Nebraska football dominated Bowling Green on Saturday 56-7 with more than 30 recruits watching from the stands.
Here’s what top commits and targets in attendance had to say about their experience in Memorial Stadium on a Saturday night that featured a well-rounded performance from the Huskers, a sold-out stadium and an extravagant show to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.
2027 Lee’s Summit (Mo.) North three-star linebacker Caleb Green camped at Nebraska in June, earned an offer from the Huskers and returned a week later for an official visit. That resulted in the 6-foot-1, 215-pound defender flipping his commitment from Missouri, where he is a legacy, to the Huskers. Green returned to Lincoln Saturday for his first game in Memorial Stadium since committing.
“It was a great win,” he said. “The atmosphere was great as usual, just feels like I’m back at home. Linebackers played fast and physical; I was impressed.”
2027 Shakopee (Minn.) four-star defensive lineman Nehemiah Ombati committed to Nebraska over the likes of Missouri and Michigan State over the summer. Ombati had yet to see a game in Memorial Stadium until Saturday. He spent the day with several fellow commits, including the aforementioned Green, five-star quarterback commit Trae Taylor, four-star wide receiver commit Khalil Taylor, three-star offensive tackle commit Matt Erickson and three-star wide receiver commit Justyn Lindsay.
Ombati described his first game in Memorial Stadium as “phenomenal.” He’s heard a lot about the atmosphere and energy on Saturday nights in Memorial Stadium; experiencing it in person was a different feeling for the 6-foot-2, 275-pound front defender. He’s firm in his commitment to the program.
2028 Greenwood (Ark.) four-star offensive lineman Jaxen Cepeda landed an offer from Nebraska in July and made his first trip to Lincoln on Saturday. Cepeda has seen growing SEC attention as of late but the Huskers have given him something to think about.
“It’s been great so far,” he said. “The facility tour was awesome. The facilities are honestly amazing. Meeting Coach [Matt] Rhule, Coach Geep [Wade], and the rest of the recruiting staff and getting to go out on the field with the team for warmups were definitely highlights. They were so hospitable, I really appreciate that. The game was a good one too, and the atmosphere was energetic. It was really cool getting to experience a Nebraska game in person. Definitely glad I made the trip.”
2028 Owing Mills (Md.) McDonogh School three-star defensive lineman RJ Cruz III is a priority target for defensive line coach Corey Brown and made his first trip to Nebraska this weekend. His first game day in Memorial Stadium didn’t disappoint.
“It was awesome to watch Nebraska dominate and have fun out there,” he said. “I had a blast at Nebraska. Meeting with DL Coach [Corey] Brown and getting to talk to him for a while was really cool. I enjoyed the fan base and the city of Lincoln a lot as well.”
2028 Melville (N.Y.) St. Anthony’s three-star offensive lineman Justin Joseph made his first trip to Nebraska in June, which saw the Huskers emerge as frontrunners in his recruitment. His second visit might have been even better.
“Nebraska showed dominance across the board,” he said. “Guys on the offense, defense, and special teams were making plays. The experience was one of a kind, the fans showed out and the energy was there all night.”
2028 Cannon Falls (Minn.) EDGE Harrison Sjoquist stands 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, and picked up his first offer this summer from North Dakota. Minnesota, Iowa State, South Dakota, South Dakota State and Nebraska are among programs monitoring. Sjoquist made his way down to Nebraska for the first time on Saturday.
“Atmosphere here in Lincoln is electric,” he said. “Fans here are unreal, they’re loud and locked in the whole game. Nebraska blew out Bowling Green and the place was rocking the entire time. Great experience overall.”
2028 Iowa City (Ia.) Regina running back Gabriel Hegelheimer made the drive from the Hawkeye State into Lincoln to see the Huskers roll Bowling Green. A number of Power Four programs in the region are keeping tabs on the 5-foot-11, 205-pounder. Nebraska’s performance impressed, but it was his time around the people in the program that moved the needle.
“My visit experience today was absolutely amazing; extremely welcoming and kind people all around the program with tons of insight,” he said. “Seeing the game-day environment and fans truly showed me how dedicated the community is to Husker football before the game had even started. The game itself was an incredible atmosphere; me and my family were all shocked at the passion showed by the team and its fans. Nebraska handled business and showed why they have the potential to be a top team this year, Overall, one of the best visits I have taken so far, hands down.”
2028 Sergeant Bluff-Luton (Ia.) cornerback Justin Ehlers stands 6-foot, 190 pounds, and has regional programs like Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State and Minnesota, among others, closely monitoring his development. His first experience in Memorial Stadium left an impression and has him considering tweaking his future visit plans to potentially get back to Lincoln for another game later this season.
“Had a fantastic time, coaching staff was very welcoming,” he said. “Had a great conversation with Coach [Addison] Williams. Atmosphere and fans were electric. Possibly coming back this fall, overall great visit.”
2028 Monticello (Minn.) linebacker Johnny Moore has an early offer from South Dakota and has in-state Minnesota monitoring, among many others. Nebraska got the 6-foot, 210-pounder to campus on Saturday and it’s unlikely to be his last visit.
“The visit experience was amazing,” he said. “The overall atmosphere was great and there was so much to it. The win was great; I think they have a great coaching staff that has helped them be able to get wins like that, and also amazing players. I can’t wait to be back there sometime soon.
2029 Chesapeake (Va.) Indian River quarterback Lord Malik Heru camped at Nebraska over the summer and landed an offer from the program back in June. While the sophomore already holds 25 offers to date, Nebraska is emerging as a contender he’s going to keep under serious consideration moving forward.
“The visit was incredible,” he said. “Nebraska’s fan base is truly unreal. The support and passion surrounding the program are on another level, and selling out every home game says everything about the atmosphere. The facilities were top-notch as well. I’d definitely love to come back and experience it all again.”
2029 Wheaton (Ill.) St. Francis defensive tackle AJ Redmon III made his first trip to Nebraska on Saturday. The 6-foot-3, 325-pounder loved his first game day experience in Memorial Stadium, and the Huskers are keeping a close eye on Redmon’s sophomore season.
“The experience was great,” he said. “I loved the atmosphere, the tradition, and everything about the school.”
2029 Byron (Ill.) tight end/athlete Brooks Auker is a rising prospect Nebraska and in-state Illinois are monitoring closely. The versatile 6-foot-4, 210-pound athlete could play tight end or defensive end at the next level. He enjoyed his first game-day experience in Memorial Stadium.
“It went great,” he said. “I really loved the experience and the relationships through the visit. Amazing campus and stadium, and the atmosphere was the best part.”
2029 Ray (N.D.) four-star athlete Ty Barman made his first trip to Nebraska on Saturday. Barman debuted as a top-20 prospect in the 2029 cycle per Rivals, and the Huskers are firmly on his radar and vice versa. The Huskers have yet to offer, but Barman enjoyed his time on campus nonetheless.
“Thought Nebraska looked dominant all night,” he said. “The atmosphere was so cool. It was nuts.”
