While the Nebraska football team is focusing hard on showing that Year 4 of the Matt Rhule era is the one where the Huskers will really turn the corner, the coaching staff certainly isn't ignoring building for the future. The latest sign that the Huskers are making good progress in building for next year and the years beyond is the impression they've made on NFL legacy running back prospect Noel Washington.
Noel, the son of former Florida State star Leon Washington, who played nine years in the NFL across four teams and was named to the All-Pro First Team in 2008 as a kick returner with the New York Jets and again to the Second Team in 2010 with the Seattle Seahawks. That's made the running back a big target for one of NU's newest Big Ten rivals.
While the Huskies have been the loudest pursuer, for now, it appears Nebraska is one of the frontrunners for his services. With California no longer being outside of the Big Ten's stomping grounds, it looks like there are plenty of B1G schools that would love to land the rusher's services.
Through his first two years at Notre Dame High School in Southern California, Washington has showcased all of the traits of a ball carrier who can be a featured piece of a college offense. As a sophomore, he tallied 782 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground and added 9 catches for 74 yards and a score.
Nebraska football making strong push for NFL legacy running back Noel Washington
On film, Washington shows that he has great top-end speed in the open field and the extra gear needed to break away from defenders. That's something that Nebraska has been missing in quite a few of its running backs in the last few years. The 4-star prospect also has an impressive jump cut that allows him to create running lanes for himself. That last part should sound very familiar to the 2025 Huskers squad and Emmett Johnson, who managed to parlay that ability into an NFL Draft pick.
The younger Washington also shows a natural feel for the position that comes from having learned the position from an early age, as not only did his father tally 3,557 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns in his career, but his stepfather is former UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster. His stint as a coach might have been short-lived, but he was also one of the best running backs of the modern era to play for the Bruins.
Washington is still a rising prospect as he's ranked as the No. 338 player in the 2028 class, the No. 21 player at his running back position, and the No. 25 player in the state of California, according to Rivals Industry Rankings.
As of now, in addition to Nebraska, Washington has offers from Arizona, California, Colorado State, Kansas, Penn State, Sacramento State, San Diego State, UCLA, and Washington.
While this fight will go on much longer, the Huskers feel they're in a good spot for the running game and will get him to a gameday visit this fall.
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