Malachi Coleman could have gone anywhere.
The two-way Lincoln East star held more than two dozen scholarship offers. Georgia. Oklahoma. USC. Michigan. Ole Miss. Oregon. The list continues for the top prospect out of the Cornhusker state for the 2023 class.
But Coleman — Rivals’ No. 57 national recruit and 247Sports’ No. 67 prospect — is staying home in Lincoln, he announced Saturday.
“It’s something that I’ve been looking forward to for a while; me and my family, we love it,†Coleman said.
Coleman, dressed to the nines with a black and blue sport coat, faked out the sizable crowd at East’s auditorium not once but twice by grabbing the Oregon and Oklahoma hats before he snagged the scarlet Nebraska lid off the table and loudly declared into the microphone that he’s not leaving.
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Mere moments after announcing his commitment, the man who made it all possible was calling via FaceTime: Nebraska interim head coach Mickey Joseph.
“He changed everything for me,†Coleman said of Joseph. “Six, seven months ago, I was not coming here, that’s for sure.â€
Why?
Even though Joseph arrived on Nebraska’s campus midway through Coleman’s recruitment, Coleman learned he could trust Joseph.
Joseph came to Lincoln East in January to meet with Coleman. Coleman had no idea who he was. Ten months later, he’s committing to Nebraska, in part, because of Joseph.
“That relationship I have with Mickey and this coaching staff is untouchable,†Coleman said. “Nobody’s going to have a relationship like we have.â€
He added: “There were a couple of contenders, Georgia, Oklahoma and Nebraska, but what it came down to is my relationship with Mickey.â€
Coleman doesn’t trust many people. And rightfully so.
Through his 17 years, Coleman’s faced more hardships than anyone should endure. He’s been homeless, abused, neglected, moved from foster home to foster home. In one temporary placement in particular, Coleman was thrown through a wall. He and his sister, Nevaeh, were adopted in November 2015.
“This just shows all the kids in foster care that it don’t matter where you’re at, this is where you’re going to finish,†Coleman said. “I know that everybody tells you that, but you’ve got to do it yourself sometimes.
“You’ve got to find people that you can trust, and that’s why I surrounded myself with people who are like that, and people who’ve got my back. That’s why I trust Mickey, too.â€
Coleman knows Nebraska is in a tumultuous spot right now.
There are so many unknowns at this stage. With Scott Frost out, Joseph is the interim, but there’s no guarantee Joseph will be named Nebraska’s next head coach, let alone remain on Nebraska’s staff next year.
Coleman still believes.
"Mickey's going to be here," Coleman said. "I know that."
Joseph, according to Coleman, believes too.
The FaceTime message Joseph gave Coleman:
“‘We’re gonna turn this s--- around,’†Coleman recalled. “‘That’s what we’re going to do.’â€