Matt Rhule quietly building exciting recruiting class in first full cycle with Nebraska Cornhuskers

The 2024 recruiting cycle is Matt Rhule's first with the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

He still has to prove that he can turn around the Huskers on the field and his first chance at that is coming up in a few months. In the meantime, though, Nebraska's continued success in the Rhule era will come down to whether or not he can build a program — and so far so good on that front.

Rhule and the Huskers just received their 18th commitment of the 2024 class in the form of 3-star running back Kewan Lacy. Notably, Lacy is from Lancaster, Texas, so it has to be good for the Husker faithful to see Rhule being able to recruit back to his roots in the heart of Texas.

“What stood out the most about Nebraska was the people for sure,” Lacy told On3 regarding his decision. “They love football down there and the coaches I connect with on a deeper level outside of football. It’s like family over there and it’s a NFL system there. Half the coaches have been in the NFL to coach and that’s somewhere I would like to be."

Ranked as the No. 43 running back in the 2024 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, Lacy's commitment has pushed Nebraska's class into the Top 20 of the overall recruiting rankings. In fact, Rhule now boasts the No. 16 ranked recruiting class in college football.

That ranking can and will change because this cycle is still certainly in its infancy, but Rhule seems to be building a solid base for his program both now and for the future. He and his staff are also obviously connecting to recruits, which will pay off in a big way on the recruiting trail.

“I feel like everyone there is gonna give me their all and make me into the person I want to be," Lacy said.