Nebraska football projected to land blue-chip QB in 2026

Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule had to have a strong belief in his team going into Saturday night’s game against Colorado.

Not only was it a huge game on the schedule. Rhule gave it even more importance by having a number of top targets in the 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes visit for the game.

If things went south, it could have hurt the Huskers. But the program delivered. The gameday atmosphere always offers a great experience, but this time, the football team brought it too.

Nebraska football built a 28-0 lead over Colorado on its way to a 28-10 win on national TV. The Huskers are 2-0 and look poised for their best season in years.

Nebraska football takes the lead with 4-star QB

One of the recruits on campus for the game was four-star quarterback Michael Clayton in the 2026 class. The Huskers made the top eight for Clayton, who is ranked No. 350 overall in the 2026 class according to the On3 Industry rankings, earlier this summer.

However, it felt like the Huskers weren’t near the top of the list. That’s changed though. Clayton was blown away by the gameday visit and here’s what he told Steve Wiltfong of On3.com:

“One of the best environments, if not the best I’ve ever been in!” The Orlando (Fla.) Seminole 2026 quarterback said. “They are into every play and the student section is going wild nonstop. Also, they’re really knowledgeable fans and get real quiet with no noise when the offense is on the field.”

Wiltfong has now put in an On3 expert projection for Clayton to land with Huskers. Ole Miss, Miami, Auburn, and Iowa are some of the other teams in the mix. Yet, the prediction from Wiltfong now gives the Huskers a 91-percent chance to land Clayton according to the On3 prediction machine.

Let the recruiting fireworks begin!

For More Nebraska content, follow us on Twitter, like our Facebook Page, and Subscribe to the Husker Big Red YouTube Channel. You can also find our podcast on Apple or Spotify.