Nebraska Cornhuskers Loses 4-Star Prospect in Ultimate Decision

Nebraska Cornhuskers lost a commitment from Carlon Jones late Tuesday afternoon. The 4-star prospect out of Texas took to X to announce his recruitment reopening, as he reconsiders his options.

In the unpredictable world of the transfer portal and NIL, any player is a potential phone call or text away from changing their mind, and switching to another program. Just last year, Husker fans received a scare, when Malachi Coleman, similarly reopened his recruitment, only to go on and have an impactful freshman year in Lincoln.

This year the circumstances are a little different, and considering the latest news, does not really come as a surprise from the highly coveted defensive talent.

Any time a high recruit thinks of coming to a program like Nebraska that has been struggling, it is for one of two reasons. Either play time to showcase their skills, or the program is on the verge of a turnaround.

Seniors  Ty Robinson has already committed to returning for a surprising additional year, and all indications show that Nash Hutmacher will do the same. These would be two players that would have to go down with an injury in order for Jones to play significant snaps as a Freshman. Seeing that their veteran playmaking experience would give them the nod, at this point it makes sense to see how his playing time or exposure would be in a different situation before making an official announcement.

Nebraska Cornhuskers  battle with other schools

While Jones is taking time to reevaluate his offers, one major Big Ten school appears to be, at least at the forefront, of a legitimate landing spot for the talented defensive tackle.

Ohio State will receive a visit early December and is looking like the next most possible choice for Jones at this moment.

Nebraska Cornhuskers relationship with Carlon Jones

Matt Rhule has stated in the past that he is not worried about the new era of recruiting in college sports. Stating multiple times that if someone wants to play for him they will, and of they would like to see other options, that they will help in any way that they can.

It is important to note, early in June on an official visit, he mentioned how close he felt with the coaching staff, and the impression they made on him.

Coach Rhule is also a great coach. I like that he hired a coaching staff of a lot of guys he’s actually coached. There’s no coach like him. He cares about his players and I know it’s a great fit for me.”

At the time he was even trying to bring other Texas recruits with him to Lincoln.

I see a lot of Texas schools getting worried because a lot of us Texas boys are committing to Nebraska. Texas schools were worried when I told them I was looking at Nebraska. They said they wanted to keep me in Texas. Guess what, a lot more of the Texas boys are getting out of Texas and headed to Nebraska.

Nebraska Cornhuskers chances Carlon Jones re-recommits

In a battle for the coveted defensive talent, Nebraska is competing, most notably with Ohio State, among other schools, for the services of Jones in 2024. But what are the realistic chances that he ends up coming to Lincoln after exploring other possibilities?

With signing day approaching and a spring window available to him, a decision may not come immediately. This coaching staff has laid the groundwork in recruiting, and going after top-notch talent while forming strong and genuine relationships.

Focusing on in-person camps and visits, this personalized attention and focus allows the staff to understand the best player’s needs and what they are looking for. In an age where cookie-cutter formats and generalized solutions are prevalent, recruits really appreciate being singled out and already being treated as part of the Husker family.

While all schools claim to look for the best interest of the athlete and seek to develop relationships with their players, with Matt Rhule, it’s about going that extra mile, putting in a little more effort, and making sure that the relevant position coaches are also a part of the recruiting process.

With the new approach the recruiting under Matt Rhule and the relationships he has formed with players, it is possible that his most recent announcement will become forgotten history.