Notre Dame Continues Hot Pursuit Of Nebraska Star Carter Nelson

Notre Dame tight ends coach Gerad Parker went a long way to see 2024 standout tight end Carter Nelson

Notre Dame has gone a long way to showing Ainsworth (Neb.) High School star tight end Carter Nelson that they hold him in high regard, and that's a literal statement. Fighting Irish tight ends coach Gerad Parker spent eight hours on the road Thursday heading to Ainsworth to visit the high school of the talented 2024 tight end.

Hailing from a tiny town in the middle of Nebraska, getting to see Nelson is not an easy thing. The closest airport is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, which is a four hour drive from Nelson’s hometown. That did not deter Parker, who spent the morning making his way to the small town in Nebraska.

When he finally got there, Parker had the chance to see Nelson in action during basketball practice. This offered the Irish tight ends coach a solid opportunity to get to know the Ainsworth coaches at a deeper level while seeing just how athletic Nelson is firsthand. The opportunity did not disappoint.

Nelson’s father, Jake, provided details for the visit on Thursday. 

"(The visit) went really well,” Jake Nelson said. "They have made a very good impression so far. He came out to the school. He was able to see Carter at basketball practice for a little bit.

“Our head football coach is the assistant basketball coach, and I am the head basketball coach. So we both have the chance to talk with him for a while during practice.”

Reading about all of Nelson’s athletic feats is one thing. Then you pop on the film, both on the football field and basketball court, and your jaw begins to drop. Seeing it in person, however, that is a completely different animal.

"I think getting to see Carter live was eye-opening,” said Nelson. "He really got a chance to show off his athleticism and Coach Parker could just see how he moves.”

As the head coach of the team, Jake had the chance to sit down with Coach Parker and get to know him a lot better. The two met briefly during Nelson's visit for the Boston College game, but this offered a much better opportunity to chat.

"It was a very good conversation,” he explained. "It was nice to talk to him more than just a brief discussion on the game day. He is an awesome guy.”

Things have been trending quickly for the relationship between Nelson and the Notre Dame staff. Originally slated to visit during the Clemson game, a canceled flight ended that trip before it even began. Despite that cancellation, the staff still extended an offer to the Nebraska star. Since then, it has become clear that Nelson is a priority for the staff in 2024.

Notre Dame already has a big time tight end committed in the class in Jack Larsen. The proposition of getting Nelson brings a flurry of possibilities. There is a real argument that Nelson is one of the better athletes in the class overall, and the staff is very interested in bringing that type of dynamic ability to South Bend in the future.

At 6-5 and 210 pounds, Nelson is the type of athlete who can pretty much do anything he wants to on the football field. For the 9-1 Ainsworth squad, he was the team’s leading rusher with 761 yards and 14 touchdowns on 119 carries, averaging 6.4 yards per carry. Nelson is also the team’s leading receiver with 525 yards and 11 touchdowns on just 28 total receptions.

He has done all that while also playing a lot of reps as the team’s quarterback. On the season, he has thrown for 663 yards and 15 touchdowns on 83 attempts. The Junior has also been careful with the football, only throwing three interceptions on the year.

It doesn’t end on the offensive side of the football for Nelson’s impact. Doubling as a dynamic safety for Ainsworth, he hauled in six interceptions and totaled 41 tackles.

Nelson is also the team’s top punter to boot, averaging 39.6 yards per punt.

Nelson is also a standout basketball player on the hardwood. As a sophomore, he averaged 12.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 3.4 blocks per game during the season. His highlight tape is littered with gravity defying dunks and athletic feats. There appears to be no limits to his athletic upside.

During the spring, Nelson is a premier long jumper for the track and field program, posting a personal best jump of seven feet in the high jump. That isn’t a total surprise and a testament to the caliber of athlete he is.

Nelson also has a personal best time of 11.05 seconds in the 100 meter dash, which is a very good time for a sophomore of his size. Again, not a total surprise. The Nebraska native is also a tremendous pole vaulter, which you don’t typically see at his size. Nelson had a personal best jump of 13’8” in the pole vault as a sophomore.

That is again not only a testament to his athleticism, but also to his flexibility and upper body strength. Just to cap it off, Nelson is also a premier discus thrower with a personal best of 175 feet. A combination of sprinting, high jumping, pole vaulting and throwing the discus isn’t a typical combination. This is a very unique athlete.

He is already a well accomplished player from a recruiting ranking perspective. Nelson is ranked as the No. 109 overall player and No. 5 tight end in the 2024 recruiting class. He currently boasts several notable offers, including the Irish, Oklahoma, Penn State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Baylor, Minnesota, Iowa State, Kansas State, Vanderbilt, and Kansas among others. 

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