Recruiting Showcase
Top 2028 Quarterback and Five-Star Wideouts Expected at Nebraska Boneyard Recruiting Event
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Nebraska is hosting the second annual Battle of the Boneyard 7-on-7 tournament at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, and this year's event is drawing some of the most elite young football talent in the country. Headlining the weekend is **Christopher Vargas**, the consensus No. 1 quarterback in the Class of 2028, according to Rivals.
Alongside Vargas, a versatile athlete named **Brandon Murphy Jr.** — a 6'0", 195-pound prospect from Clairton, Pennsylvania — is turning heads with comparisons to NFL All-Pro Micah Parsons, according to 247Sports. The event features roughly 300 elite high school players from 24 states, all competing inside one of college football's most iconic venues.
Matt Rhule Turns Lincoln Into a National Recruiting Hub
Head coach Matt Rhule designed the Boneyard event to bring elite recruits directly to Nebraska rather than sending coaches to them. Earlier this month, Rhule said he wants fans to "let's get to 10,000, 15,000, 20,000" in attendance to show recruits the power of Memorial Stadium, according to 247Sports. This year, 15 teams from 24 different states answered the call.
The unofficial 7-on-7 format is a calculated choice. It lets Nebraska's staff watch how uncommitted prospects like Vargas and 2027 wide receiver **Khalil Taylor** interact with current commits in a live, high-pressure setting, according to Husker247. Taylor chose this Nebraska visit over a trip to Alabama — a signal of the program's growing pull.
Christopher Vargas and the Long Game at Quarterback
Vargas is ranked the No. 1 quarterback in the entire Class of 2028 by Rivals. His visit to Lincoln follows stops at other Big Ten schools, which shows Nebraska is now competing at the very top of long-range quarterback recruiting. Landing Vargas would make three straight cycles where Nebraska led for a Tier 1 national quarterback, following Dylan Raiola in 2024 and 2027 commit Trae Taylor.
Taylor, who committed to Nebraska for 2027, is acting as the program's lead recruiter this weekend. He told Husker247 he is actively working to bring "seven more recruits" into the 2027 class during the event. That kind of peer-to-peer recruiting is exactly what Rhule built the Boneyard to encourage.
Brandon Murphy Jr. Is the Most Intriguing Prospect on the Field
Murphy entered the weekend ranked No. 157 nationally and No. 11 among linebackers in the Class of 2028, according to 247Sports. But he is competing this weekend as a wide receiver. At 6'0" and 195 pounds as a rising high school freshman, his frame and fluidity have drawn direct comparisons to Micah Parsons — the Dallas Cowboys edge rusher who also played receiver and safety in high school.
Analysts at On3 note that Nebraska is specifically targeting "positionless" athletes like Murphy — players who can rush the passer but also line up in the slot. Nebraska used this same blueprint in 2024 when it pursued Titan Davis, another hybrid prospect who helped establish the Boneyard as a proving ground for elite physical outliers.
'Red Sea Rising' and What Comes After the Tournament
The tournament wraps up Saturday evening with a major program announcement internally called "Red Sea Rising," according to On3. Details remain under wraps, but sources point to a new NIL collective initiative or a major facilities upgrade targeting the 2028 and 2029 recruiting classes. The timing — right after 300 elite prospects spend a full day inside Memorial Stadium — appears very deliberate.
Nebraska's model is already drawing copycats. Husker247 reports that Big Ten rivals are moving to build their own home-base 7v7 events to stop Nebraska from owning the Midwest summer circuit. For now, though, the Huskers hold a clear head start — and a weekend like this one only extends that lead.
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