Being a 5-star Nebraska football commit out of the Omaha area won't help you avoid some harsh words, if analysts believe you're not playing as well as you should.
Tory Pittman III is hearing that elite traits are no longer enough for Nebraska football
On3's Tim Verghese demonstrated that no one is about criticism, not even Tory Pittman III, as he heads into his senior high school season. The Huskers' 5-star safety commit is also considered the top recruit in the state, the No. 3 safety in the country, and the No. 54 prospect overall in the 2027 class by Rivals. And yet, the insider thinks Pittman needs to show a little more in 2026.
"We've seen a ton of like, traits and flashes from Pittman, and if you're just athletically, if you're just looking for, you know, ball of clay to work with, there are a few others in this '27 cycle that have the clay to work with that Pittman does," Verghese told Hurrdat Sports on Friday about the top ranked recruit in Nebraska's class.
“Tory [Pittman III] is still a Top-50 prospect in the country. I know what that’s supposed to look like, and you need to be making a lot more plays.” - @TimVerghese ⁰⁰Five-star Millard North safety and Nebraska commit, Tory Pittman III, has all the talent but just needs to put… pic.twitter.com/ISAmSZ633s
— Hurrdat Sports (@HurrdatSports) May 1, 2026
"I've been around at this point a good bit. I've seen a number of these top 50 – like, Tory's still a top 50 prospect in the country. I know what that's supposed to look like. And you need to be making a lot more plays if you're a top 50 player, regardless of position, a top five player at your position," Verghese continued "There's a level of dominance. And it doesn't really matter level of competition. Again, I've seen this at 6A level in high school in Texas. I've seen it at the 2A level in Texas. I've seen it, you know, in Kansas, in Missouri, at like different levels."
The analyst went on to say he's even seen dominant performances from other Omaha-area athletes and hinted that Pittman really hasn't shown that kind of dominance, despite clearly having a ton of talent and being a very good football player.
Nebraska football will watch Tory Pittman III under a much brighter spotlight this fall
There might be an extra level of worry tacked onto a Nebraska kid like Pittman because Matt Rhule has failed to even offer several in-state kids who turned around and got a mountain of attention from other Power 4 programs and had more dominant seasons along the way.
There's an added degree of difficulty for Tory Pittman III because he transferred from Omaha Central to Millard North this winter. That means the defensive back will be playing with new teammates in a new system for his final high school season.
Clearly, Pittman has the talent to handle all that. However, the crown jewel of Nebraska's recruiting class will be under an even brighter spotlight come the fall.
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