The Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Miami Hurricanes share some animosity historically. They’ve both been vying in the upper echelons of College Football for a generation and their fates have been thoroughly intertwined. Across 3 decades, the 80s, 90s and 00s, the two went head-to-head for the national championship four times, winning 2 a piece. Nebraska even won its first-ever bowl game against Miami. There’s some palpable tension between the two programs and fan bases, but it’s been dormant for a while. Until now. The Huskers and the Canes haven’t faced off in a decade, but they’re currently involved in a bit of a pseudo-cold war on the recruitment front. Mario Cristobal’s program fired first, facilitated by the transfer portal. Matt Rhule and co. are now retaliating through the high school scene.
Bluebloods Nebraska’s yearning for getting back into Natty conversations currently sees them bestow their faith on QB Dylan Raiola. He’s the pièce de résistance in Matt Rhule’s team, for good or for bad. But whatever your opinion of Raiola and his progression since stepping onto the collegiate level, every quarterback needs a complementary run game. Coach Rhule recognized this and tried adding to his backfield via the portal. He identified an FCS champion, and NDSU transfer running back CharMar Brown. He projected as the ideal piece to both accentuate the offense as a collective as well as alleviate pressure off Raiola as he enters his 2nd year in Lincoln. However, Matt Rhule has just become a firsthand witness to why Mario Cristobal has earned the moniker of recruiting wizard.
Coach Cristobal and Miami have swooped in and brought CharMar Brown over to Coral Gables. It’s been merely a week since the tailback was in Lincoln visiting the Huskers. But alas, the freshman is instead taking his 1,181 yards on the ground, 15 trips to the endzone and Jerry Rice Award to southern Florida. It’s not like Matt Rhule has a dearth of talent in his RB room. But Brown would’ve added some experience and some vim to supercharge his unit. That said, it’s still 1-0 to the Canes. But the Huskers are plotting their get-back. If they manage to pull off what they’re trying to cook up, it wouldn’t merely be an equalizer. It’ll put them 2-1 in front in this proverbial battle.
Simultaneous to the CharMar Brown sweepstakes, Matt Rhule has also been eyeing up a new Blackshirt to add to Nebraska’s storied lineage of linebackers. That would be class of ‘26 4-star Jordan Campbell. Campbell had been on campus in February and also just visited over the weekend. The Huskers also also expected to land an OV in June. Things are trending in the right direction here, but here is one caveat. One sticking point. Jordan Campbell is already committed to an in-state school, and has been since 2023. Who might that be? No prizes for guessing- Of course, it’s the U! Mario Cristobal and his Canes have had the 6’2 LB locked up for a minute. But his eye is wavering, and it’s wavering towards Lincoln. There’s some fresh intel in this recruitment.
Nebraska continues to impress Miami 4-star LB commit Jordan Campbell, he tells @SWiltfong_
“The visit to Nebraska was awesome.”
Read: https://t.co/uoF8NIstqQ pic.twitter.com/Oniw5UhExA
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) April 27, 2025
Nebraska insider Wilson Dittman took to his namesake YouTube channel to delve into what Jordan Campbell brings to the table. As well as where the Big Red sit in terms of his recruitment. Dittman referred to Campbell as Nebraska’s “No.1 linebacker target” and is quietly confident that Matt Rhule will indeed pull off this flip from Miami. “[Jordan Campbell] has shown a lot of interest in Nebraska,” said Dittman. “We know in modern-day college football, if you’re committed, it doesn’t really mean anything until you actually sign.” He proceeded to drop a bombshell. “I like where Nebraska stands a lot. Really, really like where we stand. I think he will be a Nebraska Cornhusker when it’s all said and done. Don’t quote me on that, but I think he will be,” resounded Dittman. Seems like revenge for CharMar Brown will indeed be reciprocated.
Matt Rhule shall be landing a stud if he pulls off this heist of Jordan Campbell
Alongside this bit of intel, Wilson Dittman also leveraged his thoughts on Jordan Campbell as a player. He explicitly compared him to Nebraska alum and Tampa Bay Buccaneers great Lavonte David. Now, it may be premature to pit Campbell against a Super Bowl champ and a 3x All-Pro selection. But it’s not hyperbolic.
Jordan Campbell primarily plays as an outside linebacker. However, this is somebody synonymous with versatility. In his time at Miami Carol City High School, which makes a potential flip even more alarming, he has played across all levels of defense. He can and has lined up at EDGE, in his preferred LB role or even as a safety. Heck, Campbell has even played some running back. Talk about utility. His freakish athleticism will really serve Matt Rhule and his Huskers well.
Jordan Campbell, during his junior year, put up 70 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 6 sacks. And as aforementioned, he played a variety of positions. Which means these already gaudy numbers aren’t even a true reflection of what he can conjure as a dedicated linebacker. A top-100 recruit nationally per On3, Campbell is destined for some very good years ahead. Whether they’ll come about with Coach Rhule or with Coach Cristobal remains to be seen. But there’s no smoke without fire, and WIlson Dittman’s confidence does bode well for the former.
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