Nebraska football expecting more than a dozen early enrollees

The Nebraska football team is likely done with its 2024 recruiting class. Thanks to Dylan Raiola, Carter Nelson and a ton of talent up and down the class, the Huskers finished in the Top 25. Now it’s time to focus on the next step.

That next step is getting the kids who signed earlier this month into the Nebraska football program and getting trained up as quickly as possible. It’s about getting as many kids as possible to Lincoln in January. 

It’s about having as many as possible for spring practice, and the spring game and getting Nebraska football to take the next step and actually get to a bowl in 2024. Speaking about that right after signing day, it appears that Huskers head coach Matt Rhule is optimistic what “as many as they can” means.

"I think we'll have like 14, 15, 16 guys coming in mid-year," Rhule said in an interview with Greg Sharpe. "Those guys get a jump. They get a jump academically. They get a jump athletically. My goal for all these guys is to not just leave with a degree but leave with two degrees if possible."

At the same time, Rhule said that every Nebraska football signee has to make the decision for themselves. Some kids might decide that coming to Lincoln in January isn’t right for them. There’s all kinds of reasons why they might wait until the summer.

Nebraska football looking forward to early enrollees 

Rhule appears to be very careful about not casting aspersions to those who signed who want to wait.

"If they want to run track,” he said in the same interview. “iIf they want to play on their high school basketball team, if they're not ready for college, then absolutely stay in high school and finish it."

If 16 kids enroll early, that’s just over half of the 29 high school signees. That’s likely one reason Rhule is being careful in not looking like he disapproves of anyone who waits until June.

Still, both quarterbacks are expected in January. Highly touted offensive lineman Grant Brix will be as well. That was a decision he made in the last month.

"It's great when it's right for you. You saw that with Cam Lenhardt and Princewill (Umanmielen) and those guys last year," Rhule added. "To get this many guys in mid-year is awesome. Helps us as we grow our team and replenish the guys that we lost.