Nebraska’s Matt Rhule vows to address turnover struggles

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Hometown: Orange, Calif.

The specs: Quarterback, 6-1½, 185 pounds.

Takeaway: TJ Lateef’s Hudl highlight film has a lot of dimes in it — on some tough concepts.

A slot fade throw dropped right into the bucket. A 17-yard out thrown toward the sideline, where only his receiver can grab it. A laser seam thrown into zone coverage that looks a lot like Dylan Raiola’s throw to Alex Bullock in the spring game. The deep crosser thrown away from the safety over the top and beyond the corner.

Lateef appears to be in a well-conceived system — Lutheran’s head coach, Rod Sherman, once led Valor Christian in Colorado — but he’s smooth in his delivery and execution.

Good footwork. Quick decisions. It’s a good picture.

* — All star rankings are based on Composite

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Hometown: Hitchcock, Texas.

The specs: Defensive lineman, 6-3, 255 pounds.

Takeaway: Malcolm Simpson displays strengths as a pass rusher on film, with the defensive lineman having lined up in several positions across his high school career. He has the strength to move opposing linemen as an interior rusher and has also been effective when lining up on the edge.

In order to play Big Ten football, Simpson may need to develop physically — but his strength and ability to use his frame effectively is a key trait the lineman already possesses. Learning effective pass rushing moves from position coach Terrance Knighton should be a top priority for Simpson as he develops.

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Hometown: St. Louis.

The specs: Running back, 6-0, 185 pounds.

Takeaway: Nebraska now has two running back commits in its 2025 class: Jamarion Parker and Wahoo Neumann’s Conor Booth. Considering NU missed out on a high school back a year ago, adding Dante Dowdell out of the transfer portal instead, a two-back class makes sense.

Both players are electric runners, and it’s Parker’s breakaway speed that stands out on his junior film. Averaging 11.2 yards per carry during a season where he ran for 22 touchdowns, Parker’s vision in the backfield often helps him cut to the edge and accelerate past defenders.

In order to be effective in college, it’s likely he’ll need to add weight and prove his physicality between the tackles. Nebraska will want to keep Parker’s track and field speed in play due to his breakaway ability that few can match.

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Hometown: Missouri City, Texas.

The specs: Cornerback, 6-2½, 180 pounds.

Takeaway: In theory, you’d like all of your corners to be 6-3 with the quickness and change of direction skills of a 5-10 guy. Taller corners have long strides and, because they’re well, tall, they’re harder to throw over on deep balls.

Bryson Webber’s highlight film is full of plays where he’s running stride for stride with a receiver downfield, and the pass is either incomplete or picked off. Where a taller corner can struggle is in closing on a receiver’s quick hitch or getting off blocks on perimeter screens.

Taller guys can tackle a little high, too. Webber is clearly a strong athlete who may well project to corner — think Stanley Jean-Baptiste — or move back to safety the way DeShon Singleton has.

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Hometown: Murray, Ky.

The specs: Athlete, 6-5, 205 pounds.

Takeaway: Jeremiah Jones did a little bit of everything for Murray as a junior, catching 22 passes for 326 yards, completing 54 passes for 643 yards and six scores, and running the ball 62 times for 326 yards. On defense, Jones had 66 tackles, four sacks and five tackles for loss.

The downside of Jones’ constant positional shuffling is that he’s not been able to fully focus on learning just one position. However, that experience also means that he sees the sport of football differently than others.

He could play on either side of the ball at NU, but seems to have the athletic stride to play receiver or rover. While Jones isn’t playing elite competition in Kentucky, he’s all over the field as a playmaker, and his Hudl highlight film also shows a guy who call the defense and audible on offense.

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High school: Omaha North.

The specs: Defensive lineman, 6-2, 280 pounds.

Takeaway: Tyson Terry is as strong as they come, having won three Class A state titles in heavyweight wrestling. The 6-2, 280-pounder is an absolute force on the defensive line, with that elite strength often enabling Terry to simply bull rush past opposing offensive linemen. While the defensive tackle takes plenty of snaps closer to the interior of the line, he’s also an excellent pass rusher.

Terry played varsity football immediately as a freshman, and has now recorded 212 total tackles, 38 for loss, and 12½ sacks in his three-year high school career. Going after a player of that caliber within the state’s borders was a no-brainer for Nebraska — and the Huskers could reap the benefits in years to come. 

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Hometown: Salt Lake City.

The specs: Offensive lineman, 6-7, 295 pounds.

Takeaway: Brian Tapu’s potential at the position is easy to see, and it’ll be up to offensive line coach Donovan Raiola to get the most out of him. With long arms and a powerful frame, Tapu is a natural fit for offensive tackle where he can use his leverage to keep opposing defensive linemen from rushing the passer and stopping the run.

Footwork and dealing with pass-rushing moves are some of the finer areas of offensive line technique that need developing for Tapu, but his physicality and fluidity of movement is already in a good place.

Nebraska coaches love finding long-term projects on the recruiting trail, and Tapu is certainly a player who could look much different after a year or two of development than he does now.

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High school: Lincoln Southwest.

The specs: Athlete, 6-2, 185 pounds.

Takeaway: A wide receiver prospect, Jackson Carpenter earned a Nebraska offer in January and kept the Huskers as one of his top options alongside Kansas. A trip to campus for a spring practice was enough for Carpenter to finalize his decision ahead of a return visit for the Spring Game.

The son of former Nebraska tight end/fullback Tim Carpenter, Jackson recorded 28 catches for 549 yards and seven touchdowns during his junior season at Lincoln Southwest.

He also brings more in-state speed. Nebraska already has sprinting receivers like Jaylen Lloyd (Westside) and Malachi Coleman (Lincoln East) and Carpenter fits in with that bunch. With his frame, he’ll fit nicely as an outside deep threat in NU’s offense. Nebraska’s not taking Carpenter just to take him — he fits the speed profile.

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High school: Bishop Neumann.

The specs: Running back, 6-1, 215 pounds.

Takeaway: Conor Booth was an ultra-efficient runner during his sophomore season as a fullback. He averaged 13.4 yards per carry and scored 20 total touchdowns. As a junior, he transitioned to running back in a new offense, toting the ball for 2,159 yards (10.6 per carry), caught eight passes for 185 yards and scored 35 total touchdowns in 10 games.

He packs a punch as a runner, but he has decent breakaway speed and has shown the ability to make defenders miss at the Class C level. Obviously, Booth isn’t playing the best defenses in Class A — nor does he enjoy, say, Elkhorn South’s offensive line.

Booth is a catcher and an outfielder with a 6.69-second 60 time and an exit velocity of 98.6 miles per hour, according to Prep Baseball Report. Baseball prospects are hard to project but Booth appears to be a nice add for Will Bolt’s baseball team, too.