Receiver Jaylin Noel Sets Up Showdown Between Nebraska, Iowa State For His Commitment
Wide receiver Jaylin Noel announced the final two schools he’s considering committing to on Friday morning. That announcement is going to be setting up a showdown between two old Big 12 rivals, Nebraska and Iowa State. This time the rivalry isn’t on the field but rather in recruiting. Noel posted on Twitter that moving forward, he’s only going to be focusing on those two schools.
The wideout is one of the top receiver targets for the Cornhuskers in the 2021 class and the fact that he’s still considering Nebraska was celebrated by fans on Twitter after he made the announcement.
The three-star prospect appears to fit the mold of what the Huskers use as their slot receiver as he stands just 5-feet-11-inches and weighs in at 170 pounds. 247Sports currently ranks him as the 11th best player in Missouri and the 109th best receiver in the class. He’s ranked as the 726th best player at any position.
Earlier this spring, Noel had cut his list of teams to six. However, the latest list takes schools like Kansas State and Wisconsin out of the running. The Huskers have been going up against the Cyclones and Badgers for quite a few recruits over the last few weeks.
Among those recruits is rush end TJ Bollers. A recruiting analyst recently said both the Badgers and Cyclones were beating out Nebraska for the defender’s services. Even if that’s the case, it appears the Cornhuskers are repaying the favor a bit when it comes to Noel.
Nebraska is standing tall when it comes to competing with other Big Ten schools for Noel. Minnesota and Iowa were also in the running the last time the wideout pared down his list, but they have also been cut out.
Kansas State not making the cut might be especially surprising to Kansas State fans who were hoping to keep the Missouri product nearby. Rivals recently had their “futurecast” prediction system, claiming the Wildcats were the favorite to land Noel by a wide margin.
Just how the rest of the recruiting cycle will go for Noel is a bit up in the air. He had planned to take another visit to Lincoln this spring but the NCAA has said in-person recruiting is on hold during the coronavirus outbreak. Several universities have been setting up virtual visits for players they’re attempting to reel in. That approach ended up winning over Nebraska native Avante Dickerson, who chose the Minnesota Golden Gophers over the Cornhuskers earlier this month.
