Will Bolt suffers crushing recruiting loss as Nebraska's top player heads to the SEC

It's been an up-and-down offseason for Nebraska baseball head coach Will Bolt, but losing the top player in the state for the 2027 class in Bubba Day might be the low point.

Granted, it's hard for a Huskers program that is mired in the middle of a middling conference to fend off a school like the Tennessee Volunteers. No one can blame Day for pulling the trigger on Friday morning for the SEC power. The two-way player is looking out for what's best for his career, and either pitching or hitting or both for one of the best teams in the nation will only pay off in the long run.

Top in-state prospect Bubba Day spurns Nebraska for Tennessee

Day's commitment to Tennessee isn't shocking. That doesn't mean it's not a significant loss for Nebraska. Especially considering that Bolt has quite a few holes on a roster that suffered severe losses due to the MLB Draft and the transfer portal after another regional exit from the playoffs.

Things haven't been all bad for Bolt this spring and summer, though. That's the good news, even with the recruiting loss over Day, who has pop at the plate and can already average better than 93 mph on his fastball.

Earlier this week, the Huskers did manage to land an in-state commit in Adams Central's Kowen Rader. Rader, a junior pitcher, announced his commitment to Nebraska on Tuesday, becoming one of the earliest members of the school's 2027 class.

The Cornhuskers also added another promising arm to its future bullpen with the commitment of Keston Holman, a standout pitcher from Johnson County Community College. Holman earned All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference East Division honorable mention after a standout season at Johnson County Community College. Appearing in 24 games, all in relief, he posted a perfect 3-0 record. He led the conference with 11 saves, tying for first nationally in the NJCAA and finishing just one shy of the program record.

Those additions blunt the loss for the Nebraska baseball team of Bubba Day, but not being able to keep the best player in a class in the state is still an issue for Will Bolt.