The last time Nebraska rolled out in the all-black uniforms, the game didn’t go the way they hoped. That isn’t stopping the Huskers from trying another blackout at Memorial Stadium this season. The program announced Saturday morning that “Darkness Returns” will take place on Halloween against the Washington Huskies. The Huskers obviously want to win the game on the field, but the Blackout weekends tend to be big recruiting events as well.
This year, the Cornhuskers planned plenty of big visitors for the October 31 weekend even before the Blackout announcement. Now that the game against the Huskies will carry a little extra importance, guys like Penn State commit Deonte Flemings will have the kitchen sink thrown at them.
Despite his early pledge to the in-state Nittany Lions, Flemings is keeping his options very much open. He’s planning several visits this fall in addition to Nebraska, and the Huskers will need to fight off the likes of Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Texas A&M in addition to the Nittany Lions.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound 4-star cornerback from McDowell High School (Erie, PA) pulled the trigger for Penn State on January 31, but at this point, he is one of the more obvious flip targets out there for many of the biggest programs in the country. Flemings is ranked as the No. 104 player in the 2028 class, the No. 9 player at his cornerback position and the No. 3 player in the state of Pennsylvania according to Rivals Industry Rankings.
Darkness Returns. pic.twitter.com/bjhTQRzOIj
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) August 15, 2026
Deonte Flemings headlines huge Nebraska football Blackout recruiting weekend
The defender showed that he’s got all the talent needed to be a big-time player in the Big Ten. In his sophomore season, he tallied 50 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 5 pass breakups.
Flemings is hardly the only prospect planning a visit to Lincoln for Halloween. He’s not even the only prospect from Pennsylvania. Seton DeLaSalle 3-star cornerback Kia Jones Jr. landed an offer from the Huskers in July and almost immediately lined up a visit on what is now the Blackout night.
Nebraska has a bit of an in with the talented defensive back, as he’s a former teammate of 2027 wide receiver commit Khalil Taylor. The two are said to be still very close, and it certainly wouldn’t be surprising if Taylor were there to peer recruit Jones Jr.
Taylor won’t be the only Husker commit in attendance for the game against Washington. Quarterback Trae Taylor, wide receiver Tay Ellis, Tory Pittman III, Matt Erickson, Errol Demontagnac III and Barrett Kitrell are all expected to attend as well. They’ll be working hard to lure in Jones and Flemings along with other 2028 targets Zylen Little, Owen Price and Noel Washington.
It’s worth pointing out that last year’s Nebraska Blackout game was when wide receiver Tay Ellis pulled the trigger on his commitment. It’s a safe bet he’ll point that out as he tries to get the uncommitted prospects and Deonte Flemings to realize why the Cornhuskers are the best decision they can make for their college playing days.
The game time for the Nebraska vs Washington game hasn't been officially announced but it certainly seems as if the Huskers believe they have a chance of getting this on Halloween night rather than during the day.
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