Nebraska Football: LB Kaden Johnson would be explosive for defense

Nebraska Football is in the middle of another recruiting battle.

These days, it seems like Nebraska Football can win any recruiting battle they are faced with. Even if they are considered a long shot in some situations, they always seem to be involved in a prospect’s recruitment right until the very end. That could be the case for a four-star linebacker who currently has Minnesota on his radar.

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Ryan Burns of Gophers Illustrated talked to the Recruiting Hour podcast on Tuesday to discuss the state of Minnesota Football recruiting. Nebraska Football was interwoven within this as the Cornhuskers are considered to still be in play for Kaden Johnson. Johnson has tremendous talent, and has the attention of several teams from the Midwest.

Johnson is ranked the ninth overall outside linebacker in his 2020 class and is the top player in the state of Minnesota per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He would certainly be a huge get for head coach Scott Frost and his staff as they continue to try and fill the roster with elite prospects.

"“I would absolutely be taken aback if he leaves the Midwest,” Burns said. “That leaves you schools like Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Iowa State, Wisconsin.”“I think it’s going to be something to where he makes a decision before his senior season,” Burns said. “I know he’s planning on taking a couple of visits coming up here in the coming weeks. I believe one to Wisconsin and one to Nebraska could be also on the docket before a return trip to Minnesota.”"

Measuring in at six-foot-four, 220 pounds, Johnson would bring another pass-rushing weapon to Nebraska Football. He doesn’t take his time getting to the quarterback. He bullies the offensive lineman into allowing him space to make a play. He makes solid tackles and is able to wrap up efficiently. Johnson would bring a tremendous amount of athleticism to the Nebraska Football defensive line, and he would give them another formidable weapon in the pass-rushing department.

As Burns noted, Johnson has also taken into consideration the amount of fan support the program has. It’s always refreshing to hear a recruit who has considered a school because of the fans. Nebraska football and Nebraska athletics in general have some of the best fans in the country. That was evident during the spring game when the stands were full. I do not expect that to change when football season starts up again.

Never underestimate the recruiting power of head coach Scott Frost. He has done a great job while he has been in Lincoln, and it is for that reason that I believe the Cornhuskers have a great shot at landing Johnson. Of course, it is easier said than done, but I could see them being in it at the end of the process. The process itself however will probably be anything but easy.