

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska’s recruiting class for 2026 has a new top-rated prospect. And newfound depth on the offensive line.
Four-star offensive tackle Claude Mpouma of Chicago’s Mount Carmel High School committed Monday to the Huskers. Hours earlier, three-star lineman Leon Noil of New Orleans Edna Karr joined the class.
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Their additions bring the number of commits for Nebraska to 11, eight of whom were secured in June. Mpouma and Noil join June pledges Rex Waterman of Chandler, Ariz., and Hayden Ainsworth of Biloxi, Miss., to form a strong unit of reinforcements up front for O-line coach Donovan Raiola.
Mpouma, at 6 feet 8 and 315 pounds, ranks as the most notable of the recruiting scores.
He has played just one season of football and earned FBS offers from Kansas State, Miami (Ohio) and Marshall while competing only in basketball as a sophomore in 2024.
Mount Carmel football coach Jordan Lynch, a former Heisman Trophy finalist at Northern Illinois, and Mpouma’s high school classmates encouraged him to try football. Soon after he learned a few fundamentals and took his spot at left tackle, the scholarship offers piled up.
His primary assignment? To protect quarterback Jack Elliott. Mpouma succeeded. The Vanderbilt signee accounted for seven touchdowns in the Illinois 7A state championship game, leading Mount Carmel to a third consecutive title.
Mpouma visited Florida and Auburn before he took an official visit to Nebraska on June 20. He also listed Ohio State and Michigan as finalists.
“The family culture that the program emphasizes is big for me,” Mpouma said of Nebraska.
Originally from Cameroon with a background in soccer, Mpouma moved to Chicago as an eighth-grader.
He’s ranked No. 169 overall and the No. 14 offensive tackle in the Class of 2026 in the 247Sports Composite.
A key week for Nebraska in recruiting continues Tuesday with the anticipated decision of wide receiver Larry Miles of Winter Garden, Fla. Omaha North defensive back Darion Jones, the top in-state target of the Huskers, is set to announce his college choice on Friday. Iowa and Nebraska are the primary contenders for Jones.
(Photo: Kevin Jairaj / Imagn Images)
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