Why Kahmir Prescott needed Nebraska to believe in him

Having hit an early growth spurt, Prescott already stood at 5-foot-11 with an athletic, muscular build as an eighth grader — but it took several years of hard work to turn that potential into reality. Muhammad worked as Prescott’s defensive back trainer ever since, witnessing his growth first-hand.

It was during Prescott’s junior season, in a game where he scored all five of his team’s touchdowns, that Muhammad knew the high schooler was ready to play at the next level.

“It’s not unheard of for somebody in high school to do that, but what was impressive was that he scored in every aspect of the game,” Muhammad said of Prescott. “He scored on special teams on a punt return and a kick return, he scored on defense with a fumble return and he scored as a receiver and running back. That right there, I was like, ‘OK, this kid is different.’”

An incoming member of Nebraska football’s 2024 recruiting class, the 6-1, 190-pound Prescott is a promising defensive back who will arrive on campus this summer. It took an interesting recruiting journey for Prescott to end up with the Huskers in the first place, though, as the three-star recruit went through several ups and downs.

Prescott was one of the first 2024 recruits offered by Nebraska’s newly hired coaching staff in December 2022. As Prescott considered his college choice, he committed to Wisconsin last April over Nebraska and in-state schools Penn State and Pittsburgh.

However, plans don’t always come to fruition. Prescott’s opportunity with Wisconsin fell through late in the recruiting process, leaving him without a school at a time when most programs didn’t have the scholarships or roster space needed to add another recruit.

Tense months followed until Husker coaches reiterated their belief in Prescott, who signed with Nebraska in February.

“When I decommitted from Wisconsin, I was in a big worry like, ‘I won’t be able to go to school anymore,’ and I started feeling real down on myself that I wasn’t good enough anymore,” Prescott said. “When I signed with Nebraska, that relief was taken off my shoulders, and I started feeling like myself again.”

Muhammad saw that relief, too, with Prescott finally able to focus on training and “just being a kid” rather than worrying about his collegiate future. In recent months, Prescott has spent time in the weight room working to add strength while also running track and field as a sprinter in the 100- and 200-meter races and 400 relay.

Prescott has also been able to further hone his skills as a defensive back by working with Muhammad. At the high school level, Prescott spent plenty of time playing running back and wide receiver, which improved his defensive range at safety and play-making ability with the ball in his hands.

“No matter where you put him on the field, he’s going to give you full effort and strive to be the best,” Muhammad said. “He’s not a selfish kid; wherever he’s at, he’s going to attack it.”

Nebraska coaches like those traits, too.

Prescott is close with his future position coach, Nebraska’s Evan Cooper, who told him he sees the player as a future NFL talent. Prescott said he likes how Nebraska plays aggressive defense and considers himself a good fit for what the Huskers want to do defensively.

Cooper’s high-energy coaching style resonates with Prescott, as does his football journey. Cooper played his college football in Philadelphia at Temple and spent several years on the Owls’ football staff, eventually working for head coach Matt Rhule.

In addition to personal relationships with current Huskers Elijah Jeudy and Rahmir Stewart, those Philadelphia connections are highly impactful in Prescott’s eyes.

“One thing that stood out to me about Nebraska was they have coaches who were Philly guys that I can talk to, and they understand a lot of stuff kids like me go through on a day-to-day basis,” Prescott said. “That was a real big factor in why I chose Nebraska.”

Prescott was last in Lincoln when he visited during the 2023 Spring Game and is now looking forward to living in a new city where he can focus on football without any outside distractions. The incoming Husker said he’s most thankful for the support he’s gotten from his mother, who pushed him to keep working even the payoff wasn’t always clear.

That hard work resulted in Prescott landing on his feet at Nebraska. Now, the freshman defensive back can begin the next chapter of his playing career.

“I’ve been getting excited knowing that I’m going to be able to play college ball and compete with some of the best players in the nation every week,” Prescott said. “(Nebraska fans) are gonna see that I’m a real fast, smart player, I’ve got a lot of grit, I’m not scared to tackle and I love to be aggressive in the box.”