Matt Rhule has gotten off to a slow start in the 2026 recruiting class. Yet, even with just 12 commits locked down for next year, he and his Nebraska staff are already turning some of their attention to 2027 and four-star edge rusher KJ Green.
The Stone Mountain, Georgia native is planning a visit to Lincoln this fall as his recruitment picks up. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound rising junior is a top 100 player in the class according to 247Sports Composite Rankings and considered one of the best edge rusher recruits in the country.
Communication between Nebraska and top-ten 2027 EDGE KJ Green has picked up as of late and he's eying his first trip to Lincoln
— Tim Verghese (@TimVerghese) August 15, 2025
We touch on the latest with Green, and plenty other targets, in this week's Recruiting Tim-Bits
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KJ Green set for fall official visit to Lincoln
Generally, Nebraska has recruited like a top 20 program under Rhule, and that’s far from a given for a program that hadn’t played in a bowl game since 2016 before last season. However, the 2026 cycle has taken a significant downturn. With its 12 commits, it ranks 72nd in the country.
It’s almost a guarantee that with the money Nebraska has to spend and the buy-in Rhule has generated, it won’t end anywhere near that low. Still, until the commits roll in, it’s worth monitoring. Any concern, though, should be alleviated by how well Rhule has started in the 2027 cycle.
So far, Nebraska has two 2027 commits, four-star quarterback Trae Taylor, likely the ultimate heir-apparent to Dylan Raiola, and five-star athlete Tory Pittman III. Pittman is the top safety in the country, the No. 1 player in the state of Nebraska, and a massive get for Rhule when he announced his commitment earlier this month.
If Nebraska can find a way to add Green to that group, the Cornhuskers could be angling, not just for a top 20 class, but for a group that could land itself in the top 20.
Green has continued to add offers from powerhouse programs throughout the spring, and even took a few unofficial visits in the SEC. He won’t be easy to pry out of SEC country, but the introduction of revenue-sharing has largely leveled the playing field from a financial standpoint, so the Huskers at least won’t be priced out of the competition.
Positionally, edge rusher is a top priority for Rhule, even multiple years out. The Huskers lost Princewill Umanmielen to Ole Miss in the Transfer Portal this offseason, along with defensive coordinator Tony White, who took the job at Florida State, so Rhule will likely be asking Raiola and Dana Holgorsen to win quite a few shootouts this season, and maybe even next.