Did Nebraska see its future this weekend?
Did Nebraska see its future this weekend?
Nebraska fans saw the future on Friday thanks to a pass from quarterback Dylan Raiola to tight end Carter Nelson at the seventh annual Polynesian Bowl in Hawaii.
Nebraska fans saw the future on Friday thanks to a pass from quarterback Dylan Raiola to tight end Carter Nelson at the seventh annual Polynesian Bowl in Hawaii.
The duo — who were part of Team Makai — had big nights in the final game of their high school careers, helping their team overcome a 17-point deficit to win 28-17 over Team Mauka. Raiola led his team with 111 yards and a touchdown on 7-of-15 passing. Offensive lineman Preston Taumua, another Husker signee, was a member of Team Mauka. All three started for their teams.
While Raiola garners attention wherever he goes — and he certainly showed off his skills once again on Friday — it was Nelson who left a pretty significant impression. He ended his night with three receptions for 65 yards.
Here’s what Charles Power, the director of scouting and rankings for On3, had to say about Nelson’s performance:
“Nelson had several nice grabs, including a beautiful catch on a well-thrown seam ball from fellow Husker signee Dylan Raiola, that went for a 33-yard gain. Nelson’s athleticism transferred to every level of the field. He showed the ability to separate vertically and in the intermediate areas in addition to picking up yards after the catch. We also loved the vigor and physicality he showed as a blocker in the run game.”
Unfortunately, Nebraska fans will have to wait a little longer to see Nelson in action for the Huskers. He — as well as Taumua — will return to their respective high schools to finish their senior years. Raiola, on the other hand, will make his way to Lincoln to begin his first semester at Nebraska. Classes begin Monday, Jan. 22.
One last note on Raiola: he ended up playing all four quarters on Friday, which isn’t common for players of his caliber. More often than not, the athletes are trying to balance these games with the need to stay healthy ahead of their collegiate careers. Raiola, however, doesn’t operate like that.
“At the end of the day, you’re a football player,” he told Christian Shimabuku of KHON. “You can’t worry about getting hurt. You can’t worry about how long you’re going to play. You’re going to listen to the coaches and play for as long as they tell you so the opportunity to play that much is special.”
An elite weekend in Lincoln
Attention shifted from Hawaii back to Lincoln on Saturday as the Huskers’ hosted their Elite Junior Day. Around 30 top targets for the 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes were on hand for Nebraska, and it resulted in an offer for one athlete in particular: Waterloo (Iowa) West offensive tackle Carson Nielsen. The 6-foot-7 and 275-pound lineman tweeted on Saturday that he received the offer after speaking with head coach Matt Rhule and offensive line coach Donovan Raiola.
Nielsen, who would be a member of the 2026 class, has offers from Nebraska, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State and North Dakota State. He plans to visit the Hawkeyes and Wildcats in the coming weeks.
Christian Jones, a 4-star linebacker from Westside (Omaha) High School, was also in Lincoln on Saturday. He has a pretty extensive offer list, including the likes of Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Iowa and many, many more. Jones is considered the No. 1 athlete in Nebraska for the 2025 class at this time, and the Huskers are doing their best to forge relationships with him early.
Should be an interesting one to keep an eye on, especially as he takes additional visits elsewhere.
In the end, Saturday sounds like it was a successful day for Nebraska and its targets. If nothing else, it provides an opportunity for the athletes to get to know the coaches better, as well as one another. Seems likely we’ll see some of the same names back in Lincoln for the spring game in April.
Feeling beachy?
A quick shift away from football and recruiting. Nebraska’s 2024 beach volleyball schedule is out, with first serve set for Thursday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. in Lincoln. The Huskers will face McKendree and Park over that first weekend, before Ottawa, Southwest Baptist and Wayne State come to Lincoln early that following week.
Those six are the only home matches, with the Huskers traveling for the remainder of their season. Nebraska will head to Baton Rouge, Honolulu, Hilo, San Diego and Long Beach through the month of March.
You can find the full schedule here and the full roster as well.
While fans are unable to spectate in Lincoln, limited space is available for media. Counter Read plans to be on hand for updates, and the Huskers do a solid job of offering coverage through both live streams and social media. We’ll keep you in the loop for it all.
A historic week
One last note on volleyball. The Omaha Supernovas are set to make history on Wednesday. Not only will it be the team’s opening night at CHI Health Center, it will also be the first ever match for the Pro Volleyball Federation.
We’ll have more here on Counter Read on this historic moment for both Nebraska and the sport of volleyball on Tuesday. Stay tuned.