Three & Out: top LB target Christian Jones sets three OVs, Nebraska still playing catch-up in recruiting, and the Huskers must feel good about their board headed into June

Three & Out is Nebraska On3’s feature in which recruiting analyst Bryan Munson gives his weekly takes on topical issues concerning Nebraska football and recruiting.

In this week’s Three & Out, Omaha Westside linebacker Christian Jones sets three official visits, a new offer to a 2026 quarterback, and the Huskers have to still feel good about their board heard into the month of June. Here is your Three & Out:

Christian Jones sets three official visits: the good and the bad

The big news this week has been that Omaha (Neb.) Westside linebacker Christian Jones, arguably the top player in Nebraska, has set three official visits. Jones plans to return to USC on the first weekend of June, followed by a trip to Nebraska on June 14th, and will wrap up with another visit to Oklahoma on the 21st.

Omaha (Neb.) Westside LB Christian Jones (@CJones428) has set three OVs for June. Per Jones, this is not a list of the top three schools or the final three. These are just the first three OVs that he has scheduled. pic.twitter.com/85jrMiLHFI

— Bryan Munson (@BryanMunson_) May 28, 2024

There are reasons to feel both confident or concerned when it comes to this announcement. Let’s break it down:

Confident:

Nebraska is going to get a chance to host Jones again. The Huskers hosted Jones 10 times leading up to the official visit (that we know about), and the OV will make it 11 times that he has visited Nebraska. The Huskers have to feel good about getting to host Jones three times in two months. They also had a number of the coaching staff at Omaha Westside see Jones earlier this spring.

The Huskers have not limited anything with Jones. I think it’s safer to say that he’s an inside linebacker and could play outside linebacker if he wants to become a Blackshirt. Jones has several ties to players on the Nebraska roster, and it seems that Notre Dame may no longer be part of the picture.

Concerned:

The Huskers won’t get the last official visit in June from Jones. We all know how significant that last official visit has been when it comes to Nebraska, working both for and against them when it comes to recruiting. Additionally, the last official visit weekend in Nebraska on the 21st will have all other in-state recruits there, committed and uncommitted, which would have a more family feel.

But even if Nebraska had the last official visit, the three OVs that Jones announced this week aren’t the only three schools he will take OVs to. It sounded to me that Jones would be open to taking more visits in the fall and doesn’t feel pressured to announce a commitment in late June or July. Jones is going to take the three visits in June. Don’t be surprised if a mid-week visit or two gets scheduled, and don’t be surprised when Jones still isn’t committed by mid-July.

The bottom line is that Nebraska needs to keep working on Jones through June to get him back to Lincoln numerous times. Get him back during the week. Give him a private day to come to Lincoln, hang out with the Nebraska staff, and ensure he feels the love from the Huskers.

Some items of note: Oklahoma already has one linebacker commitment, and several other linebackers are scheduled to visit Norman in June officially (Jones is one of four linebacker recruits visiting Oklahoma on June 21st).

Similarly, USC has one linebacker commitment already, and several are lined up for official visits in June. Jones is one of six linebackers who will visit USC on June 7th. USC also has an official visit with linebacker Landon McComber from Bishop Gorman, who visited Nebraska, coming in on June 21st.

Junior Season Highlightshttps://t.co/HsNPfQQTnP

548 yards
20 receptions
9 Rec. Td
2 Def. Td
69 tackles
14 TFL
2 FF
5 PBK
1 Pick-six
State Champs Back to Back pic.twitter.com/X5dhC42lyp

— Christian Jones (@CJones428) December 7, 2023

New offer to a 2026 QB and Nebraska is still playing catch-up

Three & Out has been a convenient place to discuss new offers, particularly new offers to quarterbacks. Over the last several weeks, we have discussed 2026 quarterback offers and the board. This past week, another new offer was extended to a 2026 quarterback, adding another layer to the overall board.

But before we do, can we just take a moment to reflect on how timely TJ Lateef‘s commitment to Nebraska was? On the offer list, there are ten quarterbacks listed. All ten are now committed to a school. The last one to toggle from uncommitted to committed status is Madden Iamaleava, who committed to UCLA on Saturday.

In the larger picture for 2025 quarterbacks, there is just one player in the top 20 quarterbacks in the country who remains uncommitted (No. 11 quarterback – Antwann Hill). In the top 25, just two are uncommitted (add No. 21 quarterback – Malik Washington). The next 15, to round out the top 40, are all committed to a school. So, only two out of 40 are uncommitted.

Why am I mixing and switching topics? There is a reason: with all of the moving to the left of the recruiting process, the quarterback is the first position that would logically be impacted first. We all know the game of musical chairs amongst signal callers has happened first among all of the positions.

38 of the top 40 quarterbacks in the 2025 class are committed. And when the attention can swing from one class to the next, it will. And it’s already starting. Georgia already has their 2026 quarterback commitment. Two of the top 20 quarterbacks in the 2026 class are already committed. Noah Grubbs, a 2026 quarterback that Nebraska recently offered, just got a “Fong-Bomb” prediction to commit to Notre Dame.

It’s not even June, and Nebraska is already on the clock for a 2026 quarterback. And we are just weeks from Nebraska getting their quarterback in the 2025 class! Some of that is because of timing, and coach Glenn Thomas got to Nebraska in January. That is understandable, but they went from being behind to trying to keep up with the new offers and still “being behind.”

The latest 2026 quarterback offer was extended to Semaj Beals. Beals, a 6-foot-0 and 165-pound three-star quarterback from Philadelphia (Pa.) Roman Catholic has thrown for 2,424 yards over the past two seasons with a 60% completion percentage. He threw 24 touchdowns and just three interceptions. I will have an update tonight with his quotes about the Nebraska offer.

The Huskers still have to feel very good headed into June

The Memorial Day weekend allowed me to sit back and look at the visitor lists and the new offers and see if anything stood out. My biggest thought about looking at the visitor list and the relatively light number of offers to 2025 players that have been extended recently indicates that Nebraska likes where they are right now.

What Up Lincoln!! @HuskerFootball pic.twitter.com/eBP9Se0m5M

— Jayden ”JayLoft” Loftin 4 (@jay24FB) May 24, 2024

There have been a couple of new offers to defensive linemen/Edge type players like Jayden Loftin and Malcolm Simpson. Loftin already announced that he plans to visit Nebraska in June, and Simpson was in Kansas this weekend to play Nike EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball League). He is still considering setting up an official visit to Nebraska.

Those two new offers address the weakest part of where Nebraska stands in the 2025 class with its board. The Huskers hosted Nicolas Clayton during Mother’s Day weekend for an official visit, but Florida State offered Clayton before he even got home to Florida from his official visit. Purdue and USC followed over the next two days. He has since scheduled OVs to Wisconsin and Illinois as well.

However, other than the Edge spot in the class, where Nebraska needs to find a difference-maker, things look good for Nebraska. Only one visitor was supposed to visit Nebraska but won’t be making it in because they committed elsewhere early, Jack Lange. With his decision, Lange pulled the trigger early and hurt Nebraska’s board at the tackle spot.

There is only one player who has taken an OV to Nebraska who has announced his college decision: TJ Lateef to Nebraska. Ten other recruits have taken their OV to Nebraska and remain uncommitted. What’s more, when you read a report like the one from Michael Terry III, where he said Nebraska would be his decision today because they were his only OV, it just tells you how much the visit is still resonating with him and with the other recruits who have also officially visited Nebraska already.

June is going to be fun and intense. The Huskers were active on the road with offers in Texas following their satellite camps. Additionally, Matt Rhule and his staff made offers to players like Donovan Jones and Quinn Clark last summer following strong summer camp performances. We already know of several in-state or area recruits in Lincoln for camp from last week’s Three & Out, which could lead to several recruits picking up offers.

I see two things about Nebraska’s current recruiting position: the lack of new offers and prime evaluating time coming up with summer camps. They apparently feel good about their board and have added a recruit like Lateef, who is trying to get some other recruits to join him in the class. It also doesn’t hurt to have Dylan Raiola involved in recruiting like he has been.

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