Nebraska adds Aussie punter to 2020 recruiting class

Like others before them, Nebraska continues to add to its 2020 recruiting class even as its focus is on 2021.

On his personal Twitter account Monday, Daniel Cerni announced that he has accepted a scholarship offer from Nebraska and will play for the Cornhuskers football team this fall. The 20-year-old punter is a native of Canberra, Australia.

“Thank you for this amazing opportunity,” Cerni wrote. “A huge thank you to my mother, father, sister, family and close friends. Extremely grateful to have you all in my life. Words cannot explain how much you all mean to me.”

Extrlemely excited to annouce I have recieved and accepted a full scholarship to study and play football at the Univiersity of Nebraska for the upcoming season 🌽🌽 @HuskerFBNation pic.twitter.com/3BLBJDMl1t

— DC (@Daniel_Cerni) May 11, 2020

At least one member of the Nebraska football staff is familiar with booters from Down Under. From 247Sports.com:

Cerni is part of Prokick Australia, an organization that helps develop and place punters throughout American football. Nebraska’s new special teams analyst, Jonathan Rutledge, has experience with the organization through his most recent stop at Auburn, where he worked with Arryn Siposs, the Tigers most recent punter, an Australian native.

“Daniel’s a man-child,” Prokick kicking coach Johnny Smith told the Omaha World-Herald. “His ability to hit ball after ball is what separates him. And he’s a very, very good person. He’s not much of a talker. He’s a doer. He’ll be great for Nebraska.”

Nebraska football will be looking to replace two-year starting punter Isaac Armstrong. The past two years, Armstrong averaged 41.8 yards per punt.

Cerni will compete with sophomore William Przystup, who transferred to NU last year from Michigan State, and redshirt sophomore Grant Detlefsen. Neither of those two has attempted an in-game punt for the Cornhuskers.