Another vital piece to the pipeline has been added, this time all the way from Mississippi. Hayden Ainsworth, the 6’5”, 305-pound 3-star, joins a highly selective 2026 class. Ainsworth chose Nebraska over Alabama, Oklahoma, and Florida State, to name a few of his 20 offers. The top 100 linemen was originally a 2027 prospect who reclassified to 2026, which probably will work out for Nebraska, as Ainsworth would be an even higher-rated guy next year and with that would have had more schools chasing after him.
Ainsworth played a lot of tackle in high school, but many believe he will call the interior of the line his home. He has all the tools needed to be a great Big Ten linemen; he just needs time to put everything together. This staff thinks he can be a major contributor as he matures. Fun Fact: Hayden is only the 2nd high school recruit out of Mississippi since 2004