Nebraska football, Matt Rhule pick up commitment from big, rangy Texas athlete

It was a productive Father’s Day for the Nebraska football program as it gained the commitment of three-star Pearland (Texas) Shadow Creek athlete Braylen Prude on Sunday.

“It’s just the right place,” Prude told Inside Nebraska of why he committed to the Huskers. “This is going to be the new wave for college football. Everyone’s new, and it’s going to be a fresh start for Nebraska football. It’s just the right place to be. Everything that I need, that school has it. Academics, you name it.”

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Prude, an intriguing prospect at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, is coming off an official visit to Nebraska this weekend. He burst onto the scene earlier this month at a satellite camp in Houston where several Husker coaches attended. It was Prude’s 40-meter dash time that caught the attention of Matt Rhule and his defensive backs coach, Evan Cooper.

“I ran a good time again, and then they just came to all my stations,” Prude told Inside Nebraska earlier this month. “Then when we went outside for the football drills, he (Cooper) was watching me and then pulled me aside to do some drills with him. Then we went to one-on-ones, and it was after the first rep I got the offer.”

Prior to the Huskers getting involved, Prude’s only other offers were FCS Eastern Illinois and Division II Lane College. After this weekend’s visit and the commitment that will make him a Husker, Prude feels that the 40-yard dash — which was clocked at 4.47 seconds — might have changed his life.

“The crazy thing is, I wasn’t even supposed to go to that camp, I had a 7-on-7,” Prude said. “I said last minute that I’d go to the camp.”

Prude said the coaching staff told him they plan on Prude playing multiple positions in Tony White’s 3-3-5 defense.

“Rover, boundary safety, corner — everything,” Prude said of what Cooper told him he’d project as. “The whole secondary, the whole five positions they have at defensive back, I’m playing everything.”

Prude was also able to watch film with Cooper, who showed spring game tape as well as Prude’s own plays from Shadow Creek.

“He was keeping it real,” Prude said of watching film with Cooper. “He was talking about my range and saying that everything they (the Husker DBs) do is going to be fast and full of effort.”

It was a special moment for Prude to commit on Father’s Day. His dad, Ronnie, played in the NFL and at LSU for Nick Saban.

“He was just proud of me, really proud of me. He’s going to support me in everything I do,” Prude said. “Even though I didn’t go to LSU, he’s still going to support me in everything.”

Prude, who was shown around by his player host Corey Collier, was in an office with his mom, Rhule and Cooper on Sunday when he broke the commitment news to Rhule.

“At first, I was going to commit next week. But just thinking about how everyone doesn’t have much time, because next week they’re bringing like 30 recruits for visits, I just said, ‘Nevermind, I’m going to commit today.’ Coach Rhule’s eyes just lit up.”

Prude is another example of Rhule honing in on football recruits who are also standouts in track and field. Prude recently set a new personal best in the 400-meter dash of 49.47 seconds.

Prude becomes the 10th member of the Huskers’ 2024 class and is the fifth Texan as he joins defensive back Mario Buford, tight end Ian Flynt, offensive lineman Gibson Pyle and athlete Roger Gradney.

Discuss Braylen Prude’s commitment and more Husker news on the Insider’s Board.