After a not-so-good 5-7 season, Nebraska’s 2025 has a decent ranking of 20, but their 2026 class? They just have six commits. The Huskers are just starting to construct their next crop of talent, and the numbers aren’t quite making waves. Sure, they have secured Dylan Raiola‘s brother Dayton Raiola‘s commitment – a player with the arm skills to make noise and shows dedication, which is a positive note for a program starved for star power. They also have four-star safety CJ Bronaugh, three-star Jase Reynolds, a local linebacker, and Dveyoun Bonwell-Witte as their wide receiver. That’s a good foundation, but not the type of catch that’s going to terrify the rest of the Big Ten. However, that’s not the end of the story.

Matt Rhule‘s 2026 class ranks in the 60s nationally and last in the Big Ten. Not a typo. Eighteen out of eighteen. Why? For one, the Huskers have lost their first choices at wide receiver, and the dominoes continue to fall. Players like Ryan Mosley (Georgia), Jabari Brady (Missouri), and Nalin Scott (Arizona State) have all committed elsewhere, and the options behind them are falling away, too.

In Wilson Dittman Sports’ June 17 episode, host Dittman got to the nub of the issue. “What Nebraska is doing is they’re setting up for the second recruitment for a lot of these prospects. So, a Nalin Scott for example, while he’s committed to Arizona State, now, if Nebraska wins the amount of games they’re trying to this year, whether that’s 8, 9 [or] 10 competing for a call 12 playoff he’s going to be in position to flip,” Wilson says. Nebraska’s coaches aren’t throwing in the towel when a high priority like Nalin Scott or Nasir Rankin chooses elsewhere. Rather, they’re playing the long game, positioning themselves for the second bite at these guys if things break right on the field this fall. It’s not a new approach, but it’s particularly crucial now for Nebraska.

With a shiny new $165 million stadium and a coaching staff that’s all about establishing trust and real relationships, the Huskers are wagering that a winning season will grab attention and turn wallets, both for NIL and for those second glances from blue-chip recruits. If Nebraska wins 8-4, or better yet, gets into the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff picture, suddenly, the sales pitch changes. Recruits such as Scott, who may have questioned the direction of the program, will observe an on-the-rise team, staff that have established genuine relationships, and a fan base that’s downright rabid for victory. And that’s precisely what the head coach is doing. “Matt Rhule understands this class isn’t going to be very pretty, it’s not going to be very s–y at the end of July, despite what some people are saying, it’s just not going to be so this is the hard reality.” 

Wilson also gives a reference, “Let’s say we get Ryan Mosley on campus for a visit against Michigan and [Nebraska] beat Michigan on prime time television, he says, ‘Oh okay, Nebraska you’re legit you’re actually winning football games now I’m going to consider you in a different light.’ And that changes a lot.” Mosley, who’s witnessed a lot of football and been promised a lot of things, gets to witness the real deal. He sees the fans lose their minds, the players party like they just won the Super Bowl, and the entire city of Lincoln loses its mind. And in an instant, something shifts, and he has a change of heart.

Then, suddenly, all of those meetings with the coaching staff, all of those phone calls and visits, carry new significance. He begins to envision himself wearing that jersey, making plays on that field, in front of those fans. This isn’t hypothetical—this happens all the time in college football. Big victories, particularly on national television, can change a recruit’s perspective in an instant. Look at a guy like Arch Manning: when Texas began winning big games and gaining traction in the playoff picture, all of a sudden, every elite recruit wanted in on the action. Or consider Oregon: when the Ducks defeat a power, their recruiting class gets a boost, and guys who were wavering begin to take notice.

However, in the end, nothing is set in stone. “So I’m just saying don’t freak out just yet, but we also got to freak out just a little bit, we got to wave the white flag just a little bit here because there’s only so much we can do. Even if we do win, who says these guys would wanna flip?” “It’s really frustrating and Nebraska put a lot of effort [into] these guys,” concluded Dittman.

Trae Taylor chooses Huskers over blue bloods

Nebraska may scrunch up its recruiting path in places, but let’s remember: now and then, all it takes is one good win or one highlight moment to turn the tide. Trae Taylor, the five-star quarterback out of Illinois, is that player. With a rocket arm and a head for the game that’s smarter than he is, Taylor could have played anywhere—Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Notre Dame, LSU, you name it. All the blue-blood programs in the land coveted him. But when Taylor sat down to make his decision, he bucked the trend. In an era where NIL money and flashy hype are king, he chose Nebraska. Why? Because to him, it wasn’t all about money. It was about people.

Taylor’s declaration was theatrics, pure and simple. He stood before a full gym, snatched up an Illinois cap—just to throw people off—before discarding it and producing a Nebraska cap and jersey. The crowd erupted, but the real news was what ensued. Taylor spelled it out: “I’ll say it until I can’t anymore. As long as Coach Rhule is at Nebraska, I’m Locked “N”. Nebraska is the perfect fit for me, and I have done way too much work recruiting to think about Flipping lol.”

What closed the deal? Relationships. Taylor and his family didn’t even participate in NIL money discussions—they wanted a place that would push him on and off the field. Coach Rhule and his staff treated him like family. It was the rapport with the coaches, the chemistry with guys like Dylan Raiola, and that true sense of belonging that made Nebraska feel like home.