Nebraska TE commit flips to Iowa State

Nebraska is down to just 11 commitments in its 2023 class: Longtime tight end commit Ben Brahmer has decommitted from the Huskers and flipped to Iowa State, Inside Nebraska sources have confirmed.

Matt Rhule made an in-home visit to Brahmer on Sunday, but Brahmer also took a visit to Iowa State over the weekend, sources tell Inside Nebraska.

There has been an overhaul to the Huskers’ coaching staff, but Iowa State’s staff saw some major moves, too, as the Cyclones fired former OC Tom Manning. But Iowa State announced on Monday that it promoted well-established and well-respected position coach Nate Scheelhasse to offensive coordinator.

Brahmer’s decision has now cemented, and now the Huskers will be scrambling to either find a late tight end addition to the class or in the transfer portal.

Brahmer’s decision went a bit under the radar Tuesday morning as he did not make a public announcement of his flip. That is right on brand with how Brahmer conducted his entire recruitment: quiet

That’s another reason that his last-minute flip – just two weeks before the Dec. 21-23 early signing period – is about as surprising of a flip as you will see in this recruiting cycle for the Huskers.

Brahmer was the longest-tenured commit in the Huskers’ class. The Pierce (Neb.) High School star had been committed to Nebraska for over a year and a half when he became the first pledge of the Huskers’ class on April 2, 2021.

It had long been expected that Brahmer was a sure thing to stay locked into this class, but the overhaul on the Huskers’ coaching staff opened the door for the Cyclones to make a late push.

That’s where this flip really hurts Nebraska. Brahmer came on very strong to end his senior season and cap an impressive high school career.

Brahmer broke a Nebraska 11-man football state record for most catches and yards in a game by hauling in 11 receptions for 249 yards in the Class C-1 state championship game against Aurora in November. He also added three touchdowns in a dominant one-man show to help lead Pierce to a state title with a 42-14 win over the Huskies. He finished his high school career with 3,509 yards receiving and 45 touchdowns.

Brahmer is a three-star prospect ranked as the state’s No. 3 player, and he is the No. 22-ranked tight end recruit in the nation.

He is the Huskers’ sixth decommitment of the class as receivers Malachi Coleman and Omarion Miller, running back Arnold Barnes and EDGE prospects Ashley Williams Jr. and Cameron Lenhardt all decommitted. Williams and Lenhardt decommitted in July and September, respectively, after being briefly committed to the Huskers.

But Coleman, Miller, Barnes and Brahmer have all decommitted in a six-day span from Thursday to Tuesday. The Huskers are now down to just four in-state commitments in DE/OLB Maverick Noonan and OL Gunnar Gottula, Sam Sledge and Brock Knutson.

Nebraska’s class is down to No. 12 in the Big Ten and No. 61 in the nation, slipping one spot in the Big Ten recruiting rankings and five spots in the overall rankings.