It’s the first big official visit weekend of June for Nebraska football and here are five potential commitments to watch for.
June is going to be a huge month for Nebraska football recruiting and it started on Friday night as the Huskers welcomed in nine official visitors from the 2024 class.
Matt Rhule has talked about the importance of the June 23rd visit weekend, which is when Carter Nelson, Dae’vonn Hall, Isaiah McMorris, and others are expected to take official visits to Nebraska football.
However, this weekend is important too. A number of top targets are on campus and the Huskers are leading, according to the On3 prediction machine for five of the nine recruits.
They have received crystal ball projections for three of the nine recruits visiting — Mario Buford, Caleb Pyfrom, and Jacory Barney — so the idea of landing some commitments this weekend isn’t far-fetched.
At the very least, I’d expect some commitment announcements to come out of this weekend, and whether it’s announced this weekend or not, here are five recruits most likely to pledge to Nebraska football this weekend.
5. 3-star DB Amare Sanders
Nebraska football is the leader according to the On3 prediction machine but there haven’t been any expert projections at this time. However, the DB from Gulliver Prep in Miami only has an official visit scheduled to Nebraska.
Miami and Florida have both started to show more interest. Sanders, who is ranked 655th overall according to the On3 Industry rankings said he wanted to take a visit to Florida.
That’s why I don’t think it’s super likely he commits this weekend. However, the Huskers have done well in Florida and the coaching staff has ties to that area. This feels like a winnable recruitment and the official visit to Nebraska football can be eye-opening, which is what I’m betting on with Sanders.
Will it be enough to get a commitment? Maybe not this weekend, however, this could prove to be the turning point in Nebraska winning out for another talented recruit from Florida.
4. 4-star WR Jacory Barney
Jacory Barney is one of the three recruits visiting Nebraska football this weekend that has received a crystal ball projection to the Huskers. The newly-minted four-star wideout in the 247 sports composite rankings actually has two projections to Nebraska.
At 6-foot, 160 pounds, Barney is ranked 412th overall in the 2024 class. Barney is a really skilled player. He maybe needs to add some weight, but he looks ready to contribute to a Power-5 program. He’s got the ability to get deep and has speed, of course, but he’s also dynamic after the catch.
There is competition though. Nebraska football is getting the first official visit, but not the last. Barney will head to Texas A&M next weekend and Illinois after that.
Ideally, he would shut down his recruitment soon after the stop in Lincoln. However, with a trip to College Station looming, that might be a big ask. It’s possible though as the Huskers appear to be in the lead.
3. 3-star D-line Carlon Jones
Of all the recruits visiting Nebraska football this weekend, the 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive lineman from Bay City, Texas, might be my favorite.
It’s crazy to me that Nebraska is the only official visit Carlon Jones has scheduled right now. He’s ranked No. 661 overall according to the On3 Industry rankings and is explosive. He’s maybe a bit of a tweener between EDGE/D-line but he lives in the defensive backfield.
Last season he had 102 total tackles and 29 tackles for loss. The 260-pounder also had 13 sacks and four hurries. He’s explosive and although he’s raw, Nebraska football could be getting a steal here.
The Huskers lead according to the On3 prediction machine. There aren’t any predictions yet, but Jones posted this video of his official visit and my hope is that Nebraska really pushes for a commitment this weekend.
It feels like it’s there for the taking.
2. 4-star CB Mario Buford
This is a name Nebraska football fans will know well. Mario Buford is not just one of the top targets on the board for Nebraska football at cornerback in 2024, but his brother is a starting safety for the current squad.
That’s a nice in for the Huskers. However, they have really prioritized Buford, who is out of Desoto, Texas. Buford posted a video with Matt Rhule on social media Friday night and even then, Rhule was telling Buford, “Go Big Red.”
I don’t believe he was just referring to the chant either — he was inferring a commitment. At least that’s what I took from it and since Buford has been trending with expert projections from 247 Sports, On3, and Rivals, it seems possible.
There are visits looming to Michigan State and Penn State. Yet, Rhule and the Huskers have been fantastic at converting official visits into commitments and I’m wondering if that happens with Buford this weekend (or soon after).
1. 3-star OT Caleb Pyfrom
Now that Brandon Baker is clearly not coming to Nebraska football, it makes landing in-state offensive tackle Caleb Pyfrom even more important.
The 6-foot-5, 310-pounder is ranked 710th overall according to the On3 Industry rankings and is ranked No. 6 among recruits in the state of Nebraska for the 2024 class.
Pyfrom has been trending with projections to Nebraska football leading up to his visit, but Minnesota and Illinois are also expected to host him for official visits later this month. The Omaha Central product has 11 offers total including Penn State, Iowa, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Missouri, and Kansas State among others.
That’s a pretty impressive list of Midwest teams, so the kid is a player. But with Daniel Kaelin coming to campus on Saturday, it could help sway the in-state tackle to stay home and help protect the in-state quarterback commitment.
Regardless of the exact date, I expect Pyfrom and a few others on this list (Jones, Buford, and Barney) to be Nebraska football commitments by the end of the month. I also wouldn’t be shocked if some decisions came sooner rather than later, maybe even one or two this weekend.
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