Sometimes being first can make all the difference.
For Missouri City (Texas) Ridge Point cornerback Bryson Webber, it certainly did. Nebraska was the first program to offer Webber a scholarship after he switched positions from wide receiver to defensive back — and that trust has powered a strong relationship ever since.
Webber reaffirmed that belief by announcing his commitment to Nebraska’s 2025 recruiting class on Sunday.
Im home🏠 #GBR pic.twitter.com/pl4SsyuG1v
— Bryson Webber (@BrysonWebber18) July 14, 2024
The Husker coach who first extended the offer, Evan Cooper, will no longer be Webber’s future position coach following his resignation on July 5.
Instead, newly hired defensive backs coach John Butler quickly reached out to Webber and helped ensure he’d be part of the Nebraska secondary down the road.
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“The whole defensive staff has been telling me that they can really make me reach my full potential, which I fully believe,” Webber said.
Webber chose the Huskers over Baylor, TCU and Utah, programs which he had also officially visited in June. What stood out on his visit to Nebraska wasn’t the team’s new facilities, its fan support or its amenities for players — it was the culture of the team.
“I really value talking to other players that are already on the team that can give their own personal opinions about how things are,” Webber said. “Everybody was saying it’s a family at Nebraska, and I really feel that.”
A 6-foot-3 prospect who primarily played wide receiver prior to last season, Webber’s position change came on account of the many collegiate prospects at wide receiver on his high school team. Developing the finer aspects of cornerback play has taken time, but Webber’s first year at the position was immediately a successful one.
His background on the offensive side of the ball is a plus for Nebraska, which often targets such players along the recruiting trail.
“It’s not the 40-yard dash at corner (that matters), it’s that change of direction and lateral movement,” head coach Matt Rhule said on June 20. “If you can find guys like that who also have ball skills who are former receivers, man, you have a chance. Those are the guys who can play the ball in the air.”
Webber’s commitment fills a major need in Nebraska’s recruiting class as its first true cornerback pledge. NU’s other defensive back recruits — Caden VerMaas, Tanner Terch and Jeremiah Jones — are likely better fits to play at safety down the road.
Webber is currently the 16th player to join NU’s 2025 class and the second from Texas alongside defensive lineman Malcolm Simpson. Considering Nebraska signed 11 players out of the state in the previous two recruiting cycles, Webber was glad to see that he’ll be around many players with a background just like him.
“Since I’m from Texas, going to Nebraska it’s a whole new environment, so I like having players that’s from Texas to be around and tell me how it’s going to go,” Webber said.
Meet Nebraska football’s 2025 recruiting class
TJ LATEEF
IM HOME! #GBR 🌽🔴 https://t.co/SxaTIIrgxM
— TJ Lateef (@TJ_Lateef9) May 12, 2024
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Hometown: Orange, Calif.
The specs: Quarterback, 6-1½, 185 pounds.
Takeaway: TJ Lateef’s Hudl highlight film has a lot of dimes in it — on some tough concepts.
A slot fade throw dropped right into the bucket. A 17-yard out thrown toward the sideline, where only his receiver can grab it. A laser seam thrown into zone coverage that looks a lot like Dylan Raiola’s throw to Alex Bullock in the spring game. The deep crosser thrown away from the safety over the top and beyond the corner.
Lateef appears to be in a well-conceived system — Lutheran’s head coach, Rod Sherman, once led Valor Christian in Colorado — but he’s smooth in his delivery and execution.
Good footwork. Quick decisions. It’s a good picture.
* — All star rankings are based on Composite
MALCOLM SIMPSON
It breaks my heart that they didn’t believe in me! NEBRASKA DID LOL 🤞🏾🤞🏾#LockedIn #DeathRow #GBR #Family #Blackshirts https://t.co/E1xNLzs1XB
— Malcolm Simpson (@Malcolm63573618) June 17, 2024
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Hometown: Hitchcock, Texas.
The specs: Defensive lineman, 6-3, 255 pounds.
Takeaway: Malcolm Simpson displays strengths as a pass rusher on film, with the defensive lineman having lined up in several positions across his high school career. He has the strength to move opposing linemen as an interior rusher and has also been effective when lining up on the edge.
In order to play Big Ten football, Simpson may need to develop physically — but his strength and ability to use his frame effectively is a key trait the lineman already possesses. Learning effective pass rushing moves from position coach Terrance Knighton should be a top priority for Simpson as he develops.
JAMARION PARKER
Go Big Red 🌽!!! https://t.co/bYGU8FNQ75
— Jamarion Parker (@JAMARIONPARKER_) June 5, 2024
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Hometown: St. Louis.
The specs: Running back, 6-0, 185 pounds.
Takeaway: Nebraska now has two running back commits in its 2025 class: Jamarion Parker and Wahoo Neumann’s Conor Booth. Considering NU missed out on a high school back a year ago, adding Dante Dowdell out of the transfer portal instead, a two-back class makes sense.
Both players are electric runners, and it’s Parker’s breakaway speed that stands out on his junior film. Averaging 11.2 yards per carry during a season where he ran for 22 touchdowns, Parker’s vision in the backfield often helps him cut to the edge and accelerate past defenders.
In order to be effective in college, it’s likely he’ll need to add weight and prove his physicality between the tackles. Nebraska will want to keep Parker’s track and field speed in play due to his breakaway ability that few can match.
HOUSTON KAAHAAINA-TORRES
🌟🌟🌟
Hometown: Honolulu.
The specs: Offensive lineman, 6-3, 290 pounds.
Takeaway: Houston Kaahaaina-Torres is a prospect with all the tools needed to play anywhere along the offensive line. At the high school level, he’s often worked as a tackle, but his long-term projection is as a guard or center.
Those positions are a great fit for Kaahaaina-Torres given the excellent footwork and lateral quickness he displays on his junior film. Both in pass protection and run blocking, Kaahaaina-Torres displays quick hands and an eagerness to leverage his frame against opposing defenders.
As such, Nebraska may have just landed its starting center of the future in the three-star commit.
JEREMIAH JONES
First I would like to thank God for each & every opportunity I’ve been given. I would also like to thank my family & coaches for helping me through this process. With that said, I am blessed and excited to announce my commitment to the University of Nebraska!! Go Cornhuskers!🌽❤️ pic.twitter.com/YOVCw1P6wB
— Jeremiah Jones (@thejjones7) July 1, 2024
🌟🌟🌟
Hometown: Murray, Ky.
The specs: Athlete, 6-5, 205 pounds.
Takeaway: Jeremiah Jones did a little bit of everything for Murray as a junior, catching 22 passes for 326 yards, completing 54 passes for 643 yards and six scores, and running the ball 62 times for 326 yards. On defense, Jones had 66 tackles, four sacks and five tackles for loss.
The downside of Jones’ constant positional shuffling is that he’s not been able to fully focus on learning just one position. However, that experience also means that he sees the sport of football differently than others.
He could play on either side of the ball at NU, but seems to have the athletic stride to play receiver or rover. While Jones isn’t playing elite competition in Kentucky, he’s all over the field as a playmaker, and his Hudl highlight film also shows a guy who call the defense and audible on offense.
SHAWN HAMMERBECK
🌟🌟🌟
Hometown: Winner, S.D.
The specs: Offensive lineman, 6-6, 260 pounds.
Takeaway: NU currently has two players from South Dakota on its roster: defensive lineman Nash Hutmacher and offensive lineman Jason Maciejczak. Both are north of 300 pounds. Shawn Hammerbeck fits into the same archetype at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds entering his senior year of high school. Like Maciejczak, he plays both sides of the line in high school ball.
Hammerbeck has played tight end and defensive end, and was all-state in basketball. It makes for a player more nimble than his frame would suggest, someone who will be malleable once he gets onto campus, begins a college strength and conditioning program and settles into the role NU wants from him.
BRIAN TAPU
1000% committed #GBR 🌽🌽 pic.twitter.com/y4RQEbb1oJ
— Halafihi Tapu (@briantapu) June 28, 2024
🌟🌟🌟
Hometown: Salt Lake City.
The specs: Offensive lineman, 6-7, 295 pounds.
Takeaway: Brian Tapu’s potential at the position is easy to see, and it’ll be up to offensive line coach Donovan Raiola to get the most out of him. With long arms and a powerful frame, Tapu is a natural fit for offensive tackle where he can use his leverage to keep opposing defensive linemen from rushing the passer and stopping the run.
Footwork and dealing with pass-rushing moves are some of the finer areas of offensive line technique that need developing for Tapu, but his physicality and fluidity of movement is already in a good place.
Nebraska coaches love finding long-term projects on the recruiting trail, and Tapu is certainly a player who could look much different after a year or two of development than he does now.
CADEN VERMAAS
🌟🌟🌟
High school: Millard North.
The specs: Athlete, 6-0, 190 pounds.
Takeaway: Matt Rhule and his staff put a good press on Caden VerMaas before his recruiting profile got bigger. And it was bound to do so, given what VerMaas did in just eight games his sophomore season as a running back/defensive back. When kids commit to Nebraska before their junior year, rival offers tend to stay quiet.
VerMaas could play a slot corner spot or he could play rover in NU’s system. His size is similar to current Husker Isaac Gifford – who is currently playing rover – and VerMaas, at least on offense, may be more explosive. He runs with fluidity and, on a football field, can outrun most guys to the end zone. In games he played last season, he stood out.
JACKSON CARPENTER
Dreams to Reality‼️🎈#committed #GBR pic.twitter.com/dlpm16VIYc
— Jackson Carpenter (@Jcarpenter06_) April 13, 2024
🌟🌟🌟
High school: Lincoln Southwest.
The specs: Athlete, 6-2, 185 pounds.
Takeaway: A wide receiver prospect, Jackson Carpenter earned a Nebraska offer in January and kept the Huskers as one of his top options alongside Kansas. A trip to campus for a spring practice was enough for Carpenter to finalize his decision ahead of a return visit for the Spring Game.
The son of former Nebraska tight end/fullback Tim Carpenter, Jackson recorded 28 catches for 549 yards and seven touchdowns during his junior season at Lincoln Southwest.
He also brings more in-state speed. Nebraska already has sprinting receivers like Jaylen Lloyd (Westside) and Malachi Coleman (Lincoln East) and Carpenter fits in with that bunch. With his frame, he’ll fit nicely as an outside deep threat in NU’s offense. Nebraska’s not taking Carpenter just to take him — he fits the speed profile.
BEAR TENNEY
🌟🌟🌟
Hometown: American Fork, Utah.
The specs: Tight end, 6-6, 245 pounds.
Takeaway: A consensus three-star prospect according to all four major recruiting services, Bear Tenney grew up with basketball as his first love. He started playing tackle football as a freshman, loved it, and got his first offer back then from Arizona.
As a sophomore at Chandler (Arizona) Hamilton High School, he caught 11 passes for 95 yards. Last year at Lucas (Texas) Lovejoy High School, he had 27 grabs for 278 yards.
By then, he’d accumulated offers from all over the country, including Michigan and Oregon. As an “aggressive player” with a big catch radius and an ability to “go up and get the ball,” Tenney had options, and time. But his relationship with Dylan Raiola and an unofficial visit to NU’s campus won him over.
TYSON TERRY
Boom! Staying Home! 🌽#commited @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/QQMSx43gGC
— Tyson Terry🧨 (@tyson_terryyy) June 9, 2023
🌟🌟🌟
High school: Omaha North.
The specs: Defensive lineman, 6-2, 280 pounds.
Takeaway: Tyson Terry is as strong as they come, having won three Class A state titles in heavyweight wrestling. The 6-2, 280-pounder is an absolute force on the defensive line, with that elite strength often enabling Terry to simply bull rush past opposing offensive linemen. While the defensive tackle takes plenty of snaps closer to the interior of the line, he’s also an excellent pass rusher.
Terry played varsity football immediately as a freshman, and has now recorded 212 total tackles, 38 for loss, and 12½ sacks in his three-year high school career. Going after a player of that caliber within the state’s borders was a no-brainer for Nebraska — and the Huskers could reap the benefits in years to come.
BRYSON HAYES
🌟🌟🌟
Hometown: Maize, Kan.
The specs: Wide receiver, 5-11, 180 pounds.
Takeaway: Bryson Hayes is a blazer, having just run a 10.69-second 100-meter dash this spring. His speed shows on tape, but Nebraska likes verifiable numbers and his 10.69 does the trick. The Huskers have made a point of recruiting fast guys to play wideout — sophomore Jaylen Lloyd ran a 10.47-second 100 in high school — because of the ways speed can change the gravity (and thus the geometry) of a defense.
Hayes may project to an inside receiver role — like Lloyd — thanks to his work in traffic catching contested balls that turn into a touchdowns after good runs. Of Hayes’ 79 grabs — for 1,544 yards and 18 touchdowns — many involve catch-and-run situations that show off Hayes’ slippery agility. Nebraska wants to improve its quick game, and Hayes flashes the skill of knowing where to go after a short pass — it changes play to play, based on the blocking — and how to take on larger defenders.
PIERCE MOOBERRY
🌟🌟🌟
High school: Millard North.
The specs: Athlete, 6-4, 200 pounds.
Takeaway: At Millard North, Pierce Mooberry had played safety — similar to former Mustang/Husker Sean Fisher — so he can see the game from 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage, pursue downhill, play deep coverage, and all the rest. But he’s likely destined for the off-the-ball linebacker spot or Jack linebacker spot for the Huskers. The Jack can take on many forms — it still seems a little line-of-scrimmage based, given MJ Sherman mostly plays it like an end — but Mooberry has coverage skills that can put him anywhere around the ball. Watch out for the sneaky potential of him playing tight end, too; he’s good there.
CONOR BOOTH
Go Skers!! 🎈🌽 #GBR pic.twitter.com/2C6810pMQv
— Conor Booth (@ConorBooth23) August 27, 2023
🌟🌟🌟
High school: Bishop Neumann.
The specs: Running back, 6-1, 215 pounds.
Takeaway: Conor Booth was an ultra-efficient runner during his sophomore season as a fullback. He averaged 13.4 yards per carry and scored 20 total touchdowns. As a junior, he transitioned to running back in a new offense, toting the ball for 2,159 yards (10.6 per carry), caught eight passes for 185 yards and scored 35 total touchdowns in 10 games.
He packs a punch as a runner, but he has decent breakaway speed and has shown the ability to make defenders miss at the Class C level. Obviously, Booth isn’t playing the best defenses in Class A — nor does he enjoy, say, Elkhorn South’s offensive line.
Booth is a catcher and an outfielder with a 6.69-second 60 time and an exit velocity of 98.6 miles per hour, according to Prep Baseball Report. Baseball prospects are hard to project but Booth appears to be a nice add for Will Bolt’s baseball team, too.
TANNER TERCH
🌟🌟🌟
Hometown: Littleton, Colo.
The specs: Athlete, 6-2, 185 pounds.
Takeaway: Albeit in a down year for Colorado overall — the state had 20-plus three-star prospects in 2023 and 2024 according to 247 and only has six this cycle — landing the top-ranked recruit is still indicative of NU’s presence within the state.
A three-sport athlete who also plays basketball and runs track, Tanner Terch is another example of Nebraska’s preference for landing big, quick athletes along the recruiting trail who it can develop over time.
He could be a future member of the receiver room. Terch could perhaps play in the secondary due to his ball skills and lanky frame, but a 55-catch, 876-yard junior season on offense indicates his talent as a wide receiver.
Terch is a sharp route-runner with a quick release off the line of scrimmage. His 6-2 frame helps him shield opposing defenders from the ball, and Terch also has a big vertical leap which helps him make contested catches.
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