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Fact or Fiction: Nebraska could have a hot start to 2026 recruiting

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Fact or Fiction: Nebraska could have a hot start to 2026 recruiting


1. Michigan is the clear favorite for Andrew Babalola.

Andrew Babalola

Henschke: FICTION. Michigan may very well land Andrew Babalola but to say that he has a “clear” favorite might be a stretch at this point. I think the battle between the Wolverines and Stanford is too close to call at the moment but one that could end up being in Michigan’s favor. Credit to Babalola, he’s keeping this one close with a veil of mystery in a day and age where information is readily available.

Smith: FICTION. This has become one of the toughest recruitments to handicap in the region. It makes all the sense in the world that Michigan would be a clear favorite. The program tradition, having a former offensive line coach as head coach and academics are a powerful mix.

However, Stanford and Missouri should not be counted out. The Cardinal offer a tremendous life after football. Missouri has things rolling right now with coach Eli Drinkwitz. I give the Wolverines the edge now but it’s not a commanding lead.

*****

2. Nebraska can set the tone for 2026 defensive recruiting this weekend.

Matt Rhule

© Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Verghese: FACT. Nebraska’s upcoming visit weekend might not result in any imminent commitments, however it should set the table for what could be down the line for the Huskers in 2026. Top defensive targets such as four-star athlete Brandon Arrington, a defensive back on Nebraska’s board, four-star linebacker Keenan Harris, four-star safety Jayden McGregory and three-star defensive end Hunter Higgins are expected in town. This weekend will serve as an opportunity for the Huskers to establish themselves as top contenders in each recruitment. Regional targets JJ Dunnigan, Landon Bland and Jase Reynolds are high on the staff’s boards and while their offer list doesn’t match some other targets, there’s significant upside with all three that the staff hopes to tap into.

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This is a big weekend for Matt Rhule and the Huskers as a whole, but it’s a good opportunity for Tony White, Rob Dvoracek and new defensive backs coach John Butler to give Nebraska a head start in 2026.

Smith: FACT. Nebraska’s 2026 defensive visit list this weekend is sneakily very intriguing. The headliners are four-star outside linebacker Keenan Harris and four-star defensive back Jayden McGregory. Both are terrific athletes that would fit well into defensive coordinator Tony White’s scheme.

But there are others coming to campus who should have Nebraska fans excited. Kansas native Hunter Higgins is a potential riser as a DE/OLB. Nebraska also has a few athletic defensive backs to watch coming to campus too. Having a good showing with those defenders could go a long way for the future of the Blackshirts.

*****

3. Notre Dame is the out-of-state team to beat for Tai’Yion King.

Tai’Yon King

Hansen: FACT. But put that in pencil for now. The true indicator will be whether Tai’Yion King makes it back for an Irish home game this fall, something he indicated was a strong possibility after Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, linebackers coach Max Bullough and defensive coordinator Al Golden made a strong impression during an April 20 visit for the Blue-Gold Game.

Tennessee, which King is set to visit on Thursday, will be the only other out-of-state program the Texan has visited, but his offer list is growing.

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The Irish, however, are recruiting the position at a very high level and will play at least one freshman and two sophomores prominently in their positional rotation this fall. If they can reel in four-star prospects Madden Faraimo and Nathanial Owusu-Boateng in the 2025 class, it will give them six top-100 prospects at the position over a four-cycle stretch – the same number they signed in the previous 20 classes combined.

Smith: FICTION. In-state programs Texas and Texas A&M will certainly have a lot to say about this recruitment. But the four-star inside linebacker will have good options outside of the state, too. He’s been in good contact with the Notre Dame staff for a long time now so it is definitely one of the teams to watch. However, Tennessee could make a move for the Port Arthur (Texas) Memorial standout.

The Vols will get a chance to host him soon and have a huge opportunity in front of them.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Rivals.com, the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.

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Big Ten Report – Nebraska takes first place from Michigan, is 16-0

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Big Ten Report – Nebraska takes first place from Michigan, is 16-0


It was a very exciting and high-scoring Saturday in Big Ten basketball. Michigan’s flaws finally caught up to the Wolverines. Their loss to Wisconsin became a source of hope for everyone else in the Big Ten. Nebraska keeps rolling, and the Huskers now look like the top team in the conference, with star Lamar Wilkerson going off in yet another game.

Here are the scores and the rest of my analysis from Saturday night in Big Ten basketball:

No. 10 Nebraska 83-77 vs Indiana

Jamarques Lawrence and Lamar Wilkerson battled in a shootout as both players had career nights. Indiana has been hot this season, almost as hot as Nebraska. Ultimately, the Cornhuskers proved to be battle-tested once more, and Lawrence led the Cornhuskers to overcome a 16-point deficit to secure a big victory. The Cornhuskers continue to be one of the best stories in college basketball, as their win streak moves to 5 in a row in the Big Ten. They are 16-0 overall.

Wisconsin 91-88 vs No. 2 Michigan

Down goes Goliath. Just like I said in one of the last Big Ten reports, no game is a layup. Michigan almost lost its last game to Penn State. Every team the Wolverines face will give them their best, and all they have to do is upset them. The Badgers did exactly that. Nick Boyd and John Blackwell both had 20-point showings and looked like stars. The Badgers entered the second half down 14 points, and just like last game for the Wolverines, another lead was lost. Michigan missed 8 of their last 9 shots, to end the game, which was one of the biggest reasons for the loss of the lead. The Wolverines were not on their game, and for the first time this season, and it cost them big time.

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No. 5 Purdue 93-85 vs Penn State

Braden Smith puts together a complete game, flashing his scoring ability and his elite decision-making. The Boilermakers took care of business and handled Penn State exactly like Michigan should have. Penn State’s hot three-point shooting start kept them in this game, but it was the Boilermakers’ insane crowd, insane defense, and stars stepping up that propelled them to an 8-point win.

UCLA 67-55 vs Maryland

Another day, another game where the Terps get outmatched. The Bruins were coming off two losses heading into this game, and they got the exact bounce-back game they needed. While the Bruins were amazing defensively, the Terps still dominated the glass. That makes for trouble for the Bruins against the competent Big Ten teams. Had the Terps been able to buy a bucket, they fairly well could have stolen this game. Instead, the Terps move to 0-5 in the Big Ten. The Terps can’t catch a break early in this season, while the Bruins get the exact break they needed to move forward.

Overview

Michigan does not learn from its last game, and they suffer their first loss of the season. The Badgers get a huge scoring outburst from their two guards, as another guard, Braden Smith, is dominant in an impressive win by Purdue over Penn State. As the Big Ten is continuing to ramp up the dominant newcomer, the Nebraska Cornhuskers are now the leader of the sole undefeated team in the conference.

What’s next

Illinois and Iowa highlight the day with a big-time matchup to start the Sunday slate. Big implications in this game, and whoever wins can really consider themselves a legitimate Big Ten contender. Northwestern and Rutgers will match up after that one, and both teams could desperately use a win to get back on track and build some type of momentum. The final game will be Ohio State and Washington squaring off. The Buckeyes will look to build some consistency before their matchup against Michigan. Bruce Thornton getting hot again would definitely help with that.



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Nebraska Football Offers In-State Legacy Offensive Lineman

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Nebraska Football Offers In-State Legacy Offensive Lineman


New Husker offensive line coach Geep Wade has stayed busy in his first few weeks on the recruiting trail for Nebraska football.

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Nebraska extended a scholarship offer Saturday to in-state offensive lineman Barrett Kitrell. The 6-foot-4, 270-pound Class of 2027 interior lineman from Ashland confirmed the offer on social media. Iowa offered him earlier in the week, and he has other Division I offers from South Dakota State, Kansas and Iowa State.

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Kitrell has visited a number of schools through his junior season, stopping at South Dakota State, Wyoming, Iowa State, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska.

Kitrell has family ties to Nebraska football across two generations. His father, Barry, was a fullback for the Huskers from 1984-88. His brother Bo was a Husker fullback and tight end 2014 to 2018.

In addition, Barrett’s brother Blake was a Tulsa wide receiver, while brothers Brett and Bryce played at Ohio, having been recruited by Frank Solich.

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Barrett Kitrell is a three-sport athlete for Ashland-Greenwood, competing in football, basketball, and track and field for the Bluejays. He has seen varsity action in all three seasons of his football career, playing in 33 games. The Bluejays have won a playoff game each of the past three seasons, advancing to the Class C1 semifinals this past year.

Kitrell becomes the third offensive line prospect offered by Wade and the Huskers this week, joining Grinnell, Iowa, prospect Will Slagle and 2028 prospect Wyatt VanBoening from Mundelein, Illinois. VanBoening also is the son of a former Husker, Simon VanBoening, a linebacker on the Huskers’ 1997 roster.

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Nebraska offensive line coach Geep Wade | Nebraska Athletics

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The Huskers are aiming for a massive overhaul of their offensive line, starting with replacing Donovan Raiola as the position coach. Wade, who came to Nebraska from Georgia Tech, has been retooling his line in early 2026 with transfer portal additions, bringing in Iowa State’s Brendan Black and South Carolina’s Tree Babalade. Nebraska has seen three linemen choose to exit via the portal: Brian Tapu, Houston Kaahaaina-Torres and Jason Maciejczak.

Kitrell could add athleticism to the offensive line, as he finished second in the Class B discus as a sophomore with a personal-best throw of 172’2 while finishing fourth in the shot put. Kitrell averaged four points and four rebounds per game for the Ashland-Greenwood basketball program as the Bluejays claimed the Class C1 championship in 2025.

Kitrell becomes the 16th interior offensive line offer for Nebraska’s 2027 class. The class is headlined by four-star quarterback Trae Taylor and in-state rising stars Tory Pittman III and Matt Erickson.


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IU dominated but then ‘it was just turnovers’ to blow 16-point lead vs Nebraska

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IU dominated but then ‘it was just turnovers’ to blow 16-point lead vs Nebraska


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  • Indiana men’s basketball lost to Nebraska 83-77 after leading by as many as 16 points.
  • Coach Darian DeVries cited a bad stretch, including key fouls on Tucker DeVries and turnovers, as the turning point.
  • The Hoosiers have three more opportunities for a Quad 1 win in their upcoming games.

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana men’s basketball coach Darian DeVries thought his team played well for about 28 minutes Saturday afternoon.

In those 28 minutes, IU built up as much as a 16-point lead against undefeated Nebraska. The Hoosiers went on a 12-2 run to end the first half, then extended that lead early in the second half.

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Then, the defense started crumbling. Tucker DeVries picked up two fouls in the course of 21 seconds, forcing him to the bench. The Hoosiers started turning the ball over.

And Indiana’s upset bid fell apart, as the Hoosiers dropped an 83-77 decision to the Cornhuskers (16-0, 5-0 Big Ten).

“It’s disappointing, for sure,” Darian DeVries said. “We played well for a good 25, 27, 28 minutes, whatever, and then just had a bad stretch in there, and the game flipped. That’s why the turnovers are a big piece of that. We had, (a 16-point lead) and Tucker picked up his third and fourth foul on back-to-back possessions. Then they went on a 10-0 run right after that. That was a big turning point in the game, I thought, when he picked those two up.”

It seemed like the coaching staff (and fans) didn’t agree with those fouls, either.

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Tucker DeVries’ third foul came as he fell on the ground while trying to defend Berke Buyuktuncel’s shot. Buyuktuncel continued to attempt a shot after the fall, and he got tangled in DeVries’ legs, falling himself, and officials called a foul on DeVries. Both Tucker and Darian DeVries, along with the crowd of 13,000 fans, didn’t agree with that foul.

Tucker DeVries’ fourth foul, which forced him to the bench for eight minutes, came just 21 seconds after his third. On the Hoosiers’ next offensive possession, DeVries attempted to shoulder his defender to get more space, and got called for the offensive foul and the turnover.

Indiana (12-4, 3-2) turned the ball over on four of its next five possessions, Darian DeVries said, and Nebraska capitalized for a 12-2 run to tie the game.

“I just think we didn’t have the type of possessions we needed after (Tucker DeVries) went out again, and most of them, it was just turnovers,” Darian DeVries said. “We didn’t get shots at the goal. I thought there might’ve been one or two in there where I think Lamar (Wilkerson) drove it hard and tried going through contact, and we didn’t get one there, but outside of that, we just didn’t get very good possessions. Our movement wasn’t as good.”

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After Nebraska went on that run, all the momentum shifted to the Cornhuskers. In ways, the Hoosiers couldn’t get out of their own head, and the mistakes kept coming.

“We’ve talked to them a lot about that next play mentality,” Darian DeVries said. “Win that next play, and not compound mistakes. I thought tonight, again, for a stretch there was a period where we let one mistake turn into two. Then, instead of digging in and really making sure we get a quality possession the next time, we compounded it with another turnover. It led to back-to-back-to-back. All of a sudden your lead is gone, and momentum is real. It shifted pretty quickly there.”

This game, especially taking into account the 16-point lead Indiana once had, was a crucial opportunity for the Hoosiers to get their first Quad 1 win of the season.

But the Hoosiers, sitting at No. 30 in the NET rankings, still have three straight Quad 1 opportunities coming up in two road tilts at Michigan State and Michigan and a home game against Iowa in the next two weeks.

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Those games, much like Nebraska, will be tall tasks. But, DeVries said, if the Hoosiers can execute for a full game like they did in those 28 minutes on Saturday, they’ll have a chance at them.

“When they’re executing the way that they did the first 25 minutes, it looks really good,” DeVries said. “And they’re doing a great job, and they’re defending and getting movement and things.”

Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.



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