Connect with us

FB RECRUITING

Top 5 recruiting targets for Nebraska Football in 2024

Published

on

June 2, 2022; Tempe, Arizona; USA; Chandler quarterback Dylan Raiola throws during a 7-on-7 tournament, an ASU High School Football Showcase. High School Football Asu High School Football Showcase

We are still a good seven months away from national signing day but here’s a look at the top five recruiting targets for Nebraska football in 2024.

The 2024 recruiting class is the first full cycle for Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule and so far, things have gotten off to a solid start.

Nebraska football has landed five commitments in the 2024 class and ranks 33rd overall according to the 247 Sports team rankings for 2024.

Roger Gradney is the only blue-chipper committed right now. A blue-chip recruit is a four-star prospect or better. You want that blue-chip ratio to be near 50 percent. That’s what the top college football programs do.

Nebraska football isn’t going to get there in 2024. But it’s possible in the future. However, this 2024 class is still an important building block, and here are the top five targets on the board and where things stand in their recruitment.

5. Nathaniel Frazier, RB

Nebraska football needs to upgrade its skill positions. That means quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. The 2023 class was huge for the receiver position, especially with the addition of top-100 recruit Malachi Coleman.

Now, it would be great if the Huskers could land an impact running back like that. That became even more important with the transfer of Ajay Allen last week. He was a future starter and now, the position is a little murky in 2024 and beyond.

Nathaniel Frazier is ranked as the No. 92 recruit overall in the 2024 class via the 247 Sports composite rankings. He’s the elite back Nebraska football could use and he did visit this spring. Frazier also talked about taking an official visit and Huskers’ RB coach EJ Barthel visited him in California at Mater Dei earlier this week.

The Huskers just offered another running back in the 2024 class, so there are some other targets on the board, but Frazier is elite. He’s got incredible speed and would make an instant impact in Lincoln.

USC is probably the favorite and we’ll see if he comes back for an official visit, but for now, Nebraska football appears to be heavily in the mix.

4. Brandon Baker, OT

Speaking of players from Mater Dei, another priority target for Nebraska football in the 2024 class is Brandon Baker, the No. 1 offensive tackle and 32nd overall recruit in the 247 Sports composite rankings.

Baker is 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, and as elite as they come in terms of offensive lineman. The good news is that Baker has visited Nebraska football twice.

The bad news is that Baker is being recruited by a number of elite programs such as Oregon, USC, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas, and others. In addition to his visits to Nebraska, Baker made a couple of trips to Oregon this spring and the Ducks are the projected leader via the On3 prediction machine.

Baker would be a massive addition to the Nebraska offensive line. The Huskers haven’t landed a potential first-round pick at that position in a long time and that’s what Baker is – a sure-fire first-round talent.

3. Gatlin Bair, WR

When it comes to the 2024 recruiting class, Gatlin Bair is as elite as they come in my book. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound speed demon has been clocked running the 100 in 10.2. Bair is an absolute freak and despite being 91st overall in the 247 Sports composite rankings, the truth is, if he didn’t live in Idaho, he’d be a five-star already.

The kid can absolutely fly. He’s actually timing faster than Nyckoles Harbor, who was a five-star talent in 2023. Bair has more of a football background too. Last season, as a junior, he caught 73 passes for 1,073 yards and had 18 touchdown receptions.

Bair visited Nebraska as part of the March 25th visit weekend. He also announced that he will be taking an official visit to see the Huskers this summer, a well as putting them in his top five. Sean Callahan of Husker Online has also put in an expert projection for Bair to Nebraska.

The Huskers have a 90-percent chance of winning his commitment right now according to the On3 prediction machine and landing Bair, in my opinion, would be just as big as getting Dylan Raiola. The kid is that good.

Michigan might be the top contender but with where the Huskers sit, this is a must-land recruit in 2024.

2. Carter Nelson, TE

I’ve talked about how important Carter Nelson is to the Huskers 2024 recruiting class before and I’ll say it again, he’s just as important as Dylan Raiola.

I get that if Raiola came, he would add excitement and probably more talented players with him. However, long term, Nebraska football needs to lock down the state. The talent level is pretty solid over the next few cycles and it starts in 2024.

Rhule already got Malachi Coleman in 2023 and to me, Carter Nelson is the Coleman of the 2024 class — a kid that can’t be allowed to leave the state.

Nelson is ranked 145th overall in the 247 Sports composite rankings and ninth among tight ends. He’s also No. 1 in the state of Nebraska and has future star written all over him.

The top-ranked player in the state of Nebraska has also visited the Huskers a total of five times since Rhule was hired. The coaching staff has made frequent trips to Ainsworth too, including a trip this week. So Nebraska football is doing all it can to land one of its top priorities in 2024.

1. Dylan Raiola, QB

Until Raiola tells Nebraska football that he isn’t coming, he’s still going to be the top priority in the 2024 class. He’s the No. 1 quarterback and a legacy.

Raiola does seem to be trending to Georgia though. The Bulldogs have the only official visit scheduled and while Raiola made two trips to Nebraska during the spring, he didn’t make it for the spring game.

Nebraska football just visited Raiola earlier this week. So did Georgia. It seems like the list of contenders has narrowed to those two. Oregon has moved on and USC looks like it has too.

Nebraska is also hosting another 2024 quarterback for a visit in June, so the Huskers are starting to expand their quarterback board too. But this whole recruitment has been hard to read and in recruiting you never know until the fat lady sings and that hasn’t happened quite yet. Even if she might be warming up.

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

 

 

 

 

 

FB RECRUITING

Nebraska Football zeroing in on local 2025 LB

Published

on

Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Nebraska football is beginning to make inroads into the 2025 recruiting class, and they will have visitors on campus next weekend. Hosting some local talent. 2025 outside linebacker Zayvion Campbell will be in Lincoln next weekend.

This is notable for a couple of reasons. For one, Ryan Gottula is the head coach at Lincoln Southeast. His son Gunnar is part of the 2023 Nebraska football recruiting class. The family connection could help Nebraska football land Campbell.

Secondly, Nebraska is continuing to recruit in-state. This is something that we have seen in the 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes it appears that in-state recruiting will be a focal point. This is something the coaching staff has zeroed in on as one of their main goals during their time at Nebraska. They are sticking to that goal.

What could he bring to Nebraska football?

Campbell is a very intriguing player. He measures in at around six-foot-three, 200 pounds. He has good pursuit ability, and is able to wrap up and make tackles with ease. Campbell would be able to fit the Nebraska football defense by providing a solid presence inside. Campbell uses a variety of moves in order to get to the quarterback as well.

He would give Nebraska a player that could be used in multiple ways in a 3-3-5 defense. It would be fun to see defensive coordinator Tony White work with him. He has the ability to rush as well as fill gaps on the inside. That type of versatility is what Nebraska football should be looking for defensively with the scheme they have.

At the very least, Campbell is coming to campus to check things out.  It’s important that Nebraska continues to look at multiple candidates at the linebacker position. At the very least,  they need to make an effort to continue the recruiting pipeline in-state. The 2023 and 2024 classes were filled with Nebraska-born players. This is a trend that needs to continue.

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

Continue Reading

FB RECRUITING

Nebraska Football: QB visit canceled and a Carter Nelson update

Published

on

Nebraska football
Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Nebraska football is set for its first official visit weekend of June and Kamari McClellan has canceled, plus the latest on Carter Nelson.

One of the big questions lingering about Nebraska football recruiting this weekend was whether or not three-star quarterback Kamari McClellan would make it for his official visit.

It was still on the schedule for this weekend according to the recruiting sites and in a recent interview, McClellan indicated he was still coming. However, with the recent commitment of Daniel Kaelin, it was only going to happen if Nebraska football suddenly decided to take two quarterbacks in 2024.

Anything is possible but the visit has now been canceled according to Sean Callahan of Husker Online. I think McClellan will wind up at Clemson or another team scrambling for a QB. Nebraska football was in that position and the kid is talented, but Kaelin, who is heading to the Elite 11, is a much better get.

Daniel Kaelin will visit Nebraska football again

Speaking of Kaelin, it wasn’t lip service when he said he wants to be around when any recruit comes to visit. The quarterback will take his official visit the same weekend as Carter Nelson.

But he’s now on the list for an unofficial visit this weekend. There are a couple of wideouts expected to visit. Jacory Barney is one and the Huskers lead for the three-star wideout via the On3 prediction machine. He’s ranked 459th overall out of Miami, Florida.

Williams Nettles is also visiting but he could be a cornerback or receiver. Caleb Pyfrom is a three-star in-state tackle also visiting and Kaelin being on campus could help push him toward a commitment, which seems to be where things are trending according to recent crystal balls.

It’s just clear that Kaelin is serious about doing what he can for this class, no matter how many times he needs to come to campus.

Another Carter Nelson visit

Add Penn State to the list of teams to worry about in the Carter Nelson sweepstakes. He’s going to visit the Nittany Lions on June 16th, which will be his fourth scheduled official visit.

Nelson is going to visit Georgia this weekend, followed by Notre Dame next weekend. The Huskers just got a Futurecast projection from Greg Smith of Rivals to land Carter, the top-ranked recruit in the state in 2024 and things seem to be trending in the right direction.

My thought is that Nelson is likely going to take these visits and make a decision sometime this summer, maybe in July or August. That’s just a guess. I don’t see this recruitment bleeding into the season and Nebraska football has put more effort in than any other program.

That doesn’t mean anything on its own. But Carter just took a visit to Nebraska along with Kaelin and that connection seems to be helping. Nelson hasn’t talked about his recruitment a ton, so it’s hard to get a read, but the tea leaves are pointing in Nebraska’s direction.

We’ll see if that’s still true after the next three weekends.

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.

 

 

 

Continue Reading

FB RECRUITING

Nebraska Football trending in right direction with Florida CB

Published

on

Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Nebraska football is having a newsworthy recruiting month to start up June. The program is already trending with four-star corner Mario Buford. Now, it appears that another corner may be in their sights as well.

Amare Sanders is the name to keep an eye on. He is a four-star corner He is ranked numerically at 87.50 according to the On3 recruiting rankings. He plays at Gulliver Prep high school, and is from Miami, Fla.

Sanders is a three-star recruit and measures in at 6-foot-2, 167 pounds. Right now, Nebraska is in the lead for his recruitment according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. He is also visiting Nebraska this weekend, in what is turning out to be a big weekend for visitors.

Sanders has tremendous athleticism for a corner. He is able to make the proper reads on passing plays, and that allows him to close on wide receivers quickly and break up potential completions. He does a good job of turning his hips, and reading the play in its entirety. This is certainly important to his game and the way he plays. He also is a decent size for a corner, as he measures in at 6-foot-2 167 pounds.

Nebraska football making Florida a priority

It’s clear that Nebraska football wants to establish a stake in Florida. They are trending with wide receiver Jacory Barney Jr, and already have a commitment from Willis McGahee IV. Both of those players hail from Miami Palmetto. Sanders goes to Gulliver Prep, which is another highly-touted school in the state of Florida.

Currently, the 2024 Nebraska football recruiting class ranks 31st overall nationally with seven commitments. They have focused on both sides of the football, and are landing talented prospects both in and out of the state of Nebraska.

It will be interesting to see if Sanders ends up coming to Nebraska. The fact that he is visiting this weekend and is trending towards the Huskers is certainly a positive sign. The program done work in Florida before, but it seems like this time around their efforts will stick. Recruiting in Florida is a key component for success. Nebraska football is trying to establish that.

Continue Reading

Trending