Nebraska’s in-state offer blitz continues with Donovan Jones

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule called, saw the shirt, and said, hey, call back in a minute with a different shirt on. So Jones found a Nebraska football shirt and heard some good Husker news.

“They made the move,” the 6-foot-1, 183-pounder said of NU’s decision to offer a scholarship to Jones at safety. “I called Coach Rhule back and he offered. I haven’t talked to him that much, but I’ve been to spring practice, and just from that experience you can tell he’s a good dude. He coaches you hard, and I love that.”

Jones said he tested well at NU’s Friday Night Lights event, running the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds and notching a broad jump around 10 feet. Defensive backs coach Evan Cooper – one of Nebraska’s primary talent evaluators – spent a lot of time with Jones in one-on-one drills.

“That was an amazing experience,” Jones said. “He’s a real good coach and he loves the game. I loved him and had a good talk with him.”

The Huskers have been busy making in-state offers during June. Elkhorn North tight end Chase Loftin – a 2025 prospect who had 577 receiving yards as a sophomore – got an offer Friday night, adding NU to Iowa State and Oklahoma offers. Earlier in the week, Nebraska extended a scholarship to Wahoo Neumann running back Conor Booth, who as a sophomore averaged 13.4 yards per carry and scored a touchdown on one of every four carries.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all that Nebraska wants him,” said Neumann coach Jordan Roberts, who used Booth as a veer fullback in 2022. Next season, Roberts said, Booth will be in a traditional “downhill, No. 1 tailback” in a retooled offense. Booth plays baseball at a high level and would be one of the state’s best wrestlers, Roberts said, if he wanted that.

“After our first practice as head coach, I told him he has a career in the NFL if he wants it,” said Roberts, who was once a scout for the Seattle Seahawks. “He can absolutely pursue that and make it happen. His talent is 100% there. I know what guys in the NFL look like – the way they run, the way they move, and he’s got it. He has what it takes to go as far as he wants to go.”

Booth and Loftin are the latest 2025 players to get Nebraska offers. NU already has two in-state 2025 commits from Millard North athlete Caden VerMaas and Omaha North defensive tackle Tyson Terry. Westside linebacker Christian Jones has held a NU offer for 18 months; the four-star prospect has received offers from Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Iowa and Texas A&M in recent months.

Jones is the latest — and 11th — in-state Husker offer for the 2024 class. NU has 2024 commits from Elkhorn South defensive lineman Ashton Murphy and Bellevue West quarterback Danny Kaelin, who won Elite 11 honors on Saturday. It has moved on from Bellevue West receiver Dae’vonn Hall. Nebraska has hosted — and awaits answers from — Central offensive lineman Caleb Pyfrom and Prep tight end Michael Burt. Westside linebacker Teddy Rezac (Notre Dame) and Papillion-LaVista tight end Eric Ingwerson (Pittsburgh) have committed to other schools.

* As another 2024 running back target on Nebraska’s list committed this week, the Huskers moved down their offer list one more name.

NU on Friday offered Philadelphia William Penn Charter running Ohifame Ijeboi, a 6-foot, 190-pounder who visited Rutgers on June 9 and took an official visit this weekend to Minnesota. He ran a 10.89-second 100 meters and :22.87 in the 200 meters this spring.

On Saturday, Las Vegas Bishop Gorman running back Micah Ka’apana committed to Michigan. Ka’apana had planned to visit Nebraska June 23.

While the Huskers are slated to host Lancaster (Texas) back Kewan Lacy June 23, as well, he could be a longshot, given a long list of Big 12 and SEC offers. Lacy visited Miami (Fla.) in early June, part of the Hurricanes’ push into Texas recruiting.

* Nebraska is in the final three of a Maryland linebacker commit who comes from Germany.

Justin Okoronkwo, a  6-foot-3, 200-pound linebacker who plays overseas, camped last week at NU as part of its post-grad event. Okoronkwo has been committed to Maryland for 18 months but is taking one more look at schools before making a final decision.

South Carolina joins the Huskers and Terrapins as contenders for his commit.

“It was my first time in Nebraska and I really loved the relationship between coaches and players,” Okoronkwo said. NU likes the three-star prospect as an off-the-ball linebacker.

* The Huskers may still like Harrisburg (Pa.) McDevitt quarterback Stone Saunders for the 2025 class, but an offer made last week indicates their interest in expanding the pool of options.

The first offer went to Alex Manske, who camped at NU on the same day as Saunders. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Manske, from Algona, Iowa, is more mobile than Saunders, but has Wisconsin, Pittsburgh and Iowa offers, as well. Along with Kaelin’s commit in the 2024 class, Manske’s offer signals NU’s willingness to embrace pro-style passers in a new, multi-faceted offense.

Another NU QB offer, Springdale (Ark.) Christian’s Garyt Odom, worked out recently at one of Rhule’s camps. Fort Worth (Texas) All Saints Episcopal quarterback Kelden Ryan does not have a Husker offer, but he threw for coaches at Friday Night Lights. Ryan has offers to Baylor, Arkansas and California, among others.