“Nebraska commit Carter Nelson remains 'steadfast' after Notre Dame visit”
“The trip came together quickly for Carter Nelson. By Saturday night, the Nebraska commit was on the Notre Dame Stadium sidelines taking in an historic college football rivalry.
Circumstances — not a change of heart — led to the unofficial visit weekend, Nelson’s father, Jake, told The World-Herald on Sunday night. The Irish had long been after the four-star Ainsworth tight end to attend a game but the younger Nelson wasn’t going to miss a Husker home contest to do so. With NU on a bye and Notre Dame hosting USC, the family saw a chance to make some new memories.
“I don’t think there’s anything to read into,” Jake Nelson said. “It’s father and son going on a trip to see an awesome game and taking a lifetime Notre Dame fan along with. It was one of those opportunities that you’d be a fool to pass up.”
The friend of the elder Nelson was “giddy” throughout the 48-20 Notre Dame win that included chats with the coaches. Former Irish luminaries — including Joe Montana, Tim Brown, Jerome Bettis and others — filed past them from their aisle seats near the field.
Notre Dame is one of a couple programs still actively recruiting the 6-foot-4, 205-pound Nelson even after the top-100 prospect with dozens of offers pledged to Nebraska in late June. Others are in contact as well. The family built many strong relationships during a process that began when Nelson turned heads with a 7-foot high jump in April 2022 — those don’t go away “just like that,” the elder Nelson said.
“(Notre Dame) told him, ‘You’re still somebody that we want. If anything ever changes, let us know,’” Jake Nelson said. “It was reiterating that. Them and some other schools have been trying to keep in contact with Carter. But he’s steadfast for Nebraska right now.”
NU coach Matt Rhule attended Ainsworth’s homecoming pep rally Friday — staying to take pictures and sign autographs — and watched some of the game too. The Bulldogs capped an 8-0 regular season that night and open the eight-man playoffs at home Thursday evening against Kenesaw.
Nelson has yet to miss a Nebraska home game and will be in Lincoln on Saturday for the Northwestern affair. He is the Huskers’ highest-rated prospect in their 2024 class.
Now he’s squeezed in a trip to another blueblood college program too.
“We had the opportunity to and we were like, ‘We just can’t pass this down,’” Jake Nelson said. “It’s an historic type of game and maybe the last opportunity to be able to do it. So we went ahead and did it.”
Sounds pretty N to me boys!