Nebraska’s ability to find a player like German offensive lineman David Höffken is exactly why head coach Matt Rhule emphasizes hitting the road so hard for football camps.
In this week’s 3-2-1 column, we hit on that and more with three things we learned, two questions, and one prediction.
RELATED – Nebraska adds late 2024 roster addition in the form of German OL David Höffken
THREE THINGS WE LEARNED THIS WEEK
1 – Nebraska’s aggressive camp approach continues to pay off
We got a good taste ofMatt Rhule‘s approach to June footballl camps in 2023. It didn’t take long for things to pick up on the camp scene in 2024.
In the last recruiting cycle, we saw Rhule and his staff make several unorthodox camp offers to guys who may not have received much recruiting attention. Most of the Huskers’ June commits were players who fit this category.
On Tuesday in Houston, that trend continued. We saw the Big Red add one of the more unorthodox players in NU recruiting history. Offensive lineman David Höffken was a virtual unknown. The 22-year-old had been out of the game for two years and had never attended school in the United States.
However, he showed up to camps in Belton and Houston this week and checked all the boxes. He’s big, strong, fast and athletic. He had a frame on him. Very few players on the current Husker football team possess a 6-foot-7, 258 pounds, and a nearly 7-foot wingspan.
Rhule saw something in Höffken worth taking a chance on. Is it a gamble? Sure. But what’s the risk? The Huskers need offensive tackle bodies they can develop. Höffken will come in motivated to make it. The addition of Höffken also tells you recruiting comes in all shapes and sizes from all corners of the world.
2 – Friday begins a stretch of five straight camp days in Lincoln
The Husker coaching staff returned to Lincoln late Tuesday to begin hosting a key midweek visitor in offensive lineman Douglas Utu.
After that, NU will begin a crucial stretch of football camps. From Friday to Tuesday alone, Nebraska will host five straight days of camps.
The Huskers will hold their first of two Friday Night Lights Camps on Friday, followed by a specialist camp and individual camp on Saturday, another individual camp on Sunday, a postgraduate camp on Monday, and their fullback camp on Tuesday. They will then close with a June 14 FNL Camp and an individual camp on June 16.
The Huskers will hold seven prospect camps over 10 days. What’s unique about Rhule’s camps is that he and all of his assistant coaches are heavily involved in the camp’s framework. They are by no means in a walk-around role where they just pop in and out and let graduate assistants and interns handle all the coaching.
Rhule requires his coaches to be involved in all aspects of each camp. Rhule himself will run a stopwatch. Last year I even saw Rhule throwing passes to wide receivers. I’ve never seen a coach at Nebraska be so hands no with his football camps than Rhule.
3 – Huskers make another QB offer for 2026
Quarterbacks coachGlenn Thomas was just one of two full-time assistant coaches not in Texas this week for Monday and Tuesday’s satellite camps.
Thomas had good reason. He was back in Lincoln playing host to 2026 Long Beach (Calif.) Narbonne quarterback Jaden O’Neal. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound O’Neal was in Lincoln for an unofficial visit earlier in the week. He left Nebraska with a scholarship offer.
The number of 2026 quarterbacks with Nebraska offers continues to grow by the day.
O’Neal became the 16th 2026 quarterback with a Nebraska offer in the On3 database. The list of 2026 quarterbacks NU is on is deep, but O’Neal’s visit to campus and offer should get your attention. Later this month we’ll also see 2026 quarterback prospect Dayton Raiola throw at NU’s camp.
TWO QUESTIONS THIS WEEK
1 – What jumped out the most about the coaching staff this past week in Texas?
You learn a lot when you see the entire coaching staff out on the road for satellite camps. What jumped out the most to you?
One of the biggest things I noticed was the presence of wide receivers coach Garret McGuire in the state of Texas. Everyone knows him, and the players respect him. He’s got a great feel for his area. He probably spends over 90 percent of his days on the road in Texas. Even the coaches from UTEP and Houston Christian had good things to say about McGuire.
2 – What’s one under-the-radar player nugget you picked up this week in Texas?
What was the biggest nugget of information you learned in Texas this week about a current Husker player? For me, it was hearing the gains defensive lineman James Williams made after one off-season.
Remember, Williams was a late find at a camp last summer. After shining on the scout team, he got called up to the upper units. Williams saw time in four games to preserve his redshirt in 2023. The Husker defensive coaches raved about Williams in Texas and his off-season gains. They expect him to be an impact player on the defense in 2024. Camp evaluations matter.
ONE PREDICTION: At least five new offers made over the camp weekend
Nebraska’s prospect camps begin on Friday in Lincoln. Things are about to get busy over the next week.
Today, I predict you will see at least five new offers made at camps, with a handful of them again being late 2025 finds.
Sean Callahan can be reached at sean@huskeronline.com and is heard daily at 6:45 am and 5:05 pm on Big Red Radio 1110 KFABin Omaha during the football season. He can also be seen on KETV Channel 7 in Omaha during the fall, and each week, he appears on Nebraska Public Media’s Big Red Wrap-Up Tuesdays at 7 pm.
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