Husker Big Red Daily: Nebraska rising with 2028 QB, playoff odds, and MLB draft

Welcome to Husker Big Red Daily, your daily stop for the latest Nebraska football news, recruiting buzz, transfer portal updates, and Huskers headlines. Here’s a quick look at the latest storylines surrounding Nebraska athletics.

Nebraska football has the top-ranked quarterback committed in the 2027 recruiting class, at least according to the 247 Sports composite rankings.

The most important position is locked up for the 2027 class. Trae Taylor has repeatedly said that, despite other schools trying to flip him, even Ohio State. As long as Matt Rhule is the Nebraska football head coach, Taylor will sign with the Huskers (strong opinion).

That has allowed the Huskers to turn their attention to 2028 QB recruiting. You want your 2028 QB to be committed soon after their junior season at the latest. This puts Nebraska football on that timeline.

Jaxson Carper, a 6-foot-3, 160-pound quarterback out of California, is ranked No. 365 in the 2027 class, via the 247 Sports composite rankings. He’s a three-star now, but should be upgraded to the blue-chip range eventually.

Nebraska hosted him for a visit in June and might be leading a recruitment that also features UCLA, Iowa, Arizona, and Kansas as some of the other top contenders. Bryan Munson of Husker Online reported this weekend that Carper is coming back to visit for the Ohio State game in the fall.

That’s a great sign for the Huskers, who seem to have focused on Carper as their top QB target in the 2028 class.

Nebraska football’s playoff odds

ESPN FPI has the Huskers ranked 30th to start the season. The metric also gives Nebraska football a 7.3 percent chance to make the College Football Playoff. That feels higher than expected.

The non-conference schedule is easy. Nebraska has a good chance to start 5-0 before Indiana comes to Lincoln. If the Huskers win that game, then who knows? Washington comes to Lincoln, but there are also road trips to Oregon, Iowa, and Illinois, as well as the home game against Ohio State.

A nine-win season might get the Huskers in the playoff conversation. That would be a massive leap, though. A seven-win season would be a solid achievement based on the schedule.

Two Huskers picked in MLB draft

Ty Horn was selected 94th overall by the Reds in the MLB draft. Carson Jasa was picked 98th overall by the Cubs, basically ending any hope of either pitcher coming back to Nebraska next season.

Having players drafted early is a good thing long-term for the program, but it leaves the Huskers without two valuable arms, who have each been the No. 1 for Nebraska at one point or another.

Rebuilding the pitching staff will be essential if the Huskers want to get back to the NCAA Tournament and advance to a Super Regional. Cooper Katskee also transferred, so three starters/key relievers from last season will be gone.

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