Nebraska’s 2024 recruiting class is becoming one of the bigger classes in the country. As they are now sitting at 24 commitments. And out of all of these players who joined, who has the chance to play early? Let’s take a look at each position and find out.
Nebraska Commits: Who Can Play Early?
A Homegrown Pick in Daniel Kaelin
Notable Scholarship Offers: Minnesota, Michigan State, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State
How He Got Here: Bellevue West quarterback prospect Daniel Kaelin spurned his home state early in March to commit to the Missouri Tigers and offensive coordinator Kirby Moore. But after Husker target Dylan Raiola pledged to Georgia early in June, the second quarterback option became a number one priority. Because of this, he decided to flip his commitment to Matt Rhule and Marcus Satterfield.
His Fit On NU’s Roster: As a four-star quarterback prospect, Kaelin has proved that he is an excellent addition to Nebraska’s quarterback room alongside Jeff Sims, Chubba Purdy, and Heinrich Haarberg. As a junior at Bellevue West, he passed for 3,186 yards and 36 touchdowns. Even more impressive was his performances at big camps. At the Elite 11, he won the Accuracy Challenge over Alabama commit Julian Sayin with 56 points. This is good news for the program, as his accuracy will help nudge him into a chance to play early as a freshman.
An Explosive Running Back in Kewan Lacy
Notable Scholarship Offers: Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama, Oregon
How He Got Here: As the only running back commit in Nebraska’s recruiting class, Lacy committed to the Cornhuskers over several powerhouse programs on June 26. But what stood out to him about Lincoln? According to On3’s Hayes Fawcett, the four-star running back chose the program because he “connects with the coaches on a deeper level outside of football.” He also likes the fact that they will be utilizing all his talents by “catching the ball out of the backfield and lining him up at wide receiver”.
His Fit on NU’s Roster: For running backs coach EJ Barthel, Lacy fits the whole package as a running back. Not only is he aggressive while running the football, but he also has breakaway speed. In his junior year at Lancaster High School in Texas, he showed this when he rushed for 730 yards and 11 touchdowns. The year before, the four-star rushed for 1,352 yards and 13 touchdowns. These performances show that he can be an elite running back. But, it looks like Barthel is going to make him wait. In his junior season, Anthony Grant became the program’s leading rusher when he rushed for 915 yards and six touchdowns. Can Lacy make that type of impact as a freshman in his chance to play early?
Opening The Hawaiian Pipeline Back Up With Preston Taumua
Notable Scholarship Offers: Oregon, Arizona, Auburn, Alabama
How He Got To Nebraska: As the number one player in the state of Hawaii, Preston Taumua considered going to Oregon. He liked the coaching staff and he was being compared to Penei Sewell. But, his commitment rapidly changed to the Cornhuskers. According to 247Sports, “Coach (Donovan) Raiola was a big part of it for me and he’s from out here, so (he) could see (himself) playing for him.” Rhule also allowed him to commit because “he could be part of the class that switches the program around.”
His Fit On NU’s Roster: Taumua should have the chance to play early because of the lack of experienced depth that the Big Red has along its offensive line. Although Jake Peters, Gibson Pyle, and Landen Davidson should help. At 6-4 and 315 pounds, he has elite size along with being aggressive in the way he handles his position. These two traits should translate well in the Big Ten Conference. But could he carve out a starting role when he comes into Lincoln? He is surrounded by an experienced core in Teddy Prochazka, Turner Corcoran, and Ethan Piper. Plus, he has the new enrollees to worry about Mason Goldman, Brock Knutson, Sam Sledge, and Gunnar Gottula. But, he could surpass all of them under Raiola’s guidance.
Did The Cornhuskers Add Their Next Big Weapon In Dae’Vonn Hall?
Notable Scholarship Offers: Tennessee, Penn State, Kansas State, Iowa
How He Got To Nebraska: The number two player in Nebraska almost didn’t commit to the Cornhuskers. He was leaning towards committing to Kansas State, and Tennessee and Penn State were in the mix as well. But give credit to Rhule and the staff for developing a personal relationship with him. According to his interview with Husker Online, the main reason for his commitment was that the coaches have “a ton of different personalities all together and it just makes everything work.” In particular, this showed itself in his time with Rhule when “he went over to (Memorial Stadium) for a visit and (they) played ping-pong.
His Fit On NU’s Roster: With players like Billy Kemp IV, Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda, and Xavier Betts returning into the fold, Hall is going to have a hard time fighting for playing time in Garrett McGuire‘s room. Furthermore, homegrown talent Malachi Coleman enters the program as a freshman. But despite all of the depth, don’t be surprised if he gets looks early. As a junior at Bellevue West, he used his speed to maneuver past other defenders. This led him to haul in 62 passes for 11 touchdowns. But does his speed translate well when it comes to Rhule’s new offense?
A Utility Weapon in Carter Nelson
Notable Scholarship Offers: Georgia, Notre Dame, Penn State
How He Got To Nebraska: As the number one eight-man football player in the state, Nelson received attention from almost every major college football program in the country. But it was his home state that captured most of his attention. According to the website Saturday Tradition, it came down to the fact that he had a “really good bond” “with the guys that were in his recruiting class. This was evident when he went to a College World Series game with current NU quarterback Daniel Kaelin. It also helps that Dae’vonn Hall and Isaiah McMorris are committed to the program as well.
His Fit on NU’s Roster: Under Bob Wager, Nelson should have plenty of opportunities to succeed as a tight end at Nebraska. He has good size at 6’4 and excelled as a player all over the field for his eight-man football team in Ainsworth. This was shown when he caught 28 passes for 525 yards and 11 touchdowns. The biggest challenge for him will be to show Wager that he can beat out the other freshman on the roster.
Read more about Nelson’s commitment here: What Carter Nelson’s Commitment Means for Nebraska
