The Nebraska football team got its second commit of the day late Sunday night. Niko Cooper, the Hutchinson CC defensive end announced through his Twitter account he had chosen the Huskers.

While the announcement wasn't exactly one that shocked the world, it was one that made plenty of Nebraska fans on Twitter happy. The Cornhuskers have been clear in the kind of players they are trying to add to the class as the 2020 cycle winds down.

The team has been stockpiling linebackers and pass-rushers. Cooper fits the latter.

247Sports has Cooper listed as the third-best weakside defensive end in the JUCO ranks.

He joins what is a growing number of junior college commits playing on the defensive side of the ball.

Cooper is also technically the sixth commit to pledge to the Huskers since Thanksgiving. The Nebraska football team currently holds five new commits starting on November 26, as linebacker Jamoi Hodge, another JUCO player decommitted just nine days after announcing he had chosen the Cornhuskers.

Hodge claimed later that the coaches had told him they no longer had room on the roster. It appears the staff reevaluated where they wanted to put their resources. Niko Cooper is one of those they are likely going to end up taking all the way through the beginning of the early signing period, which begins on Wednesday, December 18.

Diamond in the rough?

One thing that stands out from some of Nebraska football's most recent commits is that Cooper isn't a blue-chipper. Earlier Sunday, the Huskers gained the commit of Keyshawn Greene.

Greene is a four-star linebacker who has recently been pledged to Florida State. His announcement on Sunday was hoped for by Husker faithful but not really expected.

JUCO wide receiver Omar Manning was another commit largely out of the blue. There had even been talk about that 4-star prospect taking his recruitment all the way to the final signing period in February. Then he kicked off the weekend deciding on the Huskers.

Cooper was chased hard by the Cornhusker coaching staff, but recruiting analysts were reading tea leaves that saw him landing in Lincoln for a while now.

That doesn't make his announcement any less welcome by those on Twitter who saw the news.

Depth if nothing else

Cooper wasn't dominant for Hutchinson C.C. but he was plenty solid. In 2019 he logged 24 total tackles. Those included 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

The Nebraska football coaching staff has talked plenty about the need to get more pass rush from their front without the aid of a blitz. Even if the defender isn't able to give the coaching staff a dominant pass rusher at the next level, they are interested in seeing what he can bring as a depth piece.
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