Four-star small forward Colin Rice was deciding between Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern, Nebraska, and a few other programs when he announced he had committed to the Cornhuskers and broke the hearts of the Fighting Illini.
The Iowa native is the No. 116 prospect in the class of 2026 and had an official visit scheduled with the Illinois Fighting Illini on July 28, 2025. He committed to Nebraska on July 24.
“I chose Nebraska because of the coaches, first off," Rice said of his commitment. "They have believed in me from day one and have been with me every step of the way in the recruiting process, and it is close to home, and the fan support is awesome in Lincoln. I also think they will use the best of my abilities.”
Rice's commitment is yet another miss for the Fighting Illini and head coach Brad Underwood, who struggled to bring in a top-tier class during the 2025 recruiting cycle.
NEWS: 4⭐️ Colin Rice (@colinlrice) has committed to Nebraska, he tells @Rivals.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) July 24, 2025
The 6’8 small forward chose the Cornhuskers over offers from Iowa, Illinois, Northwestern, and others. https://t.co/t0aFp6vtL0 pic.twitter.com/rB20Aokmgi
Rice was Nebraska's first commitment for the class of 2026, bumping up the Cornhuskers' recruiting ranking to No. 9 in the nation. So far, Underwood has yet to secure a commitment from the upcoming graduating class.
Underwood could have bigger fish that he's trying to fry, especially as the Illinois head coach works to land Alex Constanza, the No. 15 overall prospect and the No. 4 power forward in the class of 2026.
However, missing out on Rice was a loss for the Fighting Illini. The small forward was named as the MVP of Under Armour Next Session 3, a circuit where 16 to 20-year-old players get to show off their skills in hopes of further impressing collegiate and professional scouts.
Rice has yet to announce if he will cancel his visit with the Illini, as well as his official visit with the Northwestern Wildcats, which is scheduled for just a few days later.