Recruiting battle for Carter Nelson intensifies after Nebraska commit visits Notre Dame

June 29, 2024

LINCOLN, Neb. — From the category of beliefs long held by football coaches but rarely discussed in public or the media, Matt Rhule said Monday that recruiting prospects fall into two tiers.

“Some guys,” Rhule said, “we’ll battle for until the end, until signing day.”

And there are others, as the seasons progress and roster numbers come into focus, with whom Nebraska will part ways if the recruits opt to look around at other programs after committing to the Huskers.

Carter Nelson, a four-star tight end from Ainsworth, Neb., who committed to Nebraska in June and headlines the school’s 2024 class, fits firmly into the first category. So on Friday afternoon, Rhule flew to north central Nebraska in time to attend a homecoming pep rally at Ainsworth High School. He sat in the top row of the bleachers and mingled with picture- and autograph-seeking fans for 30 minutes after the event.

Caught off guard by the near-freezing temperatures, Rhule visited Ranch-Land Western Store on North Main Street in the town of 1,600 to buy a heavy coat and a hat. Rhule and Nebraska tight ends coach Josh Martin stuck around into the second half to watch Ainsworth, unbeaten in the state’s second-smallest class, beat Boyd County 40-0 to finish the regular season.

All of this came after Rhule heard from Nelson earlier in the week that he had planned an unofficial visit to Notre Dame on Saturday to watch the Irish play USC.

Notre Dame has continued to pursue the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Nelson after his pledge to Nebraska nearly four months ago. The Irish sent a recruiter last month to watch the star of the eight-man game play in Elgin, Neb. The Huskers’ actions indicate they believe Nelson is worth all of the effort.

“We’re not backing down from anybody in recruiting,” Rhule said without mentioning Nelson or Notre Dame by name.

Carter Nelson is the top player in Nebraska’s 2024 class per the 247Sports Composite. (Mitch Sherman / The Athletic)

With prospects in the top tier, as categorized by Nebraska, Rhule said, he’s OK if they want to visit other schools.

“I’ve said, ‘Have a good time,'” Rhule said. “If it goes further than (a visit), then I have to make decisions.”

Rhule wants recruits to do their diligence.

“Because when they come here,” he said, “I want them locked in. I want them here for the long haul. And I want them here for the right reasons.”

He never gets upset about the need to work hard in recruiting.

“I only want people to come here if they really want to be here,” Rhule said, “because I know what we’re going to demand of them. But I also know what we’re going to pour into them. And so I want people to come here eyes wide open.”

Nelson and his family appreciated Rhule’s effort and his attitude about the visit to Notre Dame. Nelson played well in front of the Nebraska coaches Friday. He’s ranked as the No. 60 prospect nationally and the fifth-best tight end, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

The trip also went well, said Jake Nelson, Carter’s dad who coaches him in track and assists in football. Notre Dame beat USC 48-20 to hand the Trojans and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams their first loss of the season.

“Awesome atmosphere, fun game,” Jake Nelson said, “one of those that we’re definitely glad we went to because that could be the only time we see the USC-Notre Dame game in person.”

Of course, it might lead to something more substantial. Nelson’s father said Carter declined to engage with Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and offensive coordinator Gerad Parker about a potential flip to the Irish, although they did visit briefly Sunday in South Bend.

“They’ve let us know the whole time that they are still really interested in him,” Jake Nelson said. “We’ve told them we’re not going to be looking at anything like that right now. Our concentration is on winning a state championship.

“So that’s 100 percent where Carter’s focus is at.”

Nelson took official visits in June to Nebraska, Notre Dame, Georgia and Penn State.

Ainsworth opens the Class D-2 playoffs at home Thursday against Kenesaw. The championship game is set for Nov. 20 at Memorial Stadium. Football’s early signing period begins exactly one month later.

Nelson remains committed to Nebraska. He plans to attend the Northwestern-Nebraska game Saturday in Lincoln with teammates from Ainsworth while his parents watch Carter’s sister, Kaitlyn, play volleyball on Parents Night at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Neb.

While in South Bend, the Nelsons spent time with Notre Dame commit Teddy Rezac, a safety out of Omaha Westside, and Teddy’s twin brother, Anthony, who has been offered a walk-on spot at quarterback by the Irish. All of them enjoyed cheering Saturday for Notre Dame senior safety Xavier Watts, an Omaha Burke graduate who twice intercepted Williams, forced a fumble and scored on a fumble return in the second half.

“Every time he made a play,” Jake Nelson said, “we were cheering, ‘Represent the 402.'”

Through eight games at Ainsworth this year, Nelson is 51-for-80 passing for 595 yards and eight touchdowns. He has rushed for 1,014 yards, averaging more than 10 yards per carry, and caught 24 passes for 431 yards.

Defensively, Nelson has made 54 tackles. He also averages 45.7 yards per punt.

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Rhule also visited Omaha on Thursday during Nebraska’s bye week to see Papillion-LaVista and tight end commit Eric Ingwerson play Omaha Creighton Prep. And the coach made a trip to Logan, Iowa, on Friday to see the school of offensive line target Grant Brix before Rhule flew to Ainsworth.

Before last week, Rhule hadn’t spent much time since the summer out among fans. He said he and his coaches were well-received during the bye week.

“People are unbelievable to us,” Rhule said. “People seem to be grateful that we’re working hard to get the program back on track. You feel that everywhere.”

Rhule said he was glad that the Huskers beat Illinois to even their record at 3-3 before he went on the road to recruit. “But even if we hadn’t (won), it always goes back to me talking about … how much people care and how much we want to do a good job for them.”

That said, a distinction exists for his players between enjoying the fans and thinking like them.

Too much of a focus on the “big picture” has contributed to sinking Nebraska football late in the season during the past few years, Rhule said. The Huskers have posted records after midseason of 1-5 or 0-6 in four of the past six seasons.

“It’s abysmal,” Rhule said of the second-half trends.

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Fans and the media often get caught up in evaluating coaches or pitting the offense against the defense, Rhule said. He’s intent to keep that talk out of the locker room.

“All that other stuff, that’s why we haven’t been to a bowl game,” Rhule said. “If I start talking about bowl games, I’m part of the problem.

“I love Husker fans, let me say that. I’m talking about the team. The only reason we have the opportunities we have is because there’s so much care about the program. I just have to make sure our players don’t act like fans, that they act like the guys that are going to go out and play.”

Beyond keeping their focus on the next game, Rhule said he wants the Huskers to maintain the edge they’ve shown after their past two losses. Defeats against Colorado and Michigan angered Rhule, he said. He’s not looking to be happy this week just because the Huskers won their most recent game.

Can Nebraska play well after a win, with an extra week to think about it? Can the Huskers embrace adversity better than they showed early in the season?

“We’re going to find out about myself as a head coach and our coaches and our players and our staff,” Rhule said. “Can we have that same focus this week? We better.”

(Top photo: Michael Allio / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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