Nebraska football a rising star in top defensive end contender list

The Nebraska football team is officially one of the final candidates for one of the best defensive ends in the 2025 class. The rush end, which shows that the Huskers are having success recruiting the state of Texas, picked Matt Rhule and company among his final six teams.

Michael Riles, a promising player, has been ranked by Rivals as the 153rd-best player nationally, the 26th-best player in the state of Texas, and an impressive 10th-best player in his position.

On3 ranks Riles as the 251st-best player nationally, the 27th-best player in Texas, and the 40th-best player in his position.

247Sports ranks Riles as the 216th-best player nationally, the 24th-best player in Texas, and the 32nd-best player in his position.

In other words, making the rush end's Top 6 is a nice first step on the road to a commitment for the Nebraska football program. However, that road is still a long one, considering who the Huskers are competing against for his pledge.

The road to Nebraska football recruiting success

In addition to Nebraska, Riles named Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Florida, UCF, and Texas Tech. That's an interesting Top 6. The team that is missing is straight-up eye-raising. The Huskers have to be breathing a little easier knowing they don't need to beat out the Texas Longhorns—at least for now.

The Houston Cougars are also not on the final list. That both teams were left off the list is interesting if only because On3's RPM favored Riles to commit to the Cougars, with a 35.8 percent likelihood. The Longhorns were the second most likely, with a 31.3 percent chance.

And yet, neither school appears to be finalists.

Certainly, the Nebraska football team standing tall amongst the programs that are left is a heck of an accomplishment. The next step down that road is getting Riles to take an official visit to Lincoln. It's a safe bet Rhule is working hard to get that deal done.