THE SITUATION
It's not often Nebraska reaches into South Carolina for a recruit, but that's exactly what the Huskers did on Wednesday, landing a commitment from three-star offensive lineman Jimmy Fritzsche. But reaching outside of traditional recruiting boundaries is quickly becoming the norm for the Huskers under Scott Frost, as he is beating some major programs in head-to-head battles. In this case, the Huskers went into the Palmetto State and beat Clemson for a prospect in the Tigers backyard.
WHY IT'S BIG FOR THE HUSKERS
Make no mistake, while Fritzsche isn't the highest-ranked prospect in the country, he's still a major get for the Huskers for a number of reasons. Because he recently transitioned from tight end to offensive tackle, he's a developmental prospect and he knows it, and chose Nebraska because he will have time to develop. The Huskers were one of the first major programs to show interest in Fritzsche during his transition to his new position during the fall and while Clemson came in with a hard press late, the longer standing relationship won out. Fritzsche is a high reward, low risk signing and a nice late addition for Nebraska.
WHY IT HURTS FOR CLEMSONÂ
The Tigers have struck out on several offensive line targets down the stretch, with Fritzsche being the latest to spurn the Tigers. Considering he was a local kid that was indeed a take for the Tigers, the optics aren't great. But because he's a developmental prospect, the Tigers will move on and search for someone to replace him, either in this year's class or with a highly-ranked prospect in next year's class.
