4-star EDGE Cameron Lenhardt recommits to Nebraska: 'We're gonna change a lot of things'
Matt Rhule became the new head coach at Nebraska in late November. A few days into his tenure, he re-offered Staten Island (N.Y.) IMG Academy four-star EDGE Cameron Lenhardt.
Lenhardt had decommitted from the Cornhuskers on Sept. 18, less than a month after announcing his pledge to Nebraska. His decision came hours after defensive coordinator Erik Chinander was fired and a week after head coach Scott Frost parted ways with the program.
“One of the very first things that Nebraska did when Matt Rhule got in was he re-offered me and we set up a plan and it was like, ‘Hey, we want you to come back and take an official visit,'” Lenhardt told On3. “Before Matt Rhule got there, my love for Nebraska goes deeper. It’s not just about coaches or anything like that. I really have a genuine love for Nebraska.”
The 6-foot-2, 230-pound pass rusher returned to Lincoln for his second official on the weekend of Dec. 10. He shared that receiving priority attention from Rhule and his staff early in their tenure “meant a lot.”
Lenhardt quickly connected with Rhule and saw his path for Nebraska in the coming seasons. As a result, he quietly signed with the Cornhuskers over Maryland on Dec. 21. At Tuesday’s Under Armour All-America Game, he made the news official.
“I’ve definitely seen Nebraska different (under Rhule),” said Lenhardt, the No. 342 overall prospect and No. 36 EDGE in the 2023 On3 Consensus. “We have a great recruiting class, like our recruiting class jumped a lot. We’re gonna change a lot of things in Nebraska. The whole culture is gonna change and the way we do things in Nebraska. We’re gonna get back to that top defense and that old-school Nebraska football and (the) dominant powerhouse that we used to be back then.”
Lenhardt believes in Rhule, a fellow New York native
Before Rhule coached the Carolina Panthers and Baylor, he worked as the head man at Temple. Since Lenhardt knew people affiliated with the Owls, he learned about Rhule, both as a coach and a person.
When Rhule eventually started recruiting Lenhardt, the two bonded over their New York City roots. Lenhardt is a Staten Island native, while Rhule spent time in the Big Apple before moving to Pennsylvania ahead of high school.
“He was born in New York City too, so we have that in common,” Lenhardt said. “We have that same personality. We’re real hustlers. We get after business. We(‘ve) got that great work ethic. That was a big thing for me, going somewhere where somebody’s from where I’m from.”
Landing Lenhardt is a big recruiting win for Rhule and Co., as he becomes the fourth four-star in the Cornhuskers’ 2023 recruiting class. The New York native is also Nebraska’s second commitment of the day, following Roswell (Ga.) three-star cornerback Ethan Nation.
“It’s just that football environment that Nebraska has, just the fact that they have no professional sports team in Nebraska, so Nebraska football is everything,” Lenhardt, whose mother “really loved Nebraska,” said. “Everything revolves around the football (program). I love the energy. I love the fans. I love the school. I just like the tradition of Nebraska and I like that it’s not that big, but it’s also not that small.”