Evaluating Nebraska Football's 2026 Recruiting Class After Early Signing Day

College football recruiting is not for the faint of heart.

The ones you don’t sign can haunt you. How much better would Nebraska’s pass protection have been this year had they been able to seal the deal with David Sanders, now a starting tackle for Tennessee?

Decommitments can come back to bite you. Kewan Lacey, once committed to Nebraska’s 2024 class, broke the Ole Miss record for rushing touchdowns in a season this year. How deadly would Nebraska’s attack have been if they could’ve paired him with Emmett Johnson?

And passing over prospects you deem unworthy can hurt most of all. How many times have Husker fans been tortured with the Joe Burrow story?

But there are also those tantalizing stories of diamonds in the rough, late bloomers, and ballyhooed blue chips who make good on their considerable hype.

Below we assess Nebraska’s tidy class of 10 signees by position group.

QB: F

Nebraska got a steal the year before in scooping up TJ Lateef. Dayton Raiola was a solid class QB with his cannon arm and strong resume against a difficult prep schedule, but his puzzling decommitment just two weeks prior to early Signing Day left the Huskers without a viable alternative. Ultimately, this class will be assessed based on how Jett Thomalla - an Alabama signee that Nebraska passed on - performs for the Crimson Tide.

RB: C+

The Huskers were never a true contender for four-star Brian Bonner, while De’Zephen Walker cancelled his visit after Jamal Rule, the RB of the class, silently committed. The North Carolina native had a great senior season against good competition in Charlotte, amassing 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has size and speed to burn, though his ceiling is somewhat limited by his change-of-direction ability. For those who roll their eyes at the relatively unheralded three-star, remember that all of Nebraska’s best running backs the last ten-plus years – Ameer Abdullah, Devine Ozigbo, Emmett Johnson – were three-star afterthoughts whose pledges were accepted after other backs committed elsewhere.

WR: B

Nalin Scott adds a nice jump ball skillset to the Husker receiving corps. Injuries marred the last two years of his prep career, but the Huskers still thought enough of him to pry him from a commitment to Arizona State and position coach Hines Ward, who the Huskers recruited heavily as an option QB in the '90s. Larry Miles brings speed to burn. If he can be another Jacory Barney, a fellow Floridian who’s flourished under Matt Rhule, the Huskers will have done very well here.

2026 wide receiver prospect Nalin Scott with Nebraska coach Matt Rhule. | @NalinScott/X

TE: A-

It’s tempting to downgrade the Huskers’ tight end recruiting given the slew of prospects that eluded their grasp – Camden Jensen, Mack Sutter, and home-state offer, Isaac Jensen. But Rhule and staff nabbed a potential great one in Luke Sorensen, who will fit nicely into Dana Holgorsen’s scheme. The 6-4 in-line tight end spurned preseason top 10 teams Penn State and Ole Miss after a visit to Nebraska and a fishing trip with the legendary Coach Osborne. Don’t be surprised if he ends up being the steal of the class.

2026 tight end prospect Luke Sorensen. | @lukexsorensen on Instagram

OL: C+

Nebraska had to get a stalwart tackle in this class, and they landed one in Claude Mpouma out of Chicago. He’s big but raw and will need to learn pass pro before lining up across from Big Ten edge rushers. Hayden Ainsworth offers the flexibility of an inside role or even a tackle spot if needed. Rex Waterman looks like a demolition truck on the interior. But the Huskers missed on Kelvin Obot and Jackson Cantwell, who they’d been recruiting for years to man their left tackle spot. There are no sure things among this haul.

2026 four-star offensive tackle prospect Claude Mpouma. | @c_pu_ma_/Instagram

DL: F

Nebraska needed to hit on one or two big additions here to compete with the Michigans and Ohio States of the Big Ten, and they fell flat on their face. Titan Davis, once considered their top prospect of any position, didn’t even have Nebraska in his final group. Valdin Sone did, but the 5-star prospect from Sweden opted for Georgia. Terry Bradden has much to prove in the coming years on the recruiting trail.

LB: D

Not a huge haul was necessary here after hitting big last year with Christian Jones and Dawson Merritt, but this was still a disappointing group. The lone player slotted for the role is Jase Reynolds, who happens to be one of only three Nebraskans the Huskers offered in the class. Kasen Thomas (Iowa) decided to stay home, as did Keenan Harris (Mizzou) and Jordan Campbell (Miami). It looked like Nebraska might salvage its LB recruiting with Calvin Thomas, but he was lured to Chapel Hill and the calamity that is Bill Bellicheck’s program. Campbell was a game-changing talent the Huskers will likely regret not wooing away from The U.

DB: A

The Huskers had a big loss in CJ Bronaugh, an early Nebraska commit who decamped to Florida after being discovered on the camp circuit. But they made up for it with the signature of another prospect they found before the rest of the Power 4 in Danny Odem, a rare talent, rated 5-stars on 24/7. He’ll make an excellent cover corner for years to come and could challenge for a large role next fall with Ceyair Wright’s departure. Here’s betting that losing Nebraskan Darion Jones, brother of starter Donovan, will hurt when the Huskers line up against the Hawkeyes in a few years, though.

Danny Odem dressed out in his high school uniform | @uofi_zone/Instagram

Thorns in the Big Red Side

Michigan

Nebraska would have happily accepted signatures from Titan Davis, Zion Robinson, and McHale Blade. Alas, Michigan received them instead.

Syracuse

The Huskers weren’t able to pry defensive back Tedarius Hughes from Florida State. But Syracuse was. And the Huskers were unable to lure longtime Syracuse commits OL Javeion Cooper and EDGE Kamron Wilson to Lincoln. Credit to coach Fran Brown, who boasts an impressive haul despite an awful season.

2026 Edge prospect Kamron Wilson on his official visit to Nebraska. | behumble_.kam/Instagram

Missouri

Mizzou landed a who’s who of NU prospects, including home state linebacker Keenan James. They also signed receiver Jabari Brady, defensive lineman Tajh Overton out of Oklahoma, and Millard South’s Isaac Jensen, all of whom were on the Huskers' wish list.

Biggest Misses

Defensive Line

This one pains me to write, especially after the disparity between Nebraska’s D-Line and the Big Ten’s best became apparent against Michigan. Nebraska needed to find some high school talent to develop. They failed to do so. They still have the Portal, but proven players come at a premium for NIL.

Quarterback

Fans may dismiss the goose egg Nebraska put up at quarterback this year, given that TJ Lateef started three games in 2025 and Trae Taylor, a presumptive 5-star, headlines the 2027 class. But as fans also found out, you can never have enough quality depth at the most important position on the roster. There were plenty of intriguing signal callers interested in NU to start the cycle, but the Huskers bet and lost on Dayton Raiola.

Linebacker

Like defensive back last year, this position stings less considering the talent already in the pipeline. But it’s never a good thing to miss on your top targets. Miami signee Jordan Campbell looks like a future star.

Overall: C

The overall quality, bolstered by Mpouma and Odem, puts this class in the top quartile of schools, even if the quantity was always going to be small. But missing on several top targets and failing to fill needs at QB and DL can’t be easily dismissed. Here’s betting Rhule makes hay in the Transfer Portal to mitigate the Huskers’ misses.

More From Nebraska On SI

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.