Nebraska football: Which early signing day recruit will make the biggest impact?

One of the most interesting things about Matt Rhule’s second class with the Nebraska football team is the star power. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the class has a ton of 5-star players, as it turns out it only has one.

However, even if there aren’t a ton of blue-chip prospects, the Huskers managed to haul in a ton of players that were on a ton of teams’ radar. Seemingly more than any other year, it felt as though the Nebraska football team did battle with SEC, ACC and Big 12 programs for their commits.

The good news is that the Cornhuskers won more fights than they lost. They managed to land the best class they’ve had in years and the 19th-best class in the country. They beat out Big Ten schools like Wisconsin, Iowa and Washington (still weird to call the Huskies a Big Ten school.)

They came close to even beating out USC. The Huskers did all out of that with a class that has a lot of talent up and down the list. However, there are some players that stand to make a bigger impact in 2024 than others.

It feels like there are a couple that stand out from the pack as far as getting a chance to play right away and not just play every now and then, but play enough to get real notice. We’ll take a look of those at the top of the list.

The first name on this list is the biggest of no-brainers. Raiola was the top quarterback in the 2024 class according to 247Sports and the second best player in the class. He was once committed to Ohio State, then Georgia and then just a few days before Early Signing Day, he committed to the Nebraska football team.

He’s the best player the Huskers have signed since the modern era of recruiting coverage. Without a veteran transfer quarterback in the fold like Kyle McCord or Chubba Purdy, it seems extremely likely that Raiola has the inside track at being the opening-day starter.

It’s also worth noting that Matt Rhule has made no bones about the fact that the Nebraska football offense is going to look different next year. It feels like he and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield are confident they can make those changes because of Raiola.

There are players in this class that have more stars, even on the defensive side of the ball for the Nebraska football team. However, Caleb Benning had intangibles and talent that could translate to a ton of playing time as a true freshman and beyond.

Benning was ranked as the 6th best player in the state. When talking about Nebraska, that might make some people think that he’s just not that good but it’s important to note that while he was largely overlooked entering the 2023 high school season, he raised a lot of eyebrows this past fall.

Benning played for the powerhouse Omaha Westside and led a defense that allowed an average of just 3.5 points per game. The squad didn’t allow a point in its final three playoff games, including the title game it won by 40 points.

Benning is a multifaceted talent who also played quite a bit at wide receiver, notching 45 catches in his senior season. He’s also seen quite a bit of action as a kick and punt returner. Nebraska football head Matt Rhule has talked about how much he likes a mix-and-match roster. Benning fits that bill and could see the field in any number of different roles.

Yet another no-brainer on this list, but one of the reasons it’s worth pointing out again is because Carter Nelson will be an impact player for Nebraska football, it’s just not entirely clear how and where.

Rhule and company love what Nelson brings to the table, despite having spent his high school career playing 8-man football. Some might see that as a strike against Nelson, but the simple fact is that Cornhuskers coaches believe all that did is give him some serious versatility.

Nelson ran the ball, he caught the ball, and he even threw the ball with Ainsworth. And it seems like he’s going to be someone the Huskers look to use in several different spots. If he’s just a tight end, that still makes him the second best tight end in the entire 2024 class.

He was also the top player in the state. Coincidently, he’s the only player on this list that isn’t a legacy prospect. Rhule brought in a lot of them this year. But that doesn’t mean he won’t see the field.

He’ll even see the field if the Nebraska football has a talented tight end in Thomas Fidone who will be looking to keep his job. It would just appear the Huskers will have more than a few big, tough and athletic receivers not lining up wide that Dylan Raiola will be able to throw to in 2024.