The message has been similar from the past several Nebraska football head coaches. When they’ve talked of how they want to build the roster, they’ve said they want to start from within the borders and prioritize the 500-mile radius.
The results from those coaches varied, but none have backed it up like Matt Rhule. Under the current leadership, Nebraska has signed 16 in-state players in the last two recruiting cycles with an additional eight from bordering states.
They’ve targeted national recruits in their backyard and they’ve also uncovered under-the-radar players at camps. The latter is how they ended up discovering Cedar Falls (Iowa) High School lineman Jake Peters .
College football can be a game of measurables, so the 6-foot-3, 260-pound Peters spent much of his recruitment being slow-played by Power Five programs. Regional schools like Iowa, Kansas State and Iowa State had been in consistent contact for months, but his smaller frame caused them to essentially wait-list him.