Tomorrow is the big day. Matt Rhule and his incomplete coaching staff scattered across the country to assemble Nebraska’s 2023 recruiting class. That work has yielded results this month.
As of Tuesday evening, Nebraska’s recruiting class (including transfer portal arrivals) is at 22. Of those,12 pledged after Rhule’s arrival. Most of them came after Nebraska hosted official visits the last two weekends. That allowed the coaching staff to welcome recruits and see Memorial Stadium through their lens.
But the class isn’t complete. There are still some who came to Lincoln for visits and have yet to commit. There are also some—wink wink—Rhule’s staff hopes flip their commitments to Nebraska before putting ink to paper.
With all the uncertainty, Hail Varsity has you covered in an easy-to-digest guide for Early National Signing Day drama. We’ll also have running updates throughout Wednesday of signings and full coverage of Rhule’s afternoon press conference. So keep this list of recruits in mind, sorted by likelihood they commit to Nebraska, throughout the day.
Likely
Eric Fields, linebacker: The Ardmore, Oklahoma, unranked prospect developed into a promising recruit at the end of his senior season. Rhule and his coaching staff see Fields as a high-ceiling linebacker they can develop in Tony White’s defensive system. Fields is exceptionally fast and pursues the ball with power. His pursuit angles are exceptional and his play-recognition intelligence stands out. Fields took his official visit to Lincoln last weekend. He also enjoyed his visit to Arkansas State and could opt to stay closer to home.
Malachi Coleman, athlete: Nebraska’s pursuit of the Lincoln East graduate has extended to a third head coach. The Huskers offered him under Scott Frost, won a commitment under former interim head coach Mickey Joseph and now remain in the mix to land the 4-star athlete under Rhule. And Nebraska wants him. Rhule and his coaching staff visited Lincoln East and Coleman the first day off-campus visits were allowed. So too did Colorado tight end coach Tim Brewster. Coleman took an official visit to Nebraska earlier this month but his impression of last weekend’s visit to Boulder have Husker fans holding their breath.
Chief Borders, linebacker: The former Florida Gator enjoyed his official visit to Lincoln last weekend. He’s a former multi-sport athlete, including track, and composite 4-star prospect. Two of his former Florida teammates are already pledged to Nebraska in defensive back Corey Collier Jr. and long snapper Marco Ortiz. He was largely a special teams player at Florida and could find an increased role at Nebraska. Borders announced his commitment to Nebraska on Tuesday night after this story originally published. (UPDATE: Borders announced his commitment to Nebraska shortly after publication.)
Possibility
Cameron Lenhardt, edge: The IMG Academy athlete decommitted from Nebraska back in September. This new coaching staff made a push to bring him back into the fold with a late official visit. He enjoyed Lincoln once again but also enjoyed his visit to Maryland, closer to his home of Staten Island. Either way, Nebraska fans will have to wait. On Tuesday afternoon he revealed his commitment will come on January 3 during the Under Armour All-American Game.
Malik Hornsby, quarterback: Despite securing the commitment of former Georgia Tech quarterback Jeff Sims, the coaching staff is still hopeful to land Hornsby. Last year’s starting quarterback Casey Thompson isn’t going anywhere. So those three could come into the 2023 as teammates fighting for the same starting job. But, unlike Thompson, Sims and Hornsby could sit and develop a year while providing depth.
Unlikely
Beni Ngoyi, wide receiver: The Lincoln High multi-sport athlete committed to Iowa State back in July. Rhule views him as a high priority and the new head coach isn’t afraid to flip recruits up until a signature hits paper. Since Iowa State already flipped Pierce tight end Benjamin Brahmer to Ames earlier this month, Rhule could get a homegrown recruit back here. Ngoyi is hosting his signing ceremony at Lincoln High at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.
Ajani Cornelius, offensive line: One of the most sought after portal prospects will announce his next college destination at 5 p.m. Central. Nebraska’s coaching staff aggressively pursued the former Rhode Island offensive tackle and brought him for an official visit. But he’s also been heavily recruited by Ohio State, Oregon and Tennessee. So the Huskers are up against stiff competition.