While all the talk this week has centered around the Nebraska football team, the Nebraska basketball program scored a massive win in the form of the commitment of Colin Rice.
Waukee Northwest's Rice had seen his college recruitment gain some severe traction over the last few months. That included picking up several power conference offers this spring, including Iowa, Northwestern, Nebraska, and Illinois. All of this has come as a surprise to the small forward, considering he suffered an injury after his sophomore season had slowed things down.
Nebraska basketball nets 4-star wing Colin Rice for the 2026 class
NEWS: 4⭐️ Colin Rice (@colinlrice) has committed to Nebraska, he tells @Rivals.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) July 24, 2025
The 6’8 small forward chose the Cornhuskers over offers from Iowa, Illinois, Northwestern, and others. https://t.co/t0aFp6vtL0 pic.twitter.com/rB20Aokmgi
"If you even told me I had one offer, I wouldn’t believe you at that time," the newest Nebraska basketball player told the Register earlier this year. "But I think it shows just how much I really love basketball and stuff like that. I just got into the gym. I want to say that I worked really hard, but it’s not really work when you love it."
Rice, a 6-foot-8 wing, was the third leading scorer on a high school team that made an appearance in the Class 4A state title game last season. He averaged 12.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 37.8% from deep as a junior.
While Rice had been thought to be a Huskers lean for a little while now, it was still a close fight for NU against Illinois and Iowa.
Colin Rice is now the first commitment from the 2026 class for the Nebraska basketball team. His pledge put the Huskers at No. 9 in the country according to Rivals for the moment.