4-star ATH Malachi Coleman commits to Nebraska thanks to Mickey Joseph

The world of recruiting is full of uncertainties. But there can be few things as uncertain as a team that doesn’t know who its head coach will be next season.

Nebraska is in that position right now, but that didn’t stop them from landing Lincoln (Neb.) Lincoln East four-star athlete Malachi Coleman.

Coleman committed Saturday to Cornhuskers over Georgia and Oklahoma, and interim head coach Mickey Joseph was the No. 1 reason.

“Nebraska definitely wasn’t always the lead,” Coleman told On3. “If it hadn’t been for Mickey, I probably wouldn’t be wearing the N right now. After meeting him for the first time, I immediately called my mom and told her everything about it. I never felt excited to talk to someone like I was with him. And that’s the same to this day.”

Scott Frost was fired in September and the university promoted Joseph to be interim head coach. He was previously hired in December 2021 as wide receivers coach.

Joseph attended Nebraska in the late 1980s and early 1990s and played quarterback.

“I believe in Mickey (Joseph), so it wasn’t very hard of a decision for me,” Coleman said. “I know he’ll take care of me for the next couple of years and I’ll do the same for him.”

The relationship between Coleman and Joseph runs deep as Coleman has had the opportunity to hang out with his family.

“Mickey is everything to me,” Coleman said. “I love him with all my heart. His family is my family too. I love his kids and his wife. He feels the same about my family. I have never had a relationship outside of family like I have with Mickey before. He was a really big part of my decision.”

Coleman is the No. 70 overall recruit in the 2023 On3 Consensus. He is also the unanimous top-ranked recruit from the state of Nebraska.

With his commitment, he becomes the No. 1-ranked recruit in the Huskers recruiting class.

“I’ve known for a while that I’d probably end up staying home,” Coleman said. “I just wanted to see how they performed after the coaching shake-up. They absolutely fought. Something I haven’t seen in a while. There is energy, not from just one player, but from everyone. Obviously, there is a lot to clean up but I know they’ll figure it out.”

In addition to his relationship with Joseph, Coleman is excited to play for the Nebraska fans at Memorial Stadium and all over the Big Ten.

“The support from everyone at Nebraska is insane,” Coleman said. “This fan base is truly as good as it gets. I’ve been to a lot of different places and Nebraska, day in and day out, has the best fanbase. Period.”