Nebraska’s 2024 class so far, key targets and an upcoming summer sprint

Rhule and his staff of recruiters quickly built the core of NU’s 2023 recruiting class in less than a month, then added to it by National Signing Day in February. This time, things are much different — and much less stressful — than in Nebraska’s first go-round on the recruiting trail.

Nebraska’s 2024 recruiting class currently stands at five commits, with four of those pledges coming in April alone. It should be no surprise that the Texas-Nebraska recruiting pipeline continues to define Rhule’s recruiting approach. After signing six players from the Lone Star State in its 2023 class, Nebraska already has three Texans eager to continue the trend as 2024 commits.

Four-star athlete Roger Gradney out of Altair, Texas, was the first to join NU’s 2024 class in late February as an athlete with potential at both wide receiver and defensive back. In recent weeks, Klein Cain High School (Houston) offensive lineman Gibson Pyle and Taylor High School (Katy) tight end Ian Flynt also announced their commitments — a credit to offensive line coach Donovan Raiola and tight ends coach Bob Wager as well.

Nebraska’s first in-state commit came from Elkhorn South lineman Ashton Murphy on April 11, and the Huskers also added a talented linebacker prospect in Willis McGahee IV from Miami, Florida, following the Red-White Spring Game.

According to 247Sports, Gradney is the sole four-star prospect in Nebraska’s 2024 class as things stand, while NU’s other four commits are all three-star talents. Nationally, that places Nebraska at No. 31 in the recruiting class rankings, not far from where NU finished in the frantic 2023 cycle (No. 28).

Despite the talented players that Nebraska has managed to land, there have been recruiting misses, too. Several key prospects whom NU invited to its March junior day weekend committed elsewhere, including a pair of key offensive line targets in Andrew Sprague (Michigan) and Gage Ginther (Tennessee). Defensive lineman Riley Sunram (Minnesota) and linebacker Thomas Heiberger (Wisconsin) also committed to Big Ten foes.

Nebraska has also missed out on a pair of in-state talents. Bellevue West quarterback Daniel Kaelin committed to Missouri in March, while Papillion-La Vista tight end Eric Ingwerson landed at Pittsburgh before the home-state Huskers even extended a scholarship offer. Most recently, Philadelphia Northeast safety Kahmir Prescott chose Wisconsin over Nebraska on Thursday despite visiting NU for the spring game.

There are outstanding recruiting targets for Nebraska at just about every position on the field, but none looms larger than quarterback. The nation’s No. 1 recruit, Dylan Raiola, has gone quiet since a busy spring that saw him visit Nebraska for a basketball game in February and for the program’s junior day weekend in March.

Heavily linked with both USC and Georgia, Raiola’s decision could stretch until the summer after he takes official visits. Nebraska has only hosted two 2024 quarterbacks — Raiola and Kaelin — on campus under Rhule, so the Huskers would perhaps turn to the transfer portal or to other options if Raiola were to commit elsewhere.

There are other key targets that would hurt for Nebraska to miss, but none more so than Raiola. Here are a collection of Nebraska’s most heavily sought-after 2024 recruits and where they stand with the Huskers:

* Lee’s Summit (Mo.) North DT Williams Nwaneri: The highest-ranked defensive player to visit Nebraska this spring, Nwaneri is a blue-chip five-star recruit who can go just about anywhere in the nation. Proximity has helped Nebraska cultivate a relationship with Nwaneri — but they’ll need to get him back on campus for an official visit.

* Burley (Idaho) WR Gatlin Bair: One of the fastest recruits in the entire nation, Bair is a major Nebraska target who included NU alongside Boise State, Michigan, Oregon and TCU in his top-five list. Nebraska and home-state school Boise State are the expected front-runners, but Bair’s recruitment is more unique than most. He plans to serve a two-year mission after graduating high school, meaning Bair likely wouldn’t suit up until the 2026 season.

* Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei OL Brandon Baker and RB Nate Frazier: A pair of teammates for high school football powerhouse Mater Dei, both Baker and Frazier have been on campus and are eager to get back to Lincoln. The nation’s top offensive tackle prospect, Baker could be a rare five-star pickup for the Huskers. Frazier, meanwhile, is a fast and athletic running back who is also among the nation’s top 200 recruits.

* Logan-Magnolia (Iowa) OL Grant Brix: Having missed out on other offensive line prospects like Sprague and Ginther, Brix is a return visitor whose recruitment is extremely competitive. The four-star lineman is naturally being sought after by the home-state Iowa Hawkeyes and Iowa State Cyclones, but Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Kansas State are all interested as well.

* Cheshire (Conn.) Academy EDGE Jacob Smith: A four-star edge rusher or defensive line recruit, Smith first visited Nebraska alongside his twin brother. While Jerod Smith had Nebraska among his top options, he committed to Michigan earlier this week. That shouldn’t change anything in NU’s pursuit of Jacob Smith, who has a top-six list of Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Georgia.

* DeSoto (Texas) CB Mario Buford: The younger brother of Nebraska safety Marques Buford, things have been trending in the right direction between Nebraska and Buford for several months now. The four-star defensive back visited NU during the March junior day and remains one of NU’s top targets in the secondary.

* Youngstown (Ohio) Fitch EDGE Brian Robinson: A reminder that many of Nebraska’s future 2024 commits might be unknown to Husker fans at the moment, Robinson attended NU’s spring game and earned a scholarship offer while on campus. Nebraska likes the four-star edge rusher prospect — but will have to hold off the likes of Michigan and Penn State.

Even with Kaelin and Ingwerson off the board, it remains possible for Nebraska to get close to the near-record number of in-state recruits (eight) it signed in 2023.

At the top of the list is Ainsworth tight end Carter Nelson, a prospect who has risen all the way to No. 123 in 247Sports’ national rankings. Nelson has been a frequent visitor for Nebraska this spring, though he also took trips to the likes of Alabama and Georgia this spring as well. Nelson remains a top priority in Nebraska’s 2024 efforts.

Bellevue West wide receivers Dae’vonn Hall and Isaiah McMorris are also intriguing targets for the Huskers. McMorris has visited Nebraska more recently than Hall, though both were contacted early in the 2024 cycle by the Nebraska coaching staff. National interest for both three-star wide receivers means there’s no guarantee either ends up with the Huskers, though.

Only two other in-state prospects currently have an offer from Nebraska — and the Huskers will battle their Big Ten foes for both. Omaha Westside athlete Caleb Benning likely projects best as a defensive back, with Iowa and Wisconsin both interested in the Husker legacy recruit. Meanwhile, Omaha Central offensive lineman Caleb Pyfrom is also a key target for Iowa, though Nebraska is pushing hard for the three-star recruit.

Other in-state players who may be able to earn a Nebraska offer in the coming months include Lincoln High cornerback Donald DeFrand Jr., Elkhorn offensive lineman Sam Thomas, Ogallala athlete Harry Caskey and Cross County tight end Tanner Hollinger.

Following the end of spring camp, Nebraska and the rest of the country are in the midst of a spring evaluation period spanning from April 15-May 31. Unlike open contact periods where coaches are allowed direct contact with recruits, coaches can attend games, practices or schools but may only speak with recruits afterward over the phone.

Coaching staffs get a total of 168 evaluation days to split among themselves over this six-week period, though this is the last year with old recruiting rules in place. Starting at the beginning of a new recruiting cycle in August, the spring evaluation period will be reduced to 140 evaluation days — and in-person contact will be permitted in the future.

For Nebraska, this spring period will mean assistant coaches on the road visiting with high school coaches and attending track and field meets — perhaps to be expected given the staff’s focus on speed in recruits. Starting June 1, the calendar shifts to a monthlong quiet period that typically marks a month where plenty of commitments and movement occurs.

With recruits only allowed to speak with coaches on campus, Nebraska’s summer camp schedule always takes on new importance. From June 4-20, Nebraska will host players on at least seven different dates, including the headlining Friday Night Lights Camp on June 16.

For players who Nebraska has not yet offered, those June camps will be the opportunity to impress the coaching staff and perhaps earn an offer. And for the recruits already feeling the interest from Nebraska, it’s an opportunity for coaches to continue building relationships.

Either way, prepare for a two-month recruiting sprint between now and the end of June — perhaps with many commitments to follow for the Huskers.