Nebraska’s recruiting landscape is finally booming, and the credit goes to head coach Matt Rhule. The Cornhuskers currently sit at 18th out of 18 teams in the Big Ten rankings. But after months of grinding and laying the foundation, it’s time for Rhule to breathe a sigh of relief. Nebraska has been eyeing a few offensive and safety prospects for weeks now, but as it turns out, some of them are on the verge of committing soon.

The past few weeks have been quite crucial for Matt Rhule and Co. From losing four-star cornerback CJ Bronaugh to Florida State to hosting several prospects, they’ve come a very long way. “After I took my [official visits] and stuff, Florida was showing me love every day. Coach [Billy] Napier and Coach [Deron] Wilson was always keeping in contact with me,” Bronaugh told. “It was close to home, and I just liked it a lot when I went there.” Ouch! That must have stung the Huskers. Before mid-June, the Cornhuskers had only a handful of commits, mostly 3-star recruits.

Now the scenario has taken a sudden turn, but on a very positive note. One of the high-profile names circling the program is four-star safety Devin Jackson. Nebraska insider Wilson Dittman, who has been following the team quite closely, mentioned in his recent podcast, Wilson Dittman Sports, regarding Jackson’s inclusion: “So, very excited about that. Then, Devin Jackson, there’s been a little bit of a shakeup here.” He also recalled how he already “expect[ed] a commitment within the next seven days. He announced on his Instagram, I believe two days ago, that he was going to be announcing a commitment date,” said Dittman.

Well, Jackson’s situation isn’t clear yet. He hinted at joining Nebraska, but then paid an official visit to Miami. So the recruitment game might be between Miami and the Huskers, but the Huskers are recruiting him hard; he could be that missing piece in the roster for Nebraska. “This is a guy Nebraska needs, and it could happen any moment now“, added Dittman. In his junior season, he racked up 80 tackles, seven pass break-ups, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble across 10 games, per MaxPreps.

Remember, we said double jackpot? Which means Nebraska might get another commitment from the offensive tackle Claude Mpouma by next week. As per On3’s official prediction, the 6-foot-8, 308-pound player is 96.5% joining the Huskers.

Mpouma is ranked as the No. 20 offensive tackle nationally, the No. 7 recruit in Illinois, and the No. 227 overall player in the 2026 class. Meanwhile, Jackson is quite versatile, with a high football IQ. For the upcoming season, if both players are on the roster, it will undoubtedly be a successful season for the Huskers.

Nebraska made solid improvements in the recruiting class of 2026

Matt Rhule and Co. started slow. They struggled to close deals, resulting in losing players, such as Ryan Mosley (Georgia), Jabari Brady (Missouri), and Nalin Scott (Arizona State). To build a strong team, Rhule has locked in some high-profile targets like Dayton Raiola, CJ Bronaugh, Jase Reynolds, and Dveyoun Bonwell-Witte. Their recruitment has seen a definite surge with some of the best players in the squad.

They say ‘third time’s a charm,’ and Matt Rhule is widely known for his third-year leaps. After Temple and Baylor, maybe it’s Nebraska’s turn to experience the miracle.

With the potential commitments from Claude and Jackson, a stronger defensive recruiting is on the cards for the Huskers. Rhule and Co. dealt with quite a few setbacks throughout the process, and it looks like things are finally falling into place. While it’s still a long way to go, the Huskers will expect some more high-profile recruits before the season officially closes.