By Brandon Cavanaugh
Note: All new additions will have highlights posted if available. If no highlights are accessible and prospects remain on the Big Board, they will be shown as soon as they become obtainable.
1. S Tahaan Goodman, Rancho Cucamonga, CA - A new number one on the Big Board, but the same position as his predecessor. Goodman received a Nebraska offer not 24 hours ago and with good reason. It’s no secret that Nebraska needs safeties (plural), and right now few are feeling more love than Goodman. It sounds like he may be visiting for both the Spring Game and Junior Day.
2. CB Chris Hawkins, Rancho Cucamonga, CA - Goodman’s teammate, Hawkins was also offered yesterday and fills the need for more cornerbacks that the Huskers were unable to address during the last cycle. He and Goodman may very well end up being a package deal. The only reason he and Goodman aren’t ranked 1A and 1B is due to the Huskers’ severe lack of safeties. Check out our exclusive in-depth interview with them both.
3. OLB Josh Banderas, Lincoln, NE - Scheduled to attend Nebraska’s Junior Day, it wouldn’t be a shock for that to be where Banderas receives an offer. If he hasn’t already and it hasn’t been confirmed, that is. Upon gaining a verbal offer, he’s probably the most likely Big Board member to commit on the spot.
4. OLB Deon Hollins, Jr., Missouri City, TX - Another Junior Day member, Hollins, Jr. moves up a spot this week and not just because he's planning to attend the Huskers' event. He fits Bo Pelini’s scheme well and has been made extremely aware of that. His 70 tackles and 16 sacks as a junior must’ve made Pelini’s mouth start watering immediately.
5. S Marcus McWilson, Youngstown, OH - Addressing the need for safeties? Check. Is he from Ohio? Check. From Cardinal Mooney High School? Okay, if there’s any turf Bo Pelini can top Urban Meyer on, it’s his own. Meyer’s smooth, he’s the ultimate salesman, but the Pelini name carries a good amount of stroke around the Cardinal Mooney hallways.
Illinois, Indiana and Michigan State are also after him, but jumping on McWilson early and being from Pelini’s stomping grounds give him at least a temporary inside track for McWilson’s commitment if he’s pressed.
Interview (The guy punts):
6. OLB Chans Cox, Lakeside, AZ - Cox is continuing to rehab following shoulder surgery and is expected to continue his normal practice regimen soon. He’s already been up to Lincoln as he attended last season’s tilt against Ohio State. He’s been in frequent contact with the coaching staff, but it sounds like he’s keeping his options open for the time being.
We’ve seen the new and improved Pac-12 recruiting model. The longer his recruitment goes on, the more it may favor the west coast offers he currently holds. That said, his timeline currently involves taking several official visits. Nebraska has several choice games to offer this season with Southern Miss, Wisconsin, Michigan and Penn State all coming to Lincoln.
7. DB Mike Minter, Jr., Lincoln, NE - An updated review of Junior has him at either cornerback or safety with talk of Nebraska looking at him for the latter.
He’s also scheduled to be a Junior Day attendee and with it being held across town, it’s likely that he’ll be there. Nebraska has some ground to make up, but assuming they like what they see come Junior Day, Mike II is likely to walk away with an offer.
8. S Su’a Cravens, Murrieta, CA - Cravens takes a huge tumble as the former No. 1, but the Huskers’ realistic chances have to be taken into account. Admittedly, he is an outside shot, but that Nebraska is legitimately pursuing him and not making a lackadaisical effort just to say they did so is encouraging. They’re going to have to go up against some of the best recruiting staffs in the country, but they’ll know early on if they should cut bait or keep pressing.
9. DT Billy Price, Youngstown, OH - While not a Cardinal Mooney guy, Price is still in Pelini territory. This evens the battlefield between Nebraska’s head man and Urban Meyer with Meyer getting the nod due to overall recruiting ability.
Even if Meyer is out of the race, Nebraska still has to contend with Michigan, Notre Dame, UCLA and a host of other solid recruiting staffs. Price would be a true prize and a feather in the cap of Pelini’s staff if they can pull this one off.
10. QB J.T. Barrett, Wichita Falls, TX - Oklahoma quarterback Brayden Scott just received his Nebraska offer, but with Pelini/Beck’s penchant for dual-threats, Barrett stays on due to Scott’s lean towards a more pro-style. Barrett attended Texas Tech’s Junior Day last January and while he digs what the Red Raiders do on offense, Tim Beck’s system at Nebraska mirrors what he currently runs at Rider High School.
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