Ethan Nation commit: What does it mean for Nebraska?
Nebraska added its 29th scholarship player for 2023 and its 22nd overall high school/junior college prospect on Tuesday. Three-star defensive back Ethan Nation of Roswell (Georgia) officially committed to Nebraska for a second time during the Under Armour All-American Game on ESPN.
Here are some quick takes and thoughts on the commitment of Nation and what it means for Nebraska.
1. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Nation is a confident sort. Really confident. He has said he feels he should be regarded as the No. 1 corner in the nation. He’s No. 44 at his position, according to the On3 Consensus. “I’m here to prove that there are not three defensive backs out here better than me,” Nation told Jeremy Johnson of On3 during preparations for the Under Armour game. That’s the sort of confidence that corners need.
2. He showed he’s willing to venture far from home. In addition to Nebraska, he considered Colorado, Ohio State and Houston. Auburn also was in the running. Impressive list.
3. He clearly has good ball skills. He caught 27 passes for 427 yards and three touchdowns this season on offense in leading Roswell to a 12-2 record, good for first place in Class AAAAAA Region 7. He also excelled in kickoff and punt returns. Defensively, he recorded 36 tackles, three interceptions and one fumble recovery. Oh, and by the way, he had eight interceptions as a sophomore.
4. He has an overall vibe that shouts “I love football!” That part can be important. According to this article by scorebooklive.com, Nation has been playing the sport for 12 years — competing at quarterback, running back and defensive back.
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5. Nation becomes the fifth defensive back in Nebraska’s class of 2023. He’s the third corner, joining fellow three-star defenders Dwight Bootle II (Miami, Florida) and Syncere Safeeullah (IMG Academy). The class also features safeties Rahmir Stewart (Philadelphia) and Corey Collier, a transfer from Florida.
6. He’s the second player in the class from Georgia. He joins EDGE defender Chief Borders, a native of Carrollton, Georgia, who comes to Nebraska by way of the University of Florida. In last year’s class, Nebraska landed four Georgia natives. Georgia was considered critical recruiting ground for Nebraska’s previous staff.
7. Watch his Hudl film. You see a player who competes hard. He plays with a clear sense of joy. His ball skills are probably what intrigue me the most. He breaks on the ball well and is a natural pass catcher. Plus, if he does make a pick, he’ll be a threat to turn it into a big gain because he has excellent instincts as a ball carrier. Part of his highlight film shows him making savage down-field blocks as a receiver. Yeah, he loves this stuff.
8. Commit breakdown
| Date | Player | Vitals | On3 Ranking |
| 1. 6/26/2021 | OL – Gunnar Gottula | 6-5, 300 Lincoln (Neb.) Southeast | 3-Star |
| 2. 1/31/2022 | DB – Dwight Bootle | 5-10, 170 Miami (Fla.) | 3-Star |
| 3. 2/20/2022 | OL – Sam Sledge | 6-3, 285 Omaha (Neb.) Creighton Prep | 3-Star |
| 4. 6/3/2022 | WR – Jaidyn Doss | 6-0, 195 Raymore-Peculiar (Mo.) | 3-Star |
| 5. 6/6/2022 | OL – Brock Knutson | 6-7, 230 Scottsbluff (Neb.) | 3-Star |
| 6. 6/12/2022 | DT – Riley Van Poppel | 6-5, 275 Argyle (Texas) | 4-Star |
| 7. 6/24/2022 | EDGE – Maverick Noonan | 6-3, 245 Omaha (Neb.) Elkhorn South | 3-Star |
| 8. 7/5/2022 | ILB – Dylan Rogers | 6-3, 240 Cypress (Texas) Cy Woods | 3-Star |
| 9. 12/6/2022 | WR – Brice Turner | 6-1, 175 Bay City (Texas) | 3-Star |
| 10. 12/11/2022 | RB – Kwinten Ives | 6-2, 185 Beverly (N.J.) Palmyra | 3-Star |
| 11. 12/12/2022 | DB – Syncere Safeeullah | 6-2, 170 IMG Academy (Hermitage, Tenn.) | 3-Star |
| 12. 12/12/2022 | EDGE – Kai Wallin | 6-5, 235 American River C.C. (Sacrament, Calif.) | 3-Star |
| 13. 12/16/2022 | K – Tristan Alvano | 6-1, 185 Omaha (Neb.) Westside | 3-Star |
| 14. 12/17/2022 | WR – Jaylen Lloyd | 5-11, 160 Omaha (Neb.) Westside | 3-Star |
| 15. 12/17/2022 | DB – Rahmir Stewart | 6-0, 195 Philadelphia (Penn.) Imhotep Institute | 3-Star |
| 16. 12/19/2022 | OL – Jason Maciejczak | 6-3, 320 Pierre (S.D.) T.F. Riggs | 3-Star |
| 17. 12/19/2022 | EDGE – Princewill Umanielen | 6-4.5, 230 Manor (Texas) | 4-Star |
| 18. 12/19/2022 | OL – Mason Goldman | 6-5, 260 Gretna (Neb.) | 3-Star |
| 19. 12/21/2022 | WR – Malachi Coleman | 6-5, 190 Lincoln (Neb.) East | 4-Star |
| 20. 12/21/2022 | LB – Eric Fields | 6-2, 195 Ardmore (Okla.) | 3-Star |
| 21. 12/21/2022 | DL – Vincent Carroll-Jackson | 6-5, 270 Harrisburg (Penn.) Central Dauphin East | 3-Star |
| 22. 1/3/2023 | DB – Ethan Nation | 5-10, 162 Roswell (Ga.) | 3-Star |
9. HS/JUCO commit breakdown by position
0 – Quarterback
1 – Running back
4 – Wide receivers
0 – Tight end
5 – Offensive line
2 – Defensive line
3 – Edge
2 – Linebacker
4 – Defensive back
1 – Kicker
10. Where are they from?
8 – Nebraska
4 – Texas
2 – Pennsylvania
1 – California
1 – Florida
1 – Georgia
1 – Missouri
1 – New Jersey
1 – Oklahoma
1 – South Dakota
1 – Tennessee
