-4 broad jump. There\u2019s a lot to work with there as he grows and develops. <\/p>\n

\u201cAt the moment, he\u2019s 260, and there\u2019s hardly an ounce of fat on him,\u201d Adamson said. \u201cHe\u2019s got the frame to put on a lot of weight, and he also has the mentality. You see guys with the potential and the mentality, and those are the ones who have a chance. He\u2019s got both of those things. His perspective after being away from the game a bit, I think he\u2019s as hungry as ever, and he\u2019s incredibly mature and focused, and I think that\u2019s going to help him with his development.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he has as high of a ceiling as anyone that has come out of Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Never miss breaking news or another HuskerOnline article again. Click HERE to sign up for HuskerOnline\u2019s Daily and Breaking News Newsletters.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Nebraska adds late 2024 roster addition in the form of German OL David H\u00f6ffken<\/a> appeared first on On3<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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