Football is arguably the most popular sport in the United States of America. However, the game’s popularity outside of the country remains relatively low compared to sports such as soccer and basketball. However, there have been efforts to reach out to a more global audience. In college football, one strategy that teams have employed is the recruiting of international prospects. Recently, the Nebraska Huskers college football team extended an offer to Olaus Alinen, a 16-year-old offensive lineman from Finland, reports 247 Sports.

Offer to Olaus Alinen by Nebraska Huskers

Alinen announced news of the offer this week after having a conversation with Nebraska Husker’s assistant coach, Mike Dawson. The 6-foot-7 offensive lineman will move to the United States this year to play high school football for Windsor High School. The young prospect has already played in various leagues in Europe and has posted impressive results at all levels of competition.

In a recent interview with 247Sports, Alinen said that he loved playing football because it is a physical as well as a strategic game. “I have played in the U20 Finnish league, U17 national team, and U19 national team. I love the physicality in football. It feels great to dominate your opponent.

I also love how strategic the game is.”

Moving to the United States will allow teams to get a closer look at Alinen’s game. The 16-year-old’s size makes him a potential great prospect for teams looking to improve their offensive lines in 2023. Alinen’s father, Klaus Alinen, is also a former football player. He played in the NFL Europe league for the Berlin Thunder as a tight end, and he spent a year on the Atlanta Falcon’s practice squad.

In addition to Nebraska, Alinen has also received offers from Michigan and Oregon. The teams are sure to track his performance in high school, and if he can dominate his opponents at that level, he will attract more offers from the top college programs in the country.

Scott Frost on recruitment

College teams have shifted their focus to recruiting after the coronavirus pandemic halted their preseason preparations.

For Nebraska, Coach Scott Frost has said that he wants to get ahead of other teams in the recruiting cycle. Even as teams concentrate on recruiting, it is still unclear when teams can resume preparations for the 2020 season. According to Omaha, in a recent interview, Coach Frost said that a four to six week period for player conditioning and offseason training was possible but not ideal. While he expressed confidence that his players have tried their best to stay in peak physical condition, the Husker’s head coach admitted that teams could run out of time to save the season if the current situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic persists.
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