Top 5 priorities left for Nebraska Football in 2024 recruiting class

Nebraska football has 23 commitments in the 2024 recruiting class and here are the top five priorities left on the board.

I’ll be honest, Nebraska football is definitely going to exceed the number of commitments I saw them taking in the 2024 class.

Few people had to expect Nebraska football to have 23 commitments in early July, which comes after one of the most productive recruiting months in program history.

It wasn’t just quantity either. Nebraska football landed elite tight end Carter Nelson, who is the top player in the state and ranks 79th overall via the 247 Sports composite rankings. Dae’vonn Hall and Jacory Barney are four-star recruits, as is Mario Buford.

Isaiah McMorris and Kewan Lacy are ranked in the top 600, while Carlon Jones isn’t far behind. Nebraska got some commitments from camp offers too, but the Huskers are betting on traits, just as Matt Rhule has always done.

It worked before and it will work again. Rhule isn’t going to hit on every recruit. Nobody does. He’s got a formula though and you saw that put into practice this summer.

At this point, most of the heavy lifting is done. The Huskers need to hold their current commitments, which takes effort, but I’m not worried about that with this staff.

In the end, I feel like the class will wind up around 27-28 commitments. 30 seems a little high, but if Rhule really wants to invest in high school recruiting, you never know.

Based on the recruiting board right now, it would be hard to get there. Nebraska football would have to basically land every top target left.

New targets will certainly emerge, but as we sit in the July dead period with 23 commitments and the Huskers ranking 15th overall in the 2024 team rankings, here are the top five priorities left for the 2024 class.

5. 3-star DBs Amare Sanders/Caleb Benning

Ok, so the list is technically six. However, I couldn’t leave off Caleb Benning because if he winds up taking an unofficial visit at the end of this month, that will totally change the scope of that recruitment.

Benning is the No. 6 player in the state of Nebraska via the 247 Sports composite rankings and while the Huskers are filling up with defensive backs, I’d still like him in the class. I wouldn’t mind Benning and Amare Sanders if I’m being honest.

Sanders is a 6-foot-1 cornerback from Miami. He’s a dynamic athlete just like Benning. I realize that would be nice defensive backs, but I feel like Rex Guthrie and Braylen Prude could bump down to linebacker.

The reality is that 22 (5/22) percent of the starters will be defensive backs for Nebraska. So 30 percent of the class being defensive backs might not be that wild, especially if the staff feels it needs to recruit to the 3-3-5 system.

However, I don’t expect more than one more defensive-back commitment, but am interested to see how things play out. As it stands, the Huskers have gotten two recent crystal ball projections for Sanders. 

4. 3-star EDGE Devoux Tuataga

Devoux Tuataga is taking an unofficial visit to Nebraska football later this month. There’s a lot to like about his game too. He’s 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, and is a force off the EDGE. He’s ranked 492 overall in the 247 Sports composite rankings and 33rd among EDGE recruits.

Tuataga is out of Utah. He was supposed to visit on June 23rd but there ended up being a conflict. My read is that the Huskers will try to make headway in July and get him back for an official visit in the fall.

At this point, Oregon and Nebraska football are the only programs listed as “warm” via 247 Sports. The Ducks are the heavy favorite via the On3 prediction machine, but it feels like there is still time for the Huskers to change that, and with the EDGE board shaping up the way it is, he’s a priority target in my book.

3. 4-star EDGE Jacob Smith

I’m going to include Jacob Smith because he’s definitely a top priority. It’s also true that Michigan football feels like the team to beat.

Smith just took his last official visit there. His brother, Jerod Smith, also a Nebraska recruit at one time, already committed to Michigan, so that’s another factor.

A decision is expected sometime this month. If one doesn’t come though, I would view that as a good sign for the Huskers. Michigan just took another EDGE. However, I don’t see that impacting Smith.

Joseph Anderson just committed to Iowa, which makes Smith even more important. Tuataga would be a fine backup option. I think the Huskers would potentially take both, just because of the importance of pass rushers.

Smith could also stand up for the Huskers in the “Jack” linebacker role potentially.

2. 4-star RB Caden Durham

Nebraska football will host top-100 running back Caden Durham for an official visit this fall, which tells you the Huskers at least have a shot in his recruitment.

Oklahoma is the projected leader right now, but the Sooners could be taking their second running back soon. The fact that it’s five-star Taylor Tatum could have Durham looking somewhere else.

LSU got a crystal ball a few months back. Alabama will also host him for an official visit. Durham runs a 10.7 in the 100-meter dash and had over 2,000 yards rushing last season out of Duncanville, Texas.

Landing him would be massive and would be a take regardless of the number of commitments.

1. 4-star OT Grant Brix

This is another interesting recruiting battle for Nebraska football. Grant Brix just took an official visit and Bryan Munson of Husker Online projected Brix to the Huskers.

However, Kansas State got a crystal ball for him on June 23rd, prior to the Nebraska visit. Both projections were from their own team insiders — meaning none of the national analysts have weighed in.

Brix is elite as they come on the offensive line. He’s 6-foot-6, 285 pounds, and ranked fifth among tackles in the 2024 class via the 247 Sports composite rankings.

Landing him would be a home run for Rhule, but Oklahoma and Alabama are in the mix. We’ll see if the Huskers can close, but they have done a great job of it lately.

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