Three Big-Time 2028 Receivers Coming to Lincoln

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The quality of the wide receivers expected in Lincoln makes this weekend particularly interesting. Nebraska isn’t simply bringing in developmental prospects to watch the North Dakota game. Three of the visitors are already established blue-chip national recruits in the 2028 class, with offer lists that show just how much competition the Huskers will face.

Malachi Lee — The Headliner

Malachi Lee might be the biggest prize of the group. The four-star receiver from Chantilly, Virginia, stands 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds and is ranked as the No. 48 overall prospect and No. 8 wide receiver nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking. Lee already has an impressive collection of offers, with Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, Maryland and Nebraska among the programs pursuing him.

Nebraska offered Lee after he competed at the Huskers’ Battle of the Boneyard 7-on-7 event in June, and getting him back to Lincoln for another visit is significant. Wide receivers coach Daikiel Shorts has been heavily involved in his recruitment, and Saturday gives Nebraska another chance to show Lee something that could become increasingly important as his recruitment develops — an offense where receivers are given opportunities to make plays.

Carter St. Junious — The Big Target

Then there is Carter St. Junious, another four-star prospect who brings a little more size to the group. The Manvel, Texas, standout is listed at 6-foot-3 and 183 pounds and currently checks in as the No. 138 overall prospect and No. 21 wide receiver in the 2028 Rivals Industry Ranking.

His recruitment has already taken off, with LSU, Oregon, Miami, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor, SMU, Houston, Kansas State and Nebraska among a lengthy list of programs to offer him.

St. Junious is particularly interesting when you consider what Nebraska could eventually have at quarterback. His 6-foot-3 frame gives him the potential to develop into the type of big outside target who can create problems downfield, and the possibility of catching passes from Trae Taylor gives the Huskers another major piece of their recruiting pitch.

Taylor will arrive with the 2027 class, one year before St. Junious and the rest of these 2028 receivers would potentially reach Lincoln. If Taylor develops according to his lofty recruiting ranking, Nebraska could have one of the country’s premier young quarterbacks waiting for this group when they arrive on campus.

Derrell Hines Jr. — Another Top-100 Weapon

The third member of this impressive trio is Derrell Hines Jr., a four-star receiver out of Carrollwood Day School in Tampa, Florida. At 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, Hines is currently ranked No. 98 overall and No. 16 among wide receivers in the Rivals Industry Ranking.

Like Lee and St. Junious, his offer sheet is already loaded. Florida, Auburn, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Oklahoma, Florida State, Texas A&M, Wisconsin and Nebraska are among the schools pursuing him.

Getting a player from Tampa to Lincoln is always going to require Nebraska to beat out programs much closer to home, particularly when Florida and other major southern programs are involved. That’s why getting Hines into Memorial Stadium for a night game is important. Nebraska gets the opportunity to show rather than tell.

Put the three together and the quality becomes obvious. Nebraska is hosting three four-star receivers, two of whom are currently ranked inside the national top 100, with Lee sitting inside the top 50. They range from the 6-foot-1 Hines to the 6-foot-3 St. Junious, giving Nebraska three different receiving profiles, but there is one common denominator — virtually every major program in the country is interested in them.

Nebraska Is Suddenly Fun on Offense

That’s where Nebraska’s current offensive trajectory becomes so important.

These recruits aren’t being asked simply to imagine what a receiver-friendly Nebraska offense might eventually look like. They can watch it for themselves.

Through two games, Nebraska is averaging 278.5 passing yards and 534.5 total yards per game, while putting 49 points on Ohio and another 56 on Bowling Green. Against the Falcons, Anthony Colandrea completed 20 of 24 passes for 222 yards and four touchdowns, with Jacory Barney Jr. and Kwazi Gilmer each catching two touchdown passes.

It wasn’t simply a case of Nebraska accumulating passing yards because it was chasing a game. The Huskers were attacking through the air while comfortably in control.

That’s an important distinction for recruits.

Wide receivers want opportunities, and Nebraska is beginning to demonstrate that its offense can provide them.

For Lee, St. Junious and Hines, that’s the immediate sales pitch.

Then There’s Trae Taylor

Perhaps Nebraska’s biggest long-term recruiting weapon isn’t even on the current roster.

It’s Trae Taylor.

Nebraska’s 2027 quarterback commit is one of the highest-rated players at his position in the country. The Rivals Industry Ranking currently has Taylor as the No. 14 overall prospect and No. 1 quarterback in the 2027 class.

That gives Nebraska something it hasn’t always had when recruiting elite receivers: a clear picture of who could be throwing them the football.

Taylor would arrive in Lincoln a year before the 2028 receiver class. If everything develops according to plan, Lee, St. Junious and Hines could potentially spend a significant portion of their college careers catching passes from one of the country’s premier quarterback prospects.

Elite quarterbacks attract elite receivers, and Taylor has already demonstrated his willingness to help recruit other high-level players to Lincoln.

Nebraska can therefore sell these receivers on two things simultaneously.

There is the offense they’re watching right now, and there is the quarterback who could be running it when they arrive.

Building a Receiver-Friendly Environment

There is another element working in Nebraska’s favor.

The Huskers aren’t simply throwing the football to one receiver.

Against Bowling Green, Barney and Gilmer both scored twice, while Nebraska continued attacking through the air even after building a commanding advantage. Backup quarterback TJ Lateef eventually entered and added another touchdown pass to Kwinten Ives.

That helps Nebraska sell an offensive system rather than a single player.

Colandrea won’t be in Lincoln forever. Neither will the current group of receivers. Recruits have to project forward and ask what the offense will look like two or three years down the road.

The early evidence from 2026 suggests Nebraska wants to be balanced, explosive and willing to push the football downfield.

Then Taylor is waiting in the wings as the potential future centerpiece.

For Lee, St. Junious and Hines, that’s a pretty attractive picture.

Another Chance Under the Lights

Saturday gives Nebraska another opportunity to combine its recruiting message with one of the program’s biggest assets: Memorial Stadium at night.

The Bowling Green game drew another huge recruiting contingent to Lincoln, with those visitors getting to watch Nebraska score 56 points in front of a sellout crowd.

Now the Huskers get to do it again.

North Dakota isn’t the biggest name Nebraska will face this season, but that almost isn’t the point from a recruiting perspective.

Lee, St. Junious, Hines and the other visitors aren’t simply coming to see the opponent.

They’re coming to see Nebraska.

They’re evaluating the atmosphere, coaching staff, facilities and relationships they’ve built during the recruiting process. But they’re also watching what happens between the white lines.

For the receivers in attendance, that means watching how often Nebraska throws the football, where the targets go, whether receivers are creating explosive plays and whether the offense looks like somewhere they could eventually showcase their talent.

Nebraska’s first two games have provided some encouraging answers.

The Huskers have an offense producing more than 500 yards per game. They have receivers finding the end zone. They have another night game at Memorial Stadium to put it all on display.

And perhaps most importantly for a group of elite 2028 receivers, they already have one of the nation’s premier 2027 quarterbacks committed in Trae Taylor.

Now Nebraska has to turn that offensive momentum into recruiting momentum.

Landing one of Lee, St. Junious or Hines would be significant.

Landing multiple blue-chip receivers to eventually pair with Taylor?

That could take Nebraska’s offensive recruiting to an entirely different level.

GBR

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