National Signing Day 2023: Nebraska HS Football athletes solidify their futures at Division II level

For many high school football players in the state of Nebraska, years of hard work in the classroom and performing well on the athletic stage has paid off as National Signing Day for the Class of 2023 took place on Wednesday, February 1. For three state colleges in Division II, their futures got brighter filling their rosters with homegrown talent.

With most of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) institutions signing a large chunk of their talent recruiting classes during the early National Signing Day in December, it was the first chance that Division II prospects had the chance to make it official.

Watch List: 2023 Prospects
Full List (FBS, FCS, DII, DIII, NAIA, JUCO): 2023 Signings/Commits
December NSD: 2023 December National Signing Day | FBS Signees | FCS Signees

The national signing period for football will end on April 1 for Division I schools and August 1 for Division II programs.

Wayne State had the biggest haul of in-state signings with 24 known prospects from Nebraska inking National Letters of Intent (NLI) with the Wildcats. The program continues to ride on a high after qualifying for the playoffs for the second time in school history and finishing with a 9-3 record out of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Last season was the first for head coach Logan Masters, who was promoted to the helm of the Wildcats prior to the 2022 after serving two seasons as offensive coordinator.

Nebraska-Kearney made a late push after former Nebraska assistant Ryan Held was named head coach on December 20. The Lopers finished 8-3 last season, a year after qualifying for the Division II playoffs for the first time in decade and the fifth time in school history out of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.

Held went right to work immediately by bolstering his class after returning to the state after spending the 2022 season as Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterback Coach at North Alabama, where former Lincoln East quarterback and Class A single season passing yards record holder Noah Walters was outstanding as a true freshman.

Chadron State was a school that received most of its commitments after the December signing period. The Eagles, members of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, finished 3-8 last season and are looking to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2012 in the first season under current head coach Jay Long.

That’s a wrap on the class of 2023 competing at the next level! #ET #A414A pic.twitter.com/JmQ2b8AM5x
— Omaha Westside Warrior Football (@WHS_WarriorFB) February 1, 2023

Other schools finding useful talent in Nebraska at the Division II level were: Black Hills State (Spearfish, SD), University of Mary (Bismark, ND), Minnesota State-Mankato, Minnesota State-Moorhead, Northern State (Aberdeen, SD), Northwest Missouri State (Maryville, MO), University of Sioux Falls, South Dakota School of Mines (Rapid City, SD), Southwest Minnesota State (Marshall, MN), William Jewell (Liberty, MO).

Division II Signees

UNIVERSITY OF MARY (ND)
Chris Frazier Jr. | Millard North | 6’1/280 | OL
Henry Supenski | Papillion-LaVista South | 6’3/270 | OL

MINNESOTA STATE-MANKATO
Aidan Betz | Elkhorn | 6’3/280 | DL

MINNESOTA STATE-MOORHEAD
Joe Rodriguez | Hastings | 6’2/215 | LB

WILLIAM JEWELL
Matthew Thompson | Papillion-LaVista South | 6’2/230 | DL

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