After a whirlwind recruiting process, Carter Nelson has now made his commitment official. The four-star prospect is taking his talents to the Cornhuskers. Because of this, the coaching staff can breathe easy, as they add another signature recruiting win under their belts. But let’s dig even deeper into why the eight-man football star from Ainsworth decided to pledge to his home state.
— Carter Nelson (@Carter83854638) June 28, 2023
The Huskers Nab An In-State Priority Over Georgia
You can’t deny that Nebraska is rolling on the recruiting trail right now. With Nelson’s commitment, the program has 22 commits in its recruiting class and is ranked at 13th in the country. And with Nelson now in the fold, Matt Rhule keeps on getting the players that they want. This gets even bigger when you look at where he ranks as a recruit. As the number one player in the state of Nebraska and the number seven tight end nationally, his main offers were from all over the country. But he was mainly recruited by powerhouse programs like Georgia, Penn State, and Notre Dame.
At the beginning of the process, it seemed like bad news for the Huskers when he was considering the Bulldogs. And why should he not? They were the national champions last season, and they already have five-star Dylan Raiola on board. These factors made him glance in that direction, but it didn’t matter in the end. Give credit to Rhule and the coaching staff for making him a priority target on his visits. Also, it didn’t hurt when Daniel Kaelin helped him out too. Now with Nelson’s commitment, Rhule has secured four top-ranked players that want to build something special in their home state.
A Fully Stocked Tight End Room For Bob Wager
Does Nelson’s commitment give the Cornhuskers a new star in their tight end room? Under tight ends coach Bob Wager, it’s certainly possible to think so. The four-star prospect has the measurables to succeed at 6-4 and 205 pounds. And as a senior at Ainsworth, he showed he was a playmaker for his team. This was shown when he hauled in 28 receptions for 525 yards and 11 touchdowns. The only problem he is going to encounter is the key differences between eight-man football and Big Ten football. Because of this, it is easy to see that Arik Gilbert would be a better option to start right away. In his time as an LSU Tiger, he caught 35 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns. As a sophomore, he experienced more success with Georgia when he won two national championships with them as a transfer.
Read more about Arik Gilbert in: Predicting The Offense Ahead of Nebraska’s Spring Game
Now that Gilbert has settled into his third home at Nebraska, he has more than enough acumen to hit the ground running right away for the Cornhuskers moving forward. Another player that looks to make a big jump in his career is Thomas Fidone. As the number one tight end prospect out of Iowa in 2021, he was predicted to be the next big weapon in the Scott Frost offense. Sadly, these expectations disappeared when he suffered a knee injury during the previous two off-seasons. But now that he is cleared to play under the new staff, Fidone can get back to his full potential under Wager and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield.
A Breakout Year For Nate Boerkircher?
While Gilbert may be the most battle-ready tight end on Nebraska’s roster, don’t count out the experience that Nate Boerkircher has. As a former walk-on under the Frost regime, he held his own as a backup under Travis Vokolek by playing 225 snaps for the Cornhuskers in 2022. And in four games, he caught six passes for 52 yards and one touchdown. Because of this production, he now has more responsibilities as a scholarship tight end under Wager. But time will tell if he has a legitimate opportunity to improve his skills. Not only is he surrounded by talented high school prospects that could have the potential to play immediately, he also has to deal with walk-ons taking his spot in practice.
Photo courtesy: Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK
