What a map of Nebraska football’s offers tells us about its recruiting strategy

Under Matt Rhule, Texas is the key state in Nebraska football’s recruiting efforts.

But, just how many offers are going out to Texan prospects? And how do other states and regions fit into Nebraska’s recruiting plans?

A map of Nebraska football’s scholarship offers to 2024 and 2025 recruits reveals one thing — the Lone Star State is in its own league. According to data compiled from the 247Sports offer database, Nebraska has extended 71 offers to 2024 recruits in Texas — more than the combined total of 67 from Nebraska’s next-most active states of Florida and Georgia.

Three of Nebraska’s seven commits in its 2024 recruiting class hail from Texas, and Nebraska is growing closer to adding even more Texans to its ranks.

Cornerback William “Speedy” Nettles, who took an unofficial visit during Nebraska’s Spring Game, is set to return to campus for an official visit in June. So are safety Petyon Morgan and cornerback Mario Buford, the younger brother of Nebraska’s Marques Buford. Nebraska remains interested in five-star cornerback Kobe Black, but its chances of landing the elite prospect without an official visit are slim.

Offensive lineman Makai Saina, a four-star recruit who has Nebraska among his top 10 schools, will be one to watch as he takes official visits this summer. Three-star running back Kewan Lacy is another key target, though Nebraska recently offered another Texan running back, Hunter Andrews, on Wednesday. An unranked prospect at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Andrews’ recruitment could move quickly if Nebraska likes what it sees from the recruit. At wide receiver, three-star prospect Ernest Campbell is set to visit Nebraska in late June.

The Texas connections certainly aren’t limited to just 2024 recruits either. Nebraska coaches have been on the road extending offers to future prospects, and unsurprisingly many of those offers have gone out to Texan prospects. Of the 110 scholarship offers Nebraska has made toward 2025 recruits, over one-third of those offers (37) have gone to players in Texas. NU assistants Terrance Knighton, Garret McGuire and Bob Wager have led the efforts in getting boots on the ground in Texas.

But, there are states other than Texas where Nebraska is also concentrating its recruiting efforts. Between the 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes, Nebraska has extended 40 offers in both Florida and Georgia, states with proven reputations for producing top football talent. Nebraska already has one commit from Miami — Willis McGahee IV — in its 2024 class, and wide receiver Jacory Barney is set to visit Lincoln soon. Also keep an eye on Floridian defensive end Daylen Russell, who has Nebraska among his final three schools.

While Nebraska once recruited California heavily as well, NU’s 22 total offers in the state show a slight shift toward other areas of the country. That includes the northeast, where NU assistant coaches EJ Barthel and Rob Dvoracek have built steady connections. Nebraska has begun targeting many players from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, including key 2024 defensive line target Jacob Smith.

Dvoracek also deserves plenty of credit for Nebraska’s resurgence in Missouri. The Huskers have made inroads in both the St. Louis and Kansas City metro areas, with 20 total offers going out across the state of Missouri. Five-star defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri and five-star wide receiver Ryan Wingo, both from the Kansas City area, have already visited Nebraska. Meanwhile, tight end Keelan Smith is already part of NU’s 2024 class.

The Kansas City metro area is included in Nebraska’s 500-mile radius that remains a key area for NU to lock down top recruits, starting with the state immediately to the east of Nebraska. The Huskers and Iowa Hawkeyes both venture into each other’s state looking for key recruits, and NU might have found one for its 2025 plans.

Defensive end Jack Limbaugh picked up a Nebraska offer last week, an opportunity that should mean more to his family than most. Limbaugh’s father is a former Husker walk-on while his mother, Amber Holmquist, was an All-American volleyball player at Nebraska.

All in all, the key areas for Nebraska’s recruiting plans are beginning to emerge. Texas, Florida and Georgia remain in prominent roles, as does Missouri. Trips to California and Arizona will remain, as will Nebraska’s presence within its 500-mile radius. The areas where NU’s recruiting efforts continue to grow are in Missouri, Pennsylvania and the rest of the Northeast — plus Illinois.