The Nebraska football team has had a heck of a run recruiting-wise over the last few years, and in order to do that, it’s gone outside the state more often than not. The state of Nebraska has long been one of those places where teams have to be pretty selective about the players they decide to go after.
The Huskers have also been one of those schools that have managed to lock down the state fairly well when it comes to prospects they want. Some might point to guys like Jett Thomala who signed with Alabama, but the Cornhuskers didn’t even see fit to make him an offer.
Having said all of that, there have been some big recruiting misses for the Nebraska football team over the years. These players are the biggest misses for in-state talent.
In-state recruiting misses that Nebraska football regrets not getting
Noah Fant
Tight end Noah Fant was the top player in the state of Nebraska in the 2016 class. The Huskers did pursue the Omaha South prospect at the time, but they ultimately lost out to the Iowa Hawkeyes. From 2016-2018, Fant collected 78 receptions for 1,082 yards and 19 touchdowns. Those 19 career TD receptions are the most ever by an Iowa tight end.
He was selected in the 2019 NFL Draft and has forged quite an impressive NFL career, first with the Denver Broncos, then the Seattle Seahawks, and finally the Cincinnati Bengals. Noah Fant is definitely one of those guys who could have put together a heck of a career for Nebraska.
Xavier Watts
Easily one of the biggest recruiting misses among Nebraska high school players ever, Watts also counts in this category because while he was very good at Omaha Burke, he turned into an All-American once Notre Dame realized he was better as a safety than a wide receiver.
Sure, one could also claim that Nebraska couldn’t have known what he would turn into, but the talent was locked in there. Not only was he a very good safety with the Fighting Irish, but he was one of the best to ever play the position, especially as a ball hawk. In his final year of college, he won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, was a unanimous All-American, and racked up 13 interceptions. An unheard-of number from his position. Now he’s bound to be one of the best safeties in the NFL.
Ernest Hausmann
Linebacker Ernest Hausmann is an interesting story because the Huskers did originally land him. He even played a year for Nebraska; however, they lost him when the Columbus High player transferred to Michigan after a fantastic true freshman season in which he racked up 54 tackles and 2 sacks.
Hausmann’s career ended in a weird way for Michigan, but he first made it clear that Nebraska had lost a great defender. The linebacker took part in Michigan's 2023 national championship run, appearing in all 15 games. He finished 3rd on the team in tackles and earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week in the Big Ten title game win over Iowa (8 tackles). In his senior year, the most recent massive in-state recruiting loss for Nebraska, he made the Third-Team All-Big Ten, earned four Defensive Player of the Week honors, and was a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year.
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