Nebraska is getting down to the end of the recruiting visits, that’s not to say the recruiting stops, quite the contrary. The real recruiting starts after you have received a verbal commitment. You must continue to stay in touch and let guys know they are a part of the team and welcome them any time they get the opportunity to visit. But right now, is a volatile time. As we’ve seen flips are always a threat. Four pieces of news this week could affect the Husker roster and I’ll explain why.
2027 Missouri linebacker commit Caleb Green flipped to the Huskers this weekend. The 6’0”, 209-pound 3-Star, Lee Summit, MO prospect has made multiple visits to Nebraska and has a strong relationship with Jamar Mozee.
2027 cornerback recruit Tory Pittman, who is one of the two highest ranked players who have committed to the Huskers, took an official visit to LSU.
2027 wide receiver recruit Matthew Gregory, who many thought would commit to the Huskers, gave his verbal commitment to UCLA Friday.
Julian (Juju) Marks, a 2025 offensive lineman commit, has transferred to Johnson County Junior College in Kansas to play basketball.
Do any of these four things rank as real recruiting nightmares or program turnarounds? Not really. And here’s why. As fans we’ve complained about Matt Rhule recruiting top talent. Well, if you look closely, you can see that’s starting to happen. Why? With Nebraska’s wide linebacker room, receiver and defensive backs room, along with the recruits Geep Wade has brought in, almost rebuilding the room in a single cycle, these are four of the most competitive rooms on the roster. When there is competition for playing time, you start seeing players unexpectedly jumping in or falling out.
In this case, that’s happening during recruiting. New defensive coordinator Rob Aurich also coaches linebackers, the position for Aurich may not be the backbone of the defense, but everything he wants to do migrates around his linebackers. Like what Wade has done with the offensive line, we’ve seen Aurich reshape the linebacker room. Since his arrival he has added size in 6’3”, 230-pound Owen Chambliss and 6’3”, 235-pound Dexter Foster. He also added high motor guy Will Hawthorne 6’2”, 220-pounds. And now in the 2027 class he went out and got Eli Harris, 6’0”, 200-pounds and Caleb Green 6’0”, 210-pounds, the pair won’t play inside like the big bodies but will work the sidelines. Both have also shown the ability to get to the quarterback. Something that is a staple in Aurich’s defense. The room wasn’t as weak as it was it needed some Aurich flare.
Addison Willimas brought in Danny Odem last cycle and he’s expected to see playing time as a true freshman. This cycle Williams and Yelk have brought in CB Bryce Willimas and Safety Corey Hadley and are expected to land CB Jailen Hill. They are also getting a visit from CB Kamauri Whitfield.
Nebraska loves Tory Pittman’s athletic talent, and he shows flashes on the field. But they’ve also made it clear they need to see him take another step forward in his senior year of high school. Consistency and possibly work ethic are missing right now. Knowing that, Pittman may realize he may not see immediate playing time and is checking out all his options. At this point, Nebraska would love to have him, but neither school will be devastated whatever his choice is. Roster spots are getting harder to land, with Nebraska having 12 Cornerbacks and 9 Safety’s on the roster with only 4 being seniors, if Pittman doesn’t flip this weekend, don’t look for him to.
The same is even more evident with wide receivers. In my opinion this is the best room at Nebraska. I know that is saying a lot since there aren’t really any big numbers to back that up. But with counting 2026 commits Jamari Brown and Maurice Purify II the Huskers have 18 wide receivers on the roster. And with guys like Jacory Barney, Nyziah Hunter, Kwazi Gilmer, Quinn Clark, and Janiran Bonner, playing time will be hard to come by. Throw in the young guys like Cortez Mills, Nalin Scott, and Larry Miles, and you’ll quickly find yourself the ninth or tenth man down. That’s why you’ve seen Nebraska miss on their top three wide receivers recruits in Matthew Gregory, Kalil Taylor, and Isiah Alverez. And it’s also why you saw Kaden Howard flip to Georgia Tech.
As of this weekend, with the commitment of Justyn Lindsay, 6’3”, 175-pound 3-Star from Blue Springs, Missouri, he becomes the second wide receiver in this cycle, joining Tay Ellis. While Lindsay has good size and speed, he’ll need time to develop. He shows more finesse than physicality and getting him in the weight room will be a must. He has good hands and shows the ability to come back and find open spots for his quarterback. I don’t see him getting immediate playing time but is a good depth piece. Coming from Blue Springs, he has a strong relationship with Jamar Mozee
From what I’m seeing of the offensive line commits in the 2027 cycle, Geep Wade is rebuilding this room. Wade has been at Nebraska long enough to evaluate what he has to work with, and you can see he’s looking for something different than what’s on the roster. He wants linemen with good feet and can move, guys that can pull, get outside and run counter. That’s not to say the current roster doesn’t have talent, but former offensive line coach Donovan Raiola recruited a different kind of talent than Wade. As the new recruits start coming in, look for more guys to move on.
As of now Nebraska has 20 offensive linemen on the roster with Juju Marks transferring. Four of those are true seniors and it’s unclear what juniors Paul Mubenga and Tree Babalade will do at the end of the season. It’s almost certain that the 5-for-5 will be implemented and it’ll be interesting to see how that affects the roster going forward.
Nebraska has 4 offensive line commits in the 2027 cycle and two more are taking official visits this weekend. 5-Star Albert Simien is also still in play. Look for the Huskers to take five offensive linemen and possibly six, with seven not being unrealistic. That’s a big turnover in one class. But then again, surrounding 2027 QB commit Trae Taylor with top talent is a priority.
Nebraska had seven visitors this weekend, do I think they’ll get five to six commitments like last weekend? I do not. Also remember a couple of these guys have set July commitment dates, so even if they make up their minds this weekend, we won’ hear about it for another two to three weeks. After Lindsay and Green’s commitments, names to watch are:
Kyler Kuhn – IOL, 6’2”, 280-pound 4-Star, Kansas City, MO (This one is between Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri. Wade sees him as a center, but Wade also sees current commit KD Jones as a center)
Jailen Hill – CB, 6’3”, 160-pound 4-Star, Bellflower, CA (Strong chance he lands at Nebraska. Commitment date is in July)
Kamauri Whitfield – CB, 5’10”, 185-pound 3-Star, Orlando FL (Making an official visit but will be difficult to land over Florida)
Barrett Kitrell – IOL, 6’4”, 270-pound 3-Star, Ashland, NE (A Nebraska legacy, but not a given, Iowa has pressed hard)
Brennan Drummond – S, 6’0”, 180-pound 3-Star, Charlotte NC (Somewhat of a personal relationship with Matt Rhule. Drummond’s father was part of the front office personnel at Carolina when Rhule was there. But he’s not just a take, he has talent)
It’s difficult to say who Nebraska might land from this visit, but I expect at least one more guy to commit within the next week. I think Jailen Hill will commit, but the announcement will come later. So, who are my best guesses? Kyler Kuhn and Barrett Kitrell.
It’s starting to become a new game at Nebraska when it comes to recruiting.
GO BIG RED!! SIMPLE, FAST, VIOLENT!!
~Lytle Harmon
Information gathered from Rivals On3
Photos courtesy of the Falls City Journal Home – Falls City Journal – Falls City, NE
Leave a Reply