What Mario Buford’s commitment means for Nebraska

Height and weight: 5-11, 165 pounds.

Other key offers: Arkansas, Michigan State, Oregon, Penn State.

* Patience pays off: Through his family connections with Nebraska, Buford has seen the campus, facilities and stadium more than most recruits. Whether it was a year or two ago, Buford had already landed himself on Nebraska’s radar as a top 2024 recruit. A coaching change and new staff left that status uncertain — and to his credit, Buford remained patient with Nebraska. Secondary coach Evan Cooper not only maintained Nebraska’s relationship with Buford, but he truly improved it to the level it’s currently at. Buford had several strong offers from around the country — but relationships led him back to Nebraska.

* Texas-Nebraska pipeline: Nebraska’s interest in recruiting Texas prospects under Matt Rhule’s leadership is no surprise. The Huskers hit the Lone Star state heavily in their 2023 class, and have only furthered their efforts with the Class of 2024. Buford’s commitment means that four of Nebraska’s eight pledges so far this cycle hail from Texas, and the Huskers likely aren’t done either. Several other official visitors from the first weekend of June are also secondary prospects from Texas. Plus, adding a commit from one of Texas’ top high school programs (DeSoto) helps NU’s footprint in the Dallas area.

Buford had long been a Nebraska target, so there’s no surprising last-minute twist in the cornerback’s recruitment. What his commitment does reveal, though, is how much effort Nebraska’s coaching staff has put into maintaining relationships with players who they didn’t offer scholarships to in the first place. Liberty North (Missouri) athlete Keelan Smith went through a similar process to Buford, and both players ended up as Nebraska commits despite the coaching change.

As a cornerback prospect, Buford checks many of the boxes needed to play the position at a high level. Considering Malcolm Hartzog, a player of a similar stature under 6 feet, played key starting minutes as a freshman, Buford can set his goals high. Cooper’s plans to mix and match players at the secondary positions work well with versatile athletes like Buford, who said he’s excited by the potential to drop into coverage on one play, blitz on the next, then slide over to the nickel or safety spots as needed.