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Offensive Lineman Hayden Ainsworth Commits to Nebraska Over NC State

The Huskers add a sixth commit to the 2026 class.
Kaleb Henry|
Nebraska commit Hayden Ainsworth during his visit to Lincoln.
Nebraska commit Hayden Ainsworth during his visit to Lincoln. | @Hayden_A_LT/X

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Nebraska football's 2026 class continues to grow.

Hayden Ainsworth, an offensive tackle in the 2026 class, has committed to the Huskers. He made the announcement Monday morning on social media.

"Life has carried me many places" Ainsworth said in his commitment video. "Many places I love and have great memories of. Now it's time to make new memories and play in front of a new crowd.

"For the past three seasons, I've spent Friday nights hearing the crowd yell 'Go Big Red'. I still want to hear that a few more years."

Ainsworth chose Nebraska over NC State. He also held offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma and more.

Rivals lists Ainsworth as a four-star offensive tackle. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound commit hails from Biloxi, Mississippi.

The addition of Ainsworth brings Nebraska's 2026 recruiting class to six. Ainsworth joins Rex Waterman as the only offensive line commits. The four other commits are four-star safety CJ Bronaugh and three-star wide receiver Dveyoun Bonwell-Witte, three-star quarterback Dayton Raiola and three-star linebacker Jase Reynolds.

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Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

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