Nebraska needs to land big commits from the 2026 class now. The Huskers have yet to make a jump to the top recruiting groups, despite being very busy with a large number of targets. In fact, Matt Rhule and Co. wrapped up a major recruiting weekend in June, which was a huge month for Nebraska from a recruiting perspective. Targets from that event are committing to Nebraska one by one. Rhule is once again in talks with a major defensive prospect from the class. He finally has an edge over the other programs vying for him.
Nebraska saw a slew of targets commit to the program in late June. 6 prospects of the 2026 class have pledged to the Huskers in the past 10 days. One particular target whom Rhule might be very close to landing at Lincoln is 4-star DL Valdin Sone. The prospect already included Nebraska in his top favorites, and also paid Lincoln a visit on June 13. But the 6-3.5, 380 lbs DL is also hotly pursued by Georgia, Florida, and Auburn. Wilson Dittman, however, thinks that Kirby Smart and Co. might fall out of the race for Sone. And subsequently, the other competitors also have a chance of being ruled out from the DL’s list.
Dittman said in the July 1 episode of his show, “I honestly think George is completely out of this process. They just don’t have room for Valdin Sone. They already took six defensive linemen and they’re not going to take seven… Florida, they’re about to get their third defensive line commit. I don’t know if they have room either. And then you have Auburn, which Nebraska – they’ve already beat out Auburn multiple times in this recruiting process for multiple prospects. So again, things are looking a lot better for Valdin Sone.” Georgia has now surged up the class, taking the No. 2 spot. On3 predicts a 92.1% chance of the DL going to Florida.
Great time in Lincoln, NB! THE BIG TICKET @Sone_Valdin52 with @CoachMattRhule @CoachEJbarthel @HuskerFootball #GBR pic.twitter.com/ZWJ4E6WxM7
— Brandon Collier (@BCollierPPI) April 23, 2025
But Nebraska is still in consideration for Sone. “The longer he waits, the more that plays in our favor. That’s exactly what’s happened here,” Dittman said. “So I think he’s going to wait till the fall. It’s going to be wide open, and we might see some teams like Ohio State, Michigan starting to push, some brand new schools. But Nebraska, they’ve been recruiting the longest and that’s going to play in their favor,” he added. Sone was described by Sports Illustrated as a “must-have” target for Rhule’s 2026 class. Georgia has been pursuing him since 2024, but it sure does have a crowded DL unit.
There are many interesting tidbits to know about the DL. He was born in Sweden and moved to America later on. And, it hasn’t been long since Sone started playing gridiron football. And, he used to play as an offensive lineman before finding success on the defensive side. Sone is also trained in Jiu-jitsu and Taekwondo. Despite his newness to the field, Sone is ranked as the No. 14 DL in the class by On3, and the No. 3 prospect in Virginia. If he does commit to Nebraska, it’d be a huge win for Matt Rhule, who is now on an upward trend in recruiting from the 2026 class.
Matt Rhule scores two huge recruiting wins
Rhule recently scored the commitments of OT target Claude Mpouma, who is rated as the Huskers’ top commit in the 2026 class. And his pledge can have an effect on Nebraska’s campaign for Sone. Like the DL, Mpouma was a key target for Florida as well. But Rhule won this fight. If he can take away one key target from Billy Napier, who’s to say he can’t with another? Mpouma lacks game reps, but he has the potential and physical tools to shake up the offensive line if he ends up signing with the Huskers.
The other major recruiting win for Nebraska came in the form of Nalin Scott, whom Rhule managed to flip from Arizona State. The Raiola family once again proved crucial for Nebraska. Dayton Raiola, the Huskers’ earliest commit of the 2026 class, was crucial in swinging Scott over to Lincoln. “Dayton played a major role. I would also say my family ended up getting close with Dayton and Dylan Raiola too. Me and Dayton have a good relationship since the first time I visited Nebraska,” the WR told Husker Online. The 4-star receiver comes with 29 receptions, 541 yards, and 2 TDs.
Nebraska’s 2026 class is not yet there, but it is surely on track to improve its position. Matt Rhule has had an extremely busy June, trying to win commitments from a myriad of prospects. He won two major ones and many more recently. Can that trend continue with Valdin Sone and his Nebraska link?
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