Nebraska, Geep Wade Secure Pair of Return Visits from No. 2 IOL in the 2027 Class

Nebraska football has afforded itself some serious staying power with one of the nation's top offensive line recruits.

After getting in early on Albert Simien of Sam Houston (LA), the Huskers, despite a coaching change at the offensive line position group, are surging for the No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the 2027 class. There's plenty more progress to be made, but the Big Red have secured a pair of upcoming visits from the five-star recruit and appear to be keeping their foot on the gas as much as any program in the country to secure his commitment.

With that in mind, here's who NU will be battling with down the stretch to sign the potential program-changing prospect at a position of need.

Lake Charles (La.) Sam Houston five-star IOL Albert Simien is planning a pair of return visits to Nebraska in the coming months. Simien has already visited Nebraska three times.

More: https://t.co/pY5t2RevLo pic.twitter.com/RdFZy6Cosa
— Bryan Munson (@BryanMunson_) February 17, 2026

As first reported by Bryan Munson of HuskerOnline, Nebraska has locked in both an unofficial and official visit date for one of the country's most sought-after recruits. Though the actual dates are not yet confirmed, Simien is expected to be in Lincoln as early as this spring, then once again on his official visit over the summer.

For the Huskers' coaching staff, that is great news. Especially considering the staff changes that were made over the offseason. After parting ways with offensive line coach Donovan Raiola, the Big Red replaced him with Geep Wade, formerly of Georgia Tech. They also added former South Carolina offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley as run game coordinator. Now, the two offensive assistants will look to work their magic toward securing the blue-chip prospect, despite needing to make up ground.

Nebraska is battling several of the nation's top programs for Simien's services, as his offer list includes schools like Texas A&M (currently favored), LSU, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Miami, and more. Still, the Huskers are not backing down.

The Cornhuskers already boast the nation's No. 7 recruiting class in the country for 2027, headlined by several players ranked in the top 5 of their position groups. That means a player of Simien's caliber wouldn't be the only prospect with as much potential as he has that would join Matt Rhule's program next December.

Trae Taylor (No. 4 QB) is slotted in as the No. 55 overall recruit and has taken his commitment so seriously that he recently announced his decision to transfer to a Nebraska high school ahead of his senior year. The move allows him not only to be more easily accessible to NIL opportunities but to be available to lead the Huskers' recruiting efforts for players like Simien this upcoming fall.

Tory Pittman III (No. 2 S) is also an in-state recruit and is regarded as the nation's No. 30 overall prospect in the class. Already close to Lincoln, the safety is the Big Red's highest-ranked recruit within the class. Though if Simien (No. 22 overall recruit) were to commit, that would change.

With that in mind, it wouldn't be unexplored territory for the five-star recruit. In fact, Nebraska has signed a five-star player in the 2024 and 2026 recruiting classes under the current staff. They also added another former five-star prospect from the 2024 cycle via the transfer portal before the 2025 season began.

The players on the high end of the recruiting rankings have been something the Huskers staff has not only taken a liking to but has been able to secure in recent years. And though it doesn't automatically suggest Simien would be any more interested in Lincoln than he already is, it should offer him some peace of mind, at the very least.

No longer are the nation's best recruits being pitched on the idea of being the first player to join Nebraska's wave; instead, other players of similar status are helping the staff do it. To this point in time, that has seemed to help, as Simien has built a relationship with his potential quarterback, should he join Rhule's program.

Thank you Coach Matt Rhule, from Nebraska, for taking the time to come visit with Albert Simien and the Sam Houston Broncos!#GeauxBroncos pic.twitter.com/3qoG9zKhTm
— Sam Houston High Football Recruiting (@SamHoustonFBRec) January 28, 2026

For now, the Big Red are pushing hard to stay in contention for the No. 2 interior linemen in the class, and it has taken them farther than they may have initially expected. Next, they will need to make up some serious ground over the coming months, as schools closer to the five-star prospect have built up a bit of a lead.

That doesn't mean anything is insurmountable to this point. In fact, the two visits that Simien has lined up to travel to Lincoln very much suggest otherwise. It also looks to be the fourth and fifth times the recruit has come to campus on his own choosing. Again, he could be keeping his options open, but NU's staff undoubtedly feels good about where they stand, knowing the volume of visits they are set to have locked down for the recruit.

Either way you look at it, Nebraska has a long road ahead in this recruitment. But, as it currently stands, they have as much momentum as arguably any school not named LSU. Of course, the Tigers are in-state, but Simien's relationship with the Huskers staff and already committed recruits shouldn't be ignored.

His upcoming spring unofficial visit is the first step, and then the staff will prepare to roll out the red carpet for the offensive line on his official visit in June. That will likely be where the biggest progress will be available to be made. But don't forget, they'll also have to handle business on the football field this upcoming fall as well.

Plenty of things will need to come together in culmination to sway Simien's decision towards the Big Red. But, at the very least, there's still a puncher's chance. That's all Nebraska's staff needs at this moment in time, and they're not looking to waste the opportunity at hand. Expect this recruitment to come down to the wire, as signing day isn't until December of this year, but don't be surprised if NU continues to stay in the mix until that day comes, either. Time will ultimately tell, but if one thing is for certain, Geep Wade is making it his business to get the offensive line back on track.

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