Jaquez Yant still recalls the moment with awe in his voice. Did everybody really show up just for him?
This was January, back when the three-star 2020 prospect wasn’t sure what college football would look like for him. The prep senior had drawn interest from various schools over the years — Florida and Auburn were often in touch along with multiple Group of Five programs — but he never felt what he would call “love.”
Then one day, Nebraska coach Scott Frost showed up unannounced at the running back’s high school, Amos P. Godby, in Tallahassee, Florida. With him was defensive backs coach Travis Fisher — a famous alum of the school — and multiple other NU assistants. They wanted to see Yant.
“Oh my God,” Yant told The World-Herald.”The head coach coming to my school? Every other school that came and saw me maybe brought one or two coaches. It really meant something to me.”
That memory stuck with Yant on Thursday as he announced he was committing to the Huskers as a walk-on in the 2020 class. He said he had other walk-on opportunities that would have been much closer and less expensive. There were a couple scholarship options available at smaller programs as well.
But lately the 6-foot-2, 225-pound rusher known for breaking tackles and busting big plays has been stuck on Nebraska. With all academic hurdles cleared this summer, he’s set to arrive in Lincoln on July 27 and join a walk-on class approaching 30 players.
Nebraska initially explored Yant as a linebacker but will start him at running back, where he has played exclusively since he was 8 years old. He’s coming off a pair of productive campaigns as an upperclassman, running for 583 yards and 10 touchdowns on 99 carries (5.9 yards per carry) in 13 games as a senior. His junior year featured 908 rushing yards on 108 totes (8.4) and 10 scores along with 12 catches for 150.
Godby coach Brandon McCray said Yant has “next-man speed,” meaning he always seems to be faster than whoever is pursuing him. He has a burst, especially within the first 10 yards, and owns reliable hands too. Injuries have never been a problem.
“He’s coming in fresh and motivated,” McCray said. “Whenever you guys get a chance to see him, it’s going to be a sight for everybody to behold, I believe.”
Fisher played a central role in the commitment, Yant said. His message was not only one of football opportunity but also the chance to develop as a person. Nebraska, Fisher told him, would be there for the teen whose mother passed away when he was 15.
The Huskers continue to build depth at the position, which includes four or five scholarship underclassmen — including 2020 signees Marvin Scott and Sevion Morrison — and just one senior in Dedrick Mills. NU running backs coach Ryan Held this week named sophomore and Millard West grad Brody Belt and redshirt freshman Zach Weinmaster as walk-ons who have impressed.
“What Nebraska told me is they just want to have a player like him on their roster,” McCray said. “They wanted to get him there and then figure out exactly where he could help them. But they felt he definitely could become a player for them at some point.”
Yant said the process has been humbling, though he firmly believes there’s a purpose behind everything. He might be a walk-on in label, but that will be the furthest thing from his mind when he joins fall camp.
“I live by the rule that says never let one man take you down,” Yant said. “So it’s going to have to be a good three, four people to get me down. I run aggressive. I make sure I see you before you see me. That probably sounds kind of crazy on the offensive side of the ball, but it’s a different ballgame with me. I’ve said it before and I’m going to say it again — I’m planning on being one of the best running backs to come out of Nebraska. And I’m going to be.”
I’m excited to continue to strive for greatness each and everyday at the University of Nebraska! #GBR❤️🖤🌽🎸 pic.twitter.com/04sV5AwPoy
— Mr.Roccout 🎸 (@JocThouxanban) July 16, 2020
The Husker Camp Countdown of Nebraska's most important players
Our Husker Camp Countdown highlights the 50 most important players on the Nebraska football team.
Honorable mention: We highlighted 20 notable players who didn't make the cut for the top 50 but could still have an impact this season. They are (in alphabetical order):
Brody Belt, Jared Bubak, Turner Corcoran, Chase Contreraz, Niko Cooper, Levi Falck, Will Farniok, Christian Gaylord, Keem Green, Keyshawn Greene, Demariyon Houston, Sevion Morrison, Mosai Newsom, Will Nixon, Nouredin Nouili, Noa Pola-Gates, William Przystup, Logan Smothers, Eli Sullivan, Ronald Thompkins.
50. Blaise Gunnerson: The true freshman's position remains somewhat fluid since he could line up as a defensive end or outside linebacker. His strength as an edge rusher is much more certain. Click here to read more.
49. Brant Banks: Many fans may know Banks from his three minutes of action with the Nebraska men’s basketball team in last spring’s Big Ten tournament. This fall he will make his case to be the backup at one of the most important positions in football. Click here to read more.
48. Broc Bando: Spring was supposed to be a “prove it” opportunity for the former Lincoln Southeast standout, but now fall camp will be perhaps the last best chance for Bando to secure a role in Nebraska’s two-deep depth chart. Click here to read more.
47. Pheldarius Payne: Nebraska coaches sought a change-of-pace presence on their defensive front and found one in Payne, a junior college transfer. Quickness — with an innate ability to make blockers miss in short spaces — will be what can get him on the field. Click here to read more.
46. Chris Hickman: Once considered a future staple for Nebraska at tight end, Hickman expanded his role late last season to include wide receiver. Where exactly he settles — or if he settles anywhere — remains unknown for the former three-star prospect from Omaha Burke. Click here to read more.
45. Connor Culp: In Nebraska’s wide-open kicking competition, Culp is perhaps the most high-profile contender and certainly the most experienced at the Division I level. The LSU transfer has found a starting opportunity in Lincoln. Click here to read more.
44. Javin Wright: The son of former Blackshirt Toby Wright may be Nebraska's most versatile defender, capable of playing in the secondary or as an outside linebacker. Click here to read more.
43. Quinton Newsome: Newsome impressed enough in one season that he was among three of Nebraska’s 2019 scholarship recruits to not redshirt their first year in college. His role will likely expand significantly in the coming months. Click here to read more.
42. Zavier Betts: The lone in-state scholarship signee in Nebraska’s 2020 class, Betts joins the roster as potentially a quick-impact player. He offers a combination of length and elite explosiveness the Huskers have had little of in recent years. Click here to read more.
41. Myles Farmer: He is primed to make an immediate and potentially lasting difference in the Nebraska secondary. A physical, hard-hitting safety, Farmer has a reputation around North Stadium for being inquisitive and self-motivating. Click here to read more.
40. Luke Reimer: Reimer is why you try to build a solid walk-on tradition, because the inside linebacker is sniffing a scholarship in a few years if he continues to play the way he did as a freshman. Click here to read more.
39. Casey Rogers: Casey Rogers has looked game ready for some time now. But with the stack of talent in front of him, he didn’t have a lot of chances to prove it. This year he will. Click here to read more.
38. Rahmir Johnson: The running back position is set with Dedrick Mills as the No. 1 guy, but it’d go a long way for Nebraska if Johnson was able to find a regular place on the field. Click here to read more.
37. Nick Henrich: Nebraska’s 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year appears to be back and healthy, and ready to fight for playing time at inside linebacker. Barrett Ruud has been high on Henrich, who has the added pressure of being a scholarship in-state kid from Omaha. Click here to read more.
36. Trent Hixson: Hixson earned a scholarship after winning a starting position on the offensive line last year. But he'll have to fend off some competition if he wants to start again in 2020. Click here to read more.
35. Braxton Clark: Clark is a presence in every room he's in, fitting of a Big Ten corner. He'll have all the chances in the world to take a key role in Nebraska's secondary next season. Click here to read more.
34. Marcus Fleming: With the absence of JD Spielman, Nebraska will be searching even harder for a spark in the return game and through the air. Fleming might be the piece NU’s been looking for. Click here to read more.
33. Daniel Cerni: Nebraska has been searching for answers all over special teams. NU hopes Cerni, who is from Canberra, Australia, can fix some of the punting issues. Click here to read more.
32. Eteva Mauga-Clements: After three seasons in the junior college ranks at Diablo Valley College, Mauga-Clements comes to Nebraska looking to steal time at inside linebacker. NU thinks it has a steal here, and he very well could be. Click here to read more.
31. Ethan Piper: Piper might end up being a real asset for the offensive line. He could play any of the three interior spots, and history shows he’ll find the field at some point based on the frequency of lineman injuries in recent years. Click here to read more.
30. Boe Wilson: Wilson has started the last 21 games at right guard but he'll likely have to compete for a starting in 2020. He has generally been a reliable run blocker, especially in short-area plays. Click here to read more.
29. Luke McCaffrey: Welcome to the most intriguing player on the Countdown. McCaffrey flashed just enough in four games last season to pique the interest of Husker fans for 2020. Click here to read more.
28. Marvin Scott: There's an open competition to be the No. 2 back, and Scott is in that mix. He rushed for more than 2,700 yards over his final two seasons and showed a downhill, no-nonsense style with power and a nice amount of elusiveness. Click here to read more.
27. Austin Allen: NU will have one of the best tight end groups in the Big Ten. Allen, who has steadily improved as a blocker and pass-catcher, is one reason why. Click here to read more.
26. Kade Warner: Warner becomes one of the few receivers at NU who knows Scott Frost’s offense inside out. So even if there is more talent on the roster, Warner’s know-how would favor him playing quite a bit, especially early. Click here to read more.
25. Garrett Nelson: Of the five Nebraskans who signed scholarships in NU's 2019 class, Nelson (Scottsbluff) made the most immediate impact, playing in 11 of 12 games with 15 tackles. Nelson’s energy and hustle were his best attributes as a true freshman. Click here to read more.
24. Travis Vokolek: Nebraska’s 2019 Offensive Scout Team MVP is a Rutgers transfer. The Huskers’ depth chart didn’t exactly need him, but tight ends coach Sean Beckton wanted him, which should give a sense of how much Vokolek was valued by Nebraska's coaches. Click here to read more.
23. Damion Daniels: He played a little bit more in 2019 — typically as a backup to his older brother Darrion — but he didn’t make a ton of plays (13 overall tackles) and usually played just a handful of snaps at a time. Though he could be NU’s starting nose in 2020, he’ll be pushed big time by junior college transfer Jordon Riley. Click here to read more.
22. Bryce Benhart: It’s time for a ballyhooed Husker offensive line recruit to pan out in a big way. Maybe Benhart — one of the country's top O-line prospects in the 2019 class — is that guy. Click here to read more.
21. Ty Robinson: If you’re looking for a young guy to make a really big leap, Robinson may be your man. He didn’t play a ton last season — NU wanted to preserve his redshirt on a defensive line that had plenty of experience — but his brief flashes were promising. Click here to read more.
20. Deontai Williams: When Williams is healthy, he makes plays. Now armed with a robust knowledge of NU’s scheme, he's a strong bet to start opposite fellow senior Marquel Dismuke. Click here to read more.
19. Alante Brown: Brown would like to pick up where he left off in the spring, when he impressed coaches with his speed and versatility after two practices. His strengths match up well with Nebraska’s needs. Click here to read more.
18. Will Honas: He and fellow senior Collin Miller are the unquestioned veterans of the linebackers now and will set the tone for what the group becomes in 2021 and beyond. Yet another Blackshirt with the talent and chance to make a big jump in the coming months. Click here to read more.
17. Marquel Dismuke: Dismuke started every game last season and produced a career-high 67 tackles (tied for third on the team) while proving trustworthy as a run stopper and against the pass. Click here to read more.
16. Deontre Thomas: Thomas cracked the line’s regular six-man rotation last year. What’s next? Now opportunity is knocking again on a D-line that must replace all three starters. After years of paying his dues behind the scenes, Thomas has as good a chance as anyone. Click here to read more.
15. Jack Stoll: Stoll has been the most productive tight end on the team the previous two seasons. The question now is whether the fifth-year player will build on last year’s output or maintain his steady performances as a blocker and pass catcher through 24 straight starts. Click here to read more.
14. Jordon Riley: Known for occupying blockers against the run, Riley will begin at nose tackle before learning other positions on the front. He joins what should be a robust competition along the line. Click here to read more.
13. Caleb Tannor: Tannor will likely get many more chances to be a playmaker — and an edge rusher in particular. Two full years immersed in the defense should also help his cause. Click here to read more.
12. Cameron Jurgens: The investment from player and program appears ready to pay off. O-line coach Greg Austin said Jurgens has a “command presence” about him these days, making him the on-field leader of the line who can mentally handle game speed in real time. Click here to read more.
11. Collin Miller: Few current Huskers have endured as much football change as Miller, but he thrived in the stability at inside linebacker last season, making his first 12 career starts and tying for third on the team with a career-best 67 tackles (seven for loss). Click here to read more.
10. Matt Farniok: Farniok can do serious damage to a linebacker at the second level when he reaches it, and when Nebraska chooses to run that QB dart play, he’s a devastating lead blocker. He’s also become a leader of the line and the offense. Click here to read more.
9. Ben Stille: Stille, the taciturn, tough leader of the defensive line, is the kind of guy who will sacrifice statistics for a winning season. His redshirt season in 2016 was NU’s last winning year, and Stille would clearly love for his senior season to be the same. Click here to read more.
8. Dicaprio Bootle: One of the most consistent, smartest and toughest players on the team, Bootle has been a starter for three seasons and a real leader for the last two. He’s almost a lock to be a captain in 2020 as he tries to become a lockdown corner. Click here to read more.
7. JoJo Domann: Nebraska’s Swiss Army knife on defense, Domann can do a little bit of everything. He can blitz, play coverage, spy a quarterback, knife off an edge toward a ballcarrier. He can take chances and get away with them, making big plays in the process. Click here to read more.
6. Omar Manning: What will Nebraska get in Manning? A hungry player with NFL potential. A willing, physical blocker. A deep threat who can draw a safety away from the middle of the field. Click here to read more.
5. Dedrick Mills: He runs angry, breaks tackle at the second level and has worked on his pass-catching skills. Teammates appreciate his toughness, too. And he has a chance at a 1,000-yard season. Click here to read more.
4. Cam Taylor-Britt: The junior had three interceptions and four forced fumbles last season. He recovered one. He had six pass breakups, too. Pretty good for a guy who played safety for the first time in his career. Click here to read more.
3. Wan'Dale Robinson: Many of Nebraska’s top recruits haven’t panned out over the last decade, so it was nice to see Robinson, the crown jewel of NU’s 2019 class, prove his recruiting rating true in his first year. Click here to read more.
2. Brenden Jaimes: He’ll likely be one of the best left tackles in the Big Ten because of his pass-blocking skill and overall athleticism, and Jaimes has faced good enough pass rushers along the way to be considered seasoned in the role. Click here to read more.
1. Adrian Martinez: For the third straight year, Martinez is No. 1 on the Camp Countdown. Each year it’s been for slightly different reasons. Click here to read more.
evan.bland@owh.com, 402-525-6970, twitter.com/EvanBlandOWH