Whether it's talent evaluation, recruiting, or both, the Nebraska football program has seen its fair share of in-state talent leave for other programs. It wasn't the intent of Bruce Feldman's latest release of his College Football Freaks list to underline just how badly the Huskers have missed out on some of Nebraska's best talent.
Feldman's list isn't about the "best" players in the sport. Instead, the Freaks list is about guys who are surprising physical specimens who could jump ridiculously high or far (or both), or who could run exceptionally fast for someone with a frame that should allow for speed. It's not just that there are no Huskers on the list (I thought that was a problem); it's how many of them have ties to the state. Three of those on Feldman's list will face off against the Huskers this year.
The highest-ranked player to fit this bill is Oregon linebacker Devon Jackson at No. 11 on Feldman's ranking. Jackson attended Omaha Burke High School and was the top-ranked player in Nebraska in the 2022 class. While the Huskers did try to lure him to Lincoln, they really didn't stand a chance of getting him over the Ducks.
Jackson is on the freaks list because he won the 100- and 200-meter state titles in Nebraska, running 10.54 and 21.63. The 6-2, 235-pounder ran a blistering 24 mph on the GPS this offseason, which is the fastest Feldman has ever heard of. The senior has been an effective LBer for years and will face off against the Cornhuskers in Eugene this year.
Three Nebraska natives make Freaks List while Nebraska football gets shut out
Then there's Kade Pieper, who hits the triple whammy: from Nebraska, a big offensive lineman, and now playing for Iowa. "Last year, Pieper came in at No. 22 on the Freaks List after setting an Iowa record (4.13) for fastest short shuttle among offensive guards. Among guards, he also posted the vertical jump record at 37.4 and the best 10-yard dash at 1.52. This offseason, he set the program record for heaviest squat by a guard, doing 680 pounds," Feldman wrote.
At first glance, Nebraska coaches could be forgiven for missing on Pieper, considering he wasn't highly ranked in the 2023 class. Of course, that was as a defensive lineman, and since moving to the offensive side of the ball, he's earned an All-American spot. He will once again face off against NU on Black Friday.
The third and final Nebraska native is the one that doesn't hurt all that much as the No. 75 player on the list is North Dakota offensive lineman Trace Thaden. The Millard West product will take on the Huskers when his FCS school come to Lincoln next month and he's blossoming into an impressive physical specimen.
It's a bit of an embarassment for the program that no Nebraska player made the list while three who could have been Huskers but chose otherwise are. With all the talk about how much bigger and stronger the group is getting, one hopes that an NU star or two, or three will make the ranking next year.
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