Watch: Nebraska football signee Carter Nelson dunks at state tournament

I love dual sport athletes and that’s one of the things you have to admire about Nebraska football signee Carter Nelson.

The kid is just an incredible athlete. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound future Nebraska football tight end, turned some heads on Thursday, but not for something he did on a football field.

Instead, Nelson, who is taking part in the state of Nebraska Class D-1 state tournament, showed off his dunking skills for Ainsworth in a quarterfinal win for Ainsworth over Dundy County-Stratton.

Lift off for #Huskers' football signee Carter Nelson (@Carter83854638) in his first-round Class D-1 state basketball game in Lincoln.

Ainsworth gets the 62-55 win over Dundy County-Stratton. pic.twitter.com/v0p4f2aq2L

— Steve Marik (@Steve_Marik) March 7, 2024

Dylan Raiola gets much of the attention when it comes to Nebraska football’s 2024 recruiting class, but the signing of Carter Nelson is on par with that. He’s one of the best players to come out of the state of Nebraska for a long time. In addition to being ranked No. 1 in Nebraska, Nelson is ranked third among tight ends in the entire 2024 class according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. He’s also 49th overall.

There’s a reason Notre Dame, Georgia, and others were desperate for his commitment. Carter Nelson is a game-changer and his slam dunk on Thursday only reinforces his off-the-charts athleticism. Whether he plays tight end, receiver, running back or all of the above, Nelson is a freak and he gave Nebraska football fans a small taste of what he can do in the Vault on Thursday, just like he did at the Polynesian Bowl playing with Raiola.