Summer is here, and so are the football newcomers
Summer is officially here, and that means move-in day has come and gone for the Huskers that didn’t enroll early.
Summer is officially here, and that means move-in day has come and gone for the Huskers that didn’t enroll early.
Nebraska shared sets of photos (one and two) and a video on X/Twitter of those newcomers moving into their dorms for the summer. That included tight end Carter Nelson, who opted not to enroll early. Instead, he saw his senior season through and completed a solid basketball and track career for Ainsworth.
Now the work at Nebraska begins.
June doesn’t just bring more newcomers to campus. It also means camp season, which kicks fully into gear on Friday, June 7. Here’s the lineup for Nebraska through the month:
These camps — especially the Friday Night Lights camps1 — are incredible opportunities for athletes and coaches alike. They can mean both offers and commitments, a positive for Nebraska as coach Matt Rhule and his staff continue to build the 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes.
Looking just at 2025, Nebraska sits at eight commitments. There’s little doubt the Huskers would like to get that into the double-digit range by July 1, and it’s not impossible to see that happen.
While college football programs are currently in a quiet period — running May 30-June 23 — on-campus visits are permitted. Of the four weekends to hold official visits, the Huskers are set to utilize two heavily — June 14 and 21 — with the second weekend shaping up to be the biggest.
As of today, Nebraska has over 20 official visitors slated for the coming weeks. That includes players like edge Jayden Loftin from Somerville, New Jersey, athlete Jamal Frilot of Houston, Texas, and defensive linemen Michael Riles of Port Arther, Texas, and Kade Pietrzak of West Fargo, North Dakota.
And then there’s Mekhi Nelson — a running back who was recently named the MVP of the Under Armour Next camp in New Jersey — who received his offer from Nebraska two weekends ago. He’s expected in Lincoln for an unofficial visit this week, and will return for an official visit on June 14 if all goes well.
Running back is one to keep an eye on for 2025. Nebraska already has running back Conor Booth in the 2025 class, and running back Jamarion Parker has been high on the list of a potential addition too. Do the Huskers want three running backs for the 2025 class? Is there something going on behind the scenes with Parker that pushed Nebraska to look harder at Nelson? Either way, Parker is expected in Lincoln on June 21 — one week after Nelson.
Turning attention to the 2026 class, Nebraska also needs to use June to strengthen that class.2 Plenty of 2026 prospects will be in Lincoln for camps, so we’ll get a pretty good idea soon enough who is high on the Huskers’ list. Either that, or Nebraska’s board will grow as players are discovered.
And for those players who might not be able to make it to Lincoln, the Huskers will hit the road for satellite camps. In fact, linebackers coach Rob Dvoracek and running backs coach EJ Barthel were the first to get things started this summer, attending the Lindenwood University camp in Kansas this past Saturday.
Prior to this Friday’s camp in Lincoln, a majority of Nebraska’s assistant coaches will be in Belton, Texas, on Monday for the Mary Hardin-Baylor Camp, and in Houston on Tuesday for the Houston Christian Showcase. Rhule will not attend any satellite camps this summer.
There will be plenty to recap in the coming weeks, as June is always a busy recruiting month for programs across the country. Will Nebraska get to double-digit commits for the 2025 class? What surprises will we see between now and the end of the month? Does Nebraska take more than two running backs in the next class?
So many questions, but we have time. More soon.
Unrelated to football recruiting, but it needs a quick mention . . .
Nebraska baseball’s season came to an end Sunday as the Huskers fell 17-11 to Florida in an elimination matchup.
The Huskers concluded their 2024 season with a 40-22 overall record. Coach Will Bolt and his team recorded Nebraska’s 18th regional appearance in program history after claiming the Huskers’ first Big Ten Tournament title since joining the conference.
"They're a championship ballclub for a reason,” Bolt said post-game. “They've got heart, toughness and they love each other. I'll forever be grateful for this 2024 team."
And on the softball front . . .
Nebraska added Hannah and Lauren Camenzind — Nebraska natives from Omaha Skutt who spent the past two seasons at Arkansas — to its roster this past week.
“This is a special day to announce the Camenzind twins are returning home and joining the Nebraska softball family,” head coach Rhonda Revelle said in a statement. “We are grateful to have this journey come full circle with their return to Nebraska, as they have been coming to our camps since they were young girls.”
It feels like a ways away, but fall ball will be here before we know it and we’ll get a better look at the next iteration of Nebraska softball.
This is one tradition from the Mike Riley era that I’m glad to see continue. Friday Night Lights camps have been some of the best, and we’ve even been able to see players like Micah Parsons make their way through Lincoln for them. Speaking of Parsons, that still remains one of the best camps I’ve been to because of his athleticism.
It also wouldn’t hurt to get an early start for 2027, but that’s a conversation for another day.