Nebraska staff on the road in Texas, Pennsylvania; new 2023 OL offer

After hosting a large crop of official visitors in Lincoln over the weekend, Nebraska’s coaching staff hit the road to continue its recruiting efforts ahead of the Dec. 21 early signing day.

Head coach Matt Rhule’s stops coincided with two recruiting hotbeds located near his former colleges, Temple and Baylor. Rhule and defensive line coach Terrance Knighton made several stops in Texas on Monday, including a visit to 2023 wide receiver commit Brice Turner at Bay City High School.

Rhule and Knighton also stopped by Manor High School in the Austin area to check on 2023 edge rusher target Princewill Umanmielen. Former Husker edge Ochaun Mathis also attended Manor, and the school produces many collegiate recruits.

On Twitter, Rhule shared an image of pounded yam and egusi soup, a popular Nigerian dish that he ordered on Monday. It was no coincidence that Umanmielen’s older brother, Florida edge rusher Princely Umanmielen, identified the order as coming from their mother’s restaurant, Lady T Kitchen.

Knighton also stopped by Argyle, Texas, on Tuesday for an in-home visit with Riley Van Poppel, a long-standing 2023 commit. Rhule had visited Van Poppel a week prior, and Nebraska will host the four-star lineman for an official visit this weekend.

After making the rounds in Texas, it was off to the Philadelphia area for Rhule on Tuesday. Nebraska has several recruiting targets in Philadelphia, namely safety Rahmir Stewart who will take an official visit to Lincoln this weekend. NU also checked in on Harrisburg (Pa.) Central Dauphin East defensive lineman Vincent Carroll-Jackson, a 2023 target who committed to Syracuse earlier this week.

Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield and special teams coordinator Ed Foley continued to make rounds in Omaha with a visit to Millard North on Monday. Foley then stopped by JK Mullen High School on Tuesday, a Denver-area school that has produced several Division I recruits in recent years.

One Colorado prospect that could be trending toward Nebraska is 2023 tight end recruit Andrew Metzger. Formerly a Colorado commit, the Aurora Regis Jesuit senior announced his commitment on Tuesday night shortly after taking an official visit to Nebraska over the weekend. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound three-star recruit is a teammate of linebacker commit Hayden Moore and remains a key recruiting target for NU.

* While in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Nebraska extended an offer to 2023 offensive tackle recruit Naquil Betrand, who plays for Northeast High School. At 6-7 and 310 pounds, Betrand is a three-star recruit with an impressive frame that immediately stands out. While it never hurts to try, Nebraska would face an uphill challenge in trying to flip Betrand from Texas A&M. The Aggies offered Betrand in April and he committed in August following an unofficial visit. Betrand is also set to take an official visit to Texas A&M this weekend.

* In the Class of 2024, Fort Collins (Colo.) Fossil Ridge offensive lineman Gage Ginther announced that he had been “reoffered” by Nebraska on Wednesday. The 6-6, 270-pound interior offensive linemen had previously been offered by Nebraska during a recruiting visit to Lincoln on Nov. 19, Nebraska’s final home game of the 2022 season. Ginther is a three-star recruit with offers from Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin.

* On Wednesday, Nebraska also extended a 2024 offer to Dangerfield (Texas) athlete Aeryn Hampton, a four-star prospect who is among the nation’s top wide receiver prospects. Formerly a Texas commit, Hampton has the coverage skills needed to play cornerback, but his on-field production at wide receiver is impossible to ignore. Hampton has totaled 2,190 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns over the last two seasons.

* It’s too far out for most 2025 prospects to receive recruiting rankings, but that’s not the case for Tampa (Fla.) Zephyrhills athlete DJ Pickett. A five-star prospect according to 247Sports, Pickett is currently ranked as the No. 8 recruit nationally in the class of 2025. While the 6-2, 170-pound prospect could profile as either a wide receiver or safety, Nebraska defensive backs coach Evan Cooper offered Pickett on Tuesday. It should be no surprise that other college football powers such as Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas and USC have all offered Pickett as well.