The Nebraska football team could be getting good news on the recruiting front. Julius Coates, one of the team's top targets, on the defensive line, is a free agent again.

Coates had been a commit to Colorado, but he had also been looking around. Coates recently visited the Huskers. Now he's no longer a commit to Colorado.

This is actually the second time this has happened for the Huskers in the last few weeks.

It doesn't mean Coates is guaranteed to be a member of the Nebraska football team, but fans of the program are nonetheless excited.

Coates could be a Husker

Even before the defensive end decommitted from Colorado, there were some recruiting experts who believed Julius Coates was headed to Nebraska. 247Sports' crystal ball predictions had him slated for a 60 percent chance of landing in Lincoln.

The Oregon Ducks appear to be the team NU is going to have to go up against. The Ducks are said to have about a 40 percent chance of landing Coates. That means the prospect is likely down to a two-team race.

The Huskers have been having some success convincing prospects, committed to other schools, to at least think better about their plans. Just a few weeks before Coates announced he was no longer committed to Colorado, a top wide receiver prospect became a free agent as well.

Marcus Fleming, a prospect out of Florida, was a Hurricanes commit. The Miami player visited Nebraska and decided he wasn't sure about his school choice anymore. Now he's also considered a Cornhusker lean.

With just 14 commits in the 2020 class, it would certainly appear as though the Huskers have the room for both pickups, should they come.

Nebraska football's last chance?

The Huskers are hoping to land one of the best defensive ends in the JUCO ranks this year.

Julus Coates has made himself a prospect that some of the best schools in the country are chasing after a stellar season at East Mississippi Community College.

If that school sounds familiar, it's because it's been featured as one of the schools called Last Chance U. During the 2019 season, Coates showed himself to be a dominant defender for his school.

The defender logged 30 tackles and six sacks. He also forced two fumbles and recovered two. He even had two pass breakups from his defensive line position.

The Nebraska football coaching staff has been talking since they arrived on campus about their desire to land a true pass-rusher. So far, most of their rushing of the quarterback has come from blitzes, or from a front push by the defensive tackles.

The Huskers haven't had a defensive end who was considered a pass-rushing threat since Randy Gregory. The Cornhuskers' coaching staff believes Julius Coates could fit that bill.