Things haven't quite gone as hoped for the Nebraska football team and its recruiting targets so far in July. This weekend, the Huskers suffered yet another loss, one that wasn't a total shock but still disheartening in Calvin Thomas.
When Thomas committed to North Carolina on Saturday, it was the latest recruiting loss on a player that, at one point, was considered a heavy Husker lean. It's especially frustrating that Matt Rhule lost out to what has become one of the biggest circuses in college football in Bill Belichick's program.
Thomas is the No. 26 overall linebacker in the 2026 class and the No. 45 overall player in his class from the state of Texas, according to the On3 recruiting rankings. The linebacker visited the Nebraska football program most recently on June 13 for an official visit. After that visit, it was thought he would pull the trigger for the Huskers when he did commit. Last week, things started to shift, and now it's official.
Nebraska football suffers recruiting blow as 4-star LB Calvin Thomas picks North Carolina
BREAKING: Four-Star ATH Jacob Eberhart has Committed to Illinois, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 12, 2025
The 6’3 210 ATH from Saint Louis, MO chose the Fighting Illini over Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska, & Alabama
He’s ranked as the No. 8 ATH in ‘26 (per Rivals)https://t.co/ZdeRYxI4Oz pic.twitter.com/QJxgsd3UQ0
The good news here is that while the talented player is currently bound for the ACC, there's no guarantee that will remain the case come December. It's unlikely Rhule will just shrug his shoulders and move on.
On the other hand, it's the third recruiting loss in the last couple of weeks for a Nebraska program that looked like it was about to go on a hot streak when the month kicked off. Thomas was also the second player on Saturday who was considered a Cornhuskers target who named another school.
Jacob Eberhart announced for Illinois right about the same time that Thomas was picking North Carolina.
When looking back at the possible commitments in July that had the best chance to join the Nebraska 2026 class, only two of the six committed to NU.
Rhule and his staff always have a Plan B to turn to. The panic button shouldn't be pressed just yet. However, an expected hot streak for the Nebraska football program never materialized, and that is at least a concern, considering where the 2026 class is sitting.