Evan Cooper reveals what Nebraska looks for at satellite camps

Along with several other coaches, Matt Rhule and Evan Cooper represented Nebraska at a recent satellite camp in Texas. During that camp, coaches were able to work with high school players and get a feel for the talent at the camp.

As Cooper explained, these camps are a great way for teams to find young talent to recruit.

“We like to bond the talent. If it’s there, we’ll give it a good look,” Evan Cooper said. “What we find, there’s a lot of the times the younger kids turn out to be the best because at this point, the ’24 class, they have offers and now they’re doing official visits and stuff.”

As of now, Nebraska’s 2024 Class is ranked 25th in the On3 Industry Ranking Football Team Recruiting Rankings. However, June is a massive month for recruiting and the Cornhuskers are going to use it as a springboard for their class.

Evan Cooper also emphasized that while these camps are an important process in recruiting, they’re also an enjoyable experience for coaches.

“But, yeah, we don’t take it lightly. We work at it and go through the entire process and just check and see if there’s guys that we like,” Cooper explained. “And it’s also fun just to coach. Just get out here and coach. I haven’t coached since spring ball, so that’s also good.”

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule also knows that the connections built at these camps, especially ones in states that are important for recruiting, are incredibly important.

“Well, you know, obviously the University of Nebraska and a lot of guys on our staff have some recognition here in the state. This is a priority for us, recruiting-wise,” Rhule said.

“So, I want to make sure that we have a presence here, whether it’s visiting with high school coaches or seeing these student-athletes, whether they’re the guys we’re gonna recruit this year, they’re younger guys, you know, I just think it’s about making sure that we stay relevant here and our brand is known.”

Rhule on being involved in the Nebraska community

Early in his tenure at Nebraska, Matt Rhule has already made one thing obvious, he wants to give back to the community.

“I don’t think any coach strictly focuses on football. I think they focus on other things that we don’t see, like some focus on just their family or golf or a charity. So, for me, again if I list out those core values, my focus is on our players first, and recruiting, and then it’s the football, and then it’s the community, and the campus community,” Rhule said.

“I always look at it like this, how many little kids are in 100 square miles, you know 20 square miles, that our players can impact? So, some places have a culture where they do community service and the cameras are all on there and it’s all scripted, and we got guys, we got Elliott Brown going back and talking to schools in Omaha. We have five guys helping kids read and no one ever hears about it. So, you know, my wife got here the first thing she did was start a charity. We just want to be involved. We want this to be our home. So, if you want it to be your home, you better not just take, you better give.”