Malachi Coleman Opts for Huskers Over Buffs

In-state athlete’s decision boosts stature of Nebraska’s early-signing class of 2023 recruits

Author:
Joe Hudson
Publish date:
Dec 21, 2022 2:03 PM EST

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Nebraska Cornhuskers

Prized in-state recruit Malachi Coleman provided some signing-day drama Wednesday before announcing he was joining Matt Rhule's first recruiting class at Nebraska.

The four-star athlete from Lincoln East had committed during Mickey Joseph's stint as interim head coach, then decommitted shortly after Rhule was hired for the permanent position in late November. Coleman indicated at the time that he wasn't necessarily closing the door on the Huskers.

Coleman's final two schools were Colorado and Nebraska. As of midday Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period, his choice of the Huskers had helped push Nebraska's class to No. 26 in the Rivals rankings, No. 28 in 247Sports' rankings and No. 32 in the On3 rankings.

Those ratings come despite the fact that several of the recruits Rhule has brought on board are under-the-radar guys. "I think it's my job to look at a player and not see what he is, but see what he can be," Rhule explained during a midmorning interview on the Huskers Radio Network. "See them four, five, six years down the line. And we've done that."

But Rhule did reel in another 247Sports consensus four-star player in defensive end Princewill Umanmielen, from Manor, Texas. Umanmielen joins another Texas four-star athlete, defensive lineman Riley Van Poppel, who stuck with the Huskers through thick and thin after committing in June.