Four-star linebacker Willis McGahee IV, the son of former Pro Bowl running back Willis McGahee, committed to Matt Rhule and the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday. McGahee had offers from some of the top schools in the nation, but opted to leave his home state of Florida to join Rhule's first full recruiting class in Lincoln.
McGahee, a rising senior at Columbus High School in Miami, rates as the No. 232 overall recruit and No. 24 linebacker in the Top247 rankings. He becomes the fourth commitment in Nebraska's recruiting class. Rhule is flexing his national recruiting chops early, adding a Floridian to a class that already includes Nebraskan Ashton Murphy and Texans Roger Gradney and Gibson Pyle.
Despite his production and pedigree, McGahee did not earn an offer from Miami, his father's alma mater. He was previously offered by Michigan, Tennessee and Auburn, among others. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, McGahee is somewhat of a tweener prospect who will need to find a long-term position at the next level. He primarily plays edge rusher in high school.
"A stand-up edge rusher with strong bloodlines that can get after the quarterback," 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote. "Size hasn't been verified in a few years, but is built more like a linebacker than a traditional defensive end. Might lack the desired reach, but makes up for his lack of length with his burst and ability to change directions."
Rhule and his staff have a strong track record of developing similar "tweeners" into major contributors. Haason Reddick joined Rhule at Temple as a walk-on with similar measurables before transforming into a top 10 NFL Draft pick. Jalen Pitre at Baylor also was a linebacker/safety tweener, but ultimately got experience at both positions and earned a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2022.
McGahee's father, Willis McGahee III, played at Miami for three seasons under Butch Davis and Larry Coker. He won a national championship in 2001. He rushed for 1,753 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2002 before he was drafted No. 23 overall by the Buffalo Bills. McGahee played 10 years in the NFL, posting more than 8,000 yards rushing, 1,300 yards receiving and 70 touchdowns.
