After all the speculation and months of waiting, did one of the latest Nebraska football recruiting targets end up teasing who the next head coach might be? In doing so, it would appear that quarterback prospect JT Fayard at least has some inside info that the rest of Husker nation would kill to have.
Fayard is a 2023 quarterback prospect who has so far been pretty far under the radar. In fact when Nebraska football recruiting came calling, it marked the first FBS offer he’d received. With just over a month until National Signing Day, it would certainly appear that the Huskers would be the front runners. Fayard isn’t the first player the Huskers have been the first offer on, in fact the last time it happened, Nebraska started a bit of a tidal wave for Omaha Central offensive lineman Caleb Pyfrom.
The Mickey Joseph’s staff was the first FBS school to come calling is news. What the quarterback prospect told On3 might be the bigger news.
"“Nebraska wants to run a more RPO offense, and that fits me perfectly as that’s what I grew up with, getting the ball out quick to the playmakers, but also have a quarterback that is big and tough that can stay in the pocket and get the ball down the field on deep routes and also the quick ones.”"
That the Cornhuskers have any idea what offense they’re going to be running next season is newsworthy. After all, at least to the outside world, those carrying out Nebraska football recruiting duties don’t even know who will be the coach in 2023.
THANK YOU JESUS!!! After an amazing conversation with Coach Mickey Joseph I am truly blessed to receive an Offer from the University of Nebraska!! #GBR🌽 @FosterFootball @TalkHuskers @HuskerFBNation @NEB_Recruiting @HuskerHep @HuskerNation540 @CoachDanny10 @Perroni247 pic.twitter.com/8M2k7npiza
— JT Fayard🌴 (@JtFayard) November 5, 2022
Yes, it is, of course, possible that even if the staff stayed entirely intact, Mark Whipple might have transitioned to more of an RPO offense. Even he has likely seen that the Huskers’ offense seems to work better when the quarterback is on the move. But it also seems extremely unlikely, for various reasons that Whipple will be back in 2023.
It’s worth pointing out that the two coaches who are rumored to be “finalists” for the Nebraska football job both saw similar offenses run during their heydays. In 2019, when Mickey Joseph was the wide receivers’ coach for LSU, he helped build an offense that saw Joe Burrow pass for over 5,000 yards but also rush for 366.
That same season, Matt Rhule’s Baylor Bears had quarterback Charlie Brewer throw for over 3,000 yards and run for 344. Both teams’ offenses relied heavily on some form of RPO offense.
While those two coaches are far from the only ones running an RPO-style offense, the comments come at a time when the Nebraska football recruiting, like the rest of the operation appears to be gearing up for a final announcement. Those are the two names flying around the most at the moment.
It’s also worth noting that Fayard plans on enrolling in whatever school he chooses (at the moment it would be between FCS school Northwestern State and Nebraska) in January. Knowing that it feels as if the Huskers wouldn’t be offering this particular player without the blessing of the “next” head coach.