Analyzing impact as Nebraska lands in-state, two-way star Caleb Benning
It's a night of celebration for Matt Rhule and Nebraska football: Omaha Westside three-star ATH Caleb Benning is staying home.
Benning announced his commitment to Rhule and the Huskers publicly on Friday night. The two-way in-state standout is the seventh Nebraskan in the 2024 class. Benning held double-digit scholarship offers including Minnesota, Iowa and Duke.
What Benning means for the class
Landing Benning is another example of Rhule following through on his initial promise to keep the best players from the state home to play college football. By landing the best two-way player in the state, Rhule and company showed they can gain the trust of another respected and coveted player.
Benning's pledge gives the Huskers 16 in-state commitments thus far for Rhule and his staff. They signed eight Nebraskans in the 2023 class and now have eight commitments in the 2024 cycle following tight end Eric Ingwerson's flip from Pitt last month and Benning's decision on Friday.
Those 16 combined in-state commitments in the 2023 and 2024 classes nearly equals the number of in-state commitments (16) in the previous five cycles combined (2018-22 classes).
What Benning gives Nebraska on the field
Simply put, Benning is a tremendous football player. He is a true athlete that impacts the game on the high school level in all three phases. He’s a good wide receiver, stars on special teams and is a terrific defensive prospect at safety.
He fits in perfectly in defensive coordinator Tony White’s 3-3-5 defense. Benning would be the perfect fit in the role that Omar Brown currently occupies on the defense. His high football IQ also makes him a potential future leader on the defense.
Here's more on the impact of Benning's commitment from Inside Nebraska's Greg Smith and Steve Marik:
How Benning commitment impacts the recruiting rankings
The Huskers, who now have 27 commitments in the 2024 class, are in the top 25 in the national recruiting rankings at No. 25 overall and rank No. 5 in the Big Ten. Nebraska (1759 overall points) trails Wisconsin (1986 points) and leads Purdue (1684 points) in the conference rankings.
Nebraska finished No. 25 overall and No. 4 in the Big Ten with 28 signees in the 2023 class.
INSIDER'S BOARD: Discuss the major commitment of Caleb Benning
