The Nebraska football team has landed the best Junior College receiver in the entire 2020 class. Omar Manning made a surprise announcement on Friday night.
The excitement surrounding the program was so much, Adrian Martinez, the team's starting quarterback the last two years had to join in the party.
Martinez took to his own Twitter account to welcome Manning into the fold. A member of the Nebraska football team welcoming a new commit to the party on social media is certainly not unheard of. Things are a little different when it comes to Adrian.
Martinez made it clear earlier this season that he stays away from social media. In fact, before Friday, he hadn't posted on Twitter since the middle of July. The quarterback ended his self-imposed exile with a welcome message to Manning.
"Back on twitter for this moment! Can’t wait for you to get here brotha!"
Back on twitter for this moment! Can’t wait for you to get here brotha! #GBR https://t.co/veKAjWW9DZ
— Adrian Martinez (@MartinezTheQB) December 14, 2019
Omar Manning's change of heart, or lack thereof
While the Huskers have been high on the JUCO receiver's list for a while now, reports had surfaced recently that he was having a hard time making a decision. This despite the fact that according to the Omaha World-Herald's Sam McKewon, Manning had been a "silent commit" since November.
That racks with a social media post Manning made where he commented that he could see his future and sharp-eyed Husker fans noticed he was wearing a Nebraska wristband.
Omar Manning was silently committed since November, chewed on taking some more visits earlier in the week, but then, in the last few days, he decided Nebraska was where he wanted to be all along.
— Sam McKewon (@swmckewonOWH) December 14, 2019
“Nebraska is where I think I’ll flourish the best on and off the field.”
That paper recently reported Manning likely wasn't signing with anyone until February.
Nebraska football fans are hoping that changes with this announcement.
If he does sign on the dotted line, not only do the Cornhuskers get Kilgore's leading receiver with 35 receptions and six touchdowns, but one who can stretch the field. Omar Manning averaged 20 yards per reception.
By contrast, JD Spielman led the Huskers in yards per catch for anyone over five catches.
He averaged just over 18 yards per reception.
Nebraska football moving up the ranks
While analysts have made it clear they believe the Cornhuskers need to recruit better in order for the program to return to glory, Scott Frost and company had been struggling in that area of late. That was until this week.
Omar Manning is the second 2020 commit this week, following in the footsteps of another JUCO prospect in linebacker Eteva Mauga-Clements. Those two commits, were preceded by another two JUCO commits in November in Junior Aho and Jamoi Hodge. Hodge has since gone elsewhere, apparently at the request of the coaching staff.
The movement in the last few weeks now has the Nebraska football team leaping into the Top 25 on both of the big recruiting sites' rankings.
The Huskers move from 28th to 23rd in 247Sports rankings. They are projected to move from 29th to 23rd in Rival's rankings, despite having less commits (16) than almost every team currently ranked ahead of them.