Nebraska lands Arizona pass rusher Keona Wilhite
Wednesday was the second and last National Signing Day, when a number of elite institutions wrapped up their classes for 2024 recruitment. Only a handful of standout recruits, like defensive end Keona Wilhite of Tucson, Arizona’s Salpointe Catholic, who decommitted from the Washington Huskies last month, were left to make judgments.
Following Kalen DeBoer’s departure from Washington to assume the role of head coach at Alabama, Wilhite made the decision to reopen negotiations and explore other possibilities. He signed a contract with the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Wednesday, which will aid in the program’s successful conclusion for Matt Rhule’s first full class. Prior to Wilhite’s pledge, Nebraska’s composite 247Sports ranking had them ranked No. 18 overall.
Wilhite put together a tremendous senior season for the Salpointe Catholic Lancers. In 13 games, he led the squad with 18.5 tackles for loss and recorded 60 total tackles. Both those numbers outpaced teammate Elijah Rushing, who is considered a five-star recruit that signed with Oregon. Wilhite also recorded eight sacks, had another 27 quarterback hurries, an interception, and four pass breakups.
With the exception of Rivals, which rates Wilhite as a four-star prospect and the No. 24 edge defender in the 2024 recruiting class, most major recruiting platforms rank him as a three-star recruit. In the state of Arizona, which has been producing more and more talent over the past several years, they rank him as the No. 14 player.
The 6-5, 230-pound pass rusher opted for the Cornhuskers over a very impressive offer list. Some of the top schools that have shown interest include Nebraska, Washington, Michigan State, Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, and Oregon State.
