Nebraska set to host loaded list of visitors in Lincoln this weekend

Wg0vf-nP_400x400by:Keegan Pope•03/23/23•

bykeeganpope

There were few bigger priorities for Matt Rhule when he took the job at Nebraska this offseason than upgrading the talent on the Huskers’ roster. In the immediate, that meant going heavy in the Transfer Portal to turn over the current roster.

In the long-term though, Rhule and his staff have their eyes set on taking Nebraska back to the elite recruiting circles it used to run in. The Huskers finished strong in the 2023 cycle, closing with the nation’s No. 30 overall class in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. They’re also off to a strong start in 2024 with an early commitment from four-star athlete Roger Gradney.

This weekend, though, is Nebraska’s chance to really re-assert itself as one of the nation’s premier recruiting destinations. And they’ll get the chance to do that with some of their top recruiting targets in town.

Dylan Raiola returns to Nebraska this weekend

There is no bigger name in the world of Nebraska recruiting right now than Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Dylan Raiola, a Huskers legacy and the nephew of current offensive line coach Donovan Raiola. Dylan is the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit and top quarterback in the On3 Industry Ranking, and the Huskers have made him their without-a-doubt top priority in this cycle.

Raiola was on campus already this spring for a basketball game, in which he got a standing ovation from the Nebraska crowd. He’ll be in town this weekend also told On3’s Chad Simmons he will be back for Nebraska’ spring game next month.

Georgia and USC are the other two main contenders for Raiola, and he’s coming off recent visits to both. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) gives the Trojans a slight lead over the Huskers right now, but Raiola isn’t expected to commit any time soon.

This is shaping up as a monumental visit for Rhule and Co., who could send some legitimate shockwaves across the recruiting landscape if they can eventually land Raiola, a program-changing quarterback.

But he’s not the only elite recruit set to be on campus in the next few days.

Other top recruits descending on Lincoln

Joining him will be fellow five-star Williams Nwaneri, the nation’s top defensive lineman out of Lee’s Summit (Mo.) North. The Huskers are in contention for him as well, along with Oklahoma, Missouri, Georgia and a handful of others.

Also coming to town is another top Missouri prospect, four-star St. Louis (Mo.) University High wide receiver Ryan Wingo, a top-30 prospect in the class. Alabama and Georgia are heavily in the mix for him, as is Missouri, Tennessee, Notre Dame and a few others.

The rest of the visitors list includes:

4-star offensive tackle Brandon Baker4-star tight end Jaden Reddell4-star wide receiver Ryan Pellum 4-star wide receiver Gatlin Bairtop-150 running back Nathaniel Frazier4-star tight end Carter Nelson4-star offensive tackle Andrew Sprague4-star offensive lineman Grant Brixtwin 4-star EDGE prospects Jerod Smith and Jacob Smith