Last-Chance Pitch: Hooking Four-Star Pass-Catcher Khalil Taylor
Nebraska sees its recruiting fortunes hinge on a final weekend visit from four-star wide receiver Khalil Taylor, the No. 13 prospect in the 2027 class. After missing out on other top targets, the Huskers reshuffled their schedule to host Taylor the weekend of June 19. A Pennsylvania native, he’s narrowed his finalists to Georgia, Ohio State, Syracuse, Nebraska, Penn State and Colorado, and has sampled official visits to three schools already. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, Taylor posted 33 catches for 571 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, then bolstered his stock in 7-on-7 competition. His existing chemistry with Husker quarterback commit Trae Taylor offers Nebraska a built-in storyline—two Taylors joining forces in Lincoln. If Nebraska can reel him in, he would become the highest-rated receiver in their 2027 haul and a morale-boosting win after recent de-commitments.
Meanwhile, Husker fans are frantically rebranding the Devaney Sports Center as “The Magical Realm of Instant Fame,” because nothing says “we desperately need catches” like staging a living pep rally around one teenage wideout. Coaches are reportedly installing fog machines in the locker room to create that “mysterious down-to-the-wire commitment vibe,” and rumor has it they’ve hired a marching band to follow Taylor’s bus to Lincoln—just in case he needs a halftime show demonstration before pledging. If all else fails, Nebraska will offer free cornhuskers—popcorn snacks shaped like cornstalks—because who can resist crunching on state pride?
Midwest Magic: Rautenberg Keeps the Huskers Close to Home
Shayla Rautenberg, the 6-foot-3 multifaceted athlete from Milford High, announced her verbal commitment to Nebraska volleyball after visits to Louisville and Texas camps. A legacy recruit—her mother was a three-time Husker All-American—Rautenberg helped Milford secure state titles in volleyball and basketball this year, plus qualified for the 1600-meter relay in track. She averaged 5.6 kills, hit .366, and contributed 108 blocks on the court, and put up 18.2 points, 14.5 rebounds and four blocks per contest on the hardwood. Ranked as high as No. 3 overall in volleyball’s 2028 class, she becomes the first pledge of Nebraska’s 2028 cycle and reinforces the program’s “keep it local” strategy.
It turns out the toughest recruit to convince was the girl who lives literally down the road—so Nebraska coaches spent an entire afternoon debating whether to dispatch a scooter courier for her commitment letter. After all, why risk missing out on a blue-chip recruit when you can just drive 25 miles and wave at her mom’s house? The Huskers even considered installing a loyalty punch card at Milford High: get three home-state commits and earn a free tour of the hot dog stand outside Devaney Center. Talk about going the extra six-mile lap to show you care!
South Dakota Dynamo: Josalyn Samuels Joins the Setter Legacy
Nebraska secured its second 2028 pledge by landing 6-foot-2 setter Josalyn Samuels from Harrisburg, South Dakota—the same club that produced three-time Big Ten Setter of the Year Bergen Reilly. Samuels, a PrepDig top-4 prospect and PrepVolleyball top-6 setter in her class, averaged 10.4 assists per match, leading Harrisburg to its fourth straight state title and a national No. 9 ranking. Over three varsity seasons, she piled up 2,974 assists, 491 digs and 246 kills, earning MaxPreps freshman and sophomore national honors. Her track record (97–2 over three years) and coach’s prophecy of Olympic glory make her the sky-is-the-limit recruit everyone’s watching.
The Huskers have clearly decided to combat their setter shortage by raiding South Dakota like it’s the last bucket of popcorn at a movie marathon. Rumor has it coaches are offering future Olympian clauses in her scholarship contract, complete with free airplane upgrades in case she jets off to Tokyo—or anywhere they actually keep score. Samuels will fit right in with Nebraska’s tradition of producing setters whose only ceiling is the one they smash through after their fifth consecutive state title. Now if they can just find a libero who isn’t from outer space…
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