But the light show between the third and fourth quarters might have been the defining moment for the four-star linebacker from Omaha Westside in 2025. He took in the stadium, bathed in red, the noise and excitement of the crowd. He wanted to commit to the Huskers, and he told a few coaches as much Saturday night.

On Monday, he informed NU head coach Matt Rhule of the good news. The state’s top-rated prospect chose Nebraska over runner-up Oklahoma, which had made a strong push for Jones’ commit.

“Coach Rhule is building a very special culture there that I want to be a part of,” Jones said Monday night after announcing his decision on social media. “Just watching the game Saturday night and that atmosphere, I just felt like my heart wanted to be there. It was the defining moment — my gut and my heart told me to stay home.

“I want to be part of Tony White’s defensive system and I want to be coached by Rob Dvoracek.”

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Jones, a consensus four-star commit, will be the 19^and commit for the 2025 class and sixth commit from Nebraska State. As a consensus four-star, Jones had his pick of top schools — including OU, Auburn and USC — as he worked through the recruiting process.

The Sooners were the runner-up for Jones’ services. OU has had success bringing back out-of-state players — tight ends Kaden Helms (Bellevue West) and Kade McIntyre (Fremont Bergan) — and Jones strongly considered the SEC program.

Nebraska beat out Oklahoma in this recruiting battle, Jones said, in part because he had “a great relationship” with both White and Dvoracek.

“Coach White keeps you on your toes,” Jones said. “He’s very aggressive and very smart and he uses everybody to the best of his ability. I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

But he carried his recruitment into the season because he wanted to evaluate the Huskers’ first few games — particularly the game against Colorado. The Blackshirts bullied CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders into five sacks and held the Buffaloes scoreless in the first half.

“I wanted to see if Coach Rhule could really develop a team and that culture, and that’s exactly what he did,” Jones said. “You see the players playing for each other, not for themselves, and they’re playing harder. Everybody has a different attitude, and you could see that very easily.”

Jones plans to enroll at NU in January and be ready for spring camp in 2025. He will play inside linebacker, the position currently played by Mikai Gbayor, Javin Wright and John Bullock.

Before he does that, he hopes to lead Westside to another state title.

“It’s a long road to get there,” Jones said of the Warriors’ season, which is off to a 2-0 start. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”