Nebraska Football: 2015 Signees Who Can Make Immediate Impact as Freshmen

Mike Riley had a tall task in front of him when he accepted the job as Nebraska's head football coach. With only two months until national signing day, Riley got to work filling noticeable voids on his new team.

Fans learned quickly that Riley is a focused individual. He knew what he needed most for the 2015 class, opting to put his time and energy toward those positions (like linebacker and defensive end) instead of others (like quarterback). As a result, Riley signed a class full of players capable of making an immediate impact.

First and foremost, cornerback Eric Lee can be a vital part of Riley's defense in 2015. Lee possesses all the right skills for the Blackshirts, as Bleacher Report's Patrick Runge noted. That includes "speed, aggression, ball skills and the knowledge to read both an offensive play and the receiver being covered."

Lee also enrolled early for the Huskers, which will allow him the opportunity to practice through the spring. He'll still have some competition, though, which is actually a good thing for the Blackshirts, as Hail Varsity's Brandon Vogel wrote:

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The Huskers will have plenty of competition in the secondary this season with two starters (Nate Gerry, Daniel Davie) and a slew of contributors from 2014 returning. Add to that Lee and two other members of the 2015 class—[Avery] Anderson and Atlanta defensive back Aaron Williams—who enrolled early and Nebraska will have some sorting to do this spring. Lee is good enough to make his way into the rotation and if he does it’s probably a very good sign given the number of players he’ll have to beat out for snaps.

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Watching Lee's high school highlights gives a good indication of what he could do for Nebraska. If he steps up big this spring, there's reason to believe he'll see the field right away come fall.

Another player Riley could look at to step up early in his career is defensive end Daishon Neal. The Omaha, Nebraska, native was a 3-star recruit according to 247Sports and was the top-ranked player in Nebraska, per Vogel. Needless to say, Neal's potential is high.

Nebraska only has two experienced defensive ends on its roster currently. Those players are Greg McMullen and Jack Gangwish. That alone gives Neal an opportunity to play early and make a much-needed impact at defensive end for the Huskers.

Carlos Davis is another defensive end that could quickly find himself on the field for Nebraska. He and his twin, Khalil Davis, signed with the Huskers over other programs like Missouri. Securing their commitments was a huge success in Riley's first class.

247Sports

Carlos will likely have a better chance at playing time than his brother Khalil. That has a lot to do with the depth issues at defensive end. Carlos could also play defensive tackle, like his brother, but it seems more plausible that Riley will have Carlos at defensive end, where he can make a quicker impact.

Dedrick Young is another player Husker fans should keep an eye. As a linebacker, Young has an opportunity to see the field immediately—and Nebraska needs him to.

Young, like Lee, enrolled early. This is beneficial for the Blackshirts, who are currently facing some depth issues at linebacker.

At Centennial High School in Peoria, Arizona, Young played both running back and linebacker. As a result, he racked up some serious numbers. According to Sam McKewon of the Omaha World-Herald, Young rushed for 1,529 yards and 19 touchdowns on offense. He also had 98 tackles, including seven tackles for loss, as a middle linebacker.

It seems like Young has the best chance out of the entire class to see playing time in 2015. Not only is he needed, but his talent and size—6'1" and 215 pounds—put him in a good spot to step up fast for the Huskers.

Ultimately, Riley accomplished what he needed to with the 2015 class. He has quite a few guys in place—whether they enrolled early or not—who could fill voids on this team.

Spring and fall practice will be the ultimate test, but don't be surprised if you see a couple of the names above playing come September.