3 reasons why Hayden Ainsworth’s commitment is bigger than it looks for Nebraska

The Nebraska football team is expected to reel in quite a few commitments over the next few weeks. One of those commitments did announce he’d committed to the Huskers just a few days after all signs pointed to him pulling the trigger. It seemed like it was just a matter of time before Hayden Ainsworth was a Husker, and now it’s official.

So why is this such a massive get for the Cornhuskers? This commit is a bit bigger than it may look at first glance for a couple of reasons.

Hayden Ainsworth reclassified to the 2026 class before joining the Nebraska football team

The offensive lineman out of Biloxi, Mississippi, was originally headed towards the 2027 class. However, he decided to shorten his high school career by a year and reclassified into the 2026 group. While he’s not rated as highly because of that reclassification, this is one of those guys who could end up being a real steal when all is said and done.

A position change might be on the horizon

While Ainsworth is a tackle in high school, he might move to guard once he gets to Nebraska. One of the things that stands out from some of the offensive linemen the Huskers are recruiting these days is that they have some versatility, and he’s got a big enough body that he could play at both. It will be interesting to see what happens once he arrives in Lincoln.

The offensive lineman pipeline has begun in the 2026 class

Hayden Ainsworth is the second offensive lineman the Nebraska football team has landed in the last few weeks. Like Rex Waterman, it appears that things are just starting to pick up for Donovan Raiola’s group for the 2026 class. The two prospects aren’t expected to be the last offensive line commits in this cycle for the Huskers, who now have six pledges for 2026. That could increase quickly.