Nebraska football dealt another setback in recruiting battle for safety target

There have been a few periods of Nebraska football recruiting that have been more up and down than the last two months. The Huskers have seen several big commitments. Unfortunately, they’ve seen plenty of losses as well.

Friday dealt a significant blow to Matt Rhule and his team, as they lost the battle for Aiden Manutai to the Cal Golden Bears. This defeat, a testament to the fierce competition in college football recruiting, surely left a mark. Adding to the disappointment is the fact that Manutai was the first trial of the post-Evan Cooper secondary recruiting.

There were concerns after Cooper stepped down that it could hurt the recruitment of several top level defensive back targets. Even with a quick hire of John Butler, it’s clear that Cooper’s relationship with the 3-star safety out of Kahuku was lost.

Nebraska football lost another recruiting battle for 3-star Aiden Manutai

There may not be a recruit that makes it more obvious that the Cornhuskers suffered a set back in more ways than one when they lost Cooper. At least in the short run.

Matt Rhule and his staff were thought to be a sure thing just a few weeks ago.

Especially after his official visit.  Washington also made a compelling case, but he nearly cancelled his official visit to Seattle after his trip to Lincoln, because of how much he loved the Huskers.

As 247Sports pointed out, the loss of Aiden Manutai is the loss of a very talented athlete, as evidenced by its scouting report.

"Manutai is one of the region's top safety prospects and has a nice all around game. He's a well built 6-0, 195 pounds and has some of the best cover instincts of any defensive back we've seen. He has a knack for jumping routes and had multiple Pick-6s last season including a huge one in the Red Raiders exciting upset win over national power St. John Bosco.”

The Nebraska football team will have to go back to the drawing board, but it’s been a tough July so far, recruiting-wise.