Even before the Huskers’ tight ends coach was hired, Matt Rhule said yes to the TE Ian Flynt just by looking at his film and athletic profile. Meet Ian Flynt– the 6’4’’-245 pound tight end out of James Taylor High School in Katy, Texas. The four-star prospect Flynt chose Nebraska over Houston, Kansas, and North Texas in April. As the TE gets ready for the season, here’s what you need to know about this promising TE.

Flynt is a multi-dimensional athlete

Flynt is one of Rhule’s key recruits from Texas, set to help build that all-important recruiting pipeline into the Lone Star State. Flynt has been turning heads in Texas since making a splash at a Texas A&M camp back in June 2021, right after his freshman year. One of the few freshmen who played varsity at Taylor, Flynt has already started making a name for himself. As a senior, Flynt grabbed six receptions for 140 yards, averaging more than 23 yards per catch, and was one of the nation’s top outside blockers. He was an all-district pick. Even in his junior year, Flynt was quite promising. He came out as an all-district pick after catching 10 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Flynt, as a sophomore back in 2022, made a splash with four catches for 60 yards. The TE was chosen MVP of The EXOS Select 50 showcase held at Frisco Wakeland High School in April of the same year. 

Flynt has the perfect physique for a traditional Big Ten in-line tight end, and his skills are exactly what the Huskers need. While he didn’t get many pass-catching opportunities in high school, he proved at camps that he could handle it. As a receiver, Flynt uses his solid frame to dominate on the field, throwing down blocks with his 33-inch vertical, 81-inch wingspan, and massive 10.5-inch hands. Blocking is definitely his Flynt’s USP. A multi-athlete, Flynt is equally excellent at throwing. Born to parents who were professional throwers,  Ian stood out on the track team at the 2022 University Interscholastic League Texas state track and field championships. He threw the discus 166′ 3″ as a sophomore, taking sixth place in 6A. The muli-athlete also has PRs of 49′ 7″ in the shot put and 173′ 11″.

The tight end is already aware that playing tight end at Nebraska will not be a cakewalk as it will involve more than just running routes and catching the football. The young TE was in fact, very impressed with the conversation he had with coach Rhule. “I can block a defensive end. I enjoy catching the ball but if I get to block, I’m down to block,” said Flynt. “He ( Matt Rhule) said one of my favorite things: He said that the person who hustles the most luckily ends up with the ball whenever it’s their time to shine.”

Even coach Rhule believes that tight end is one of the trickiest positions to play in football from a cognitive standpoint. But Flynt will certainly be an important addition to the tight end, adding youthful energy to the Huskers along with veterans like Thomas Fidone, Nate Boerkircher, and Luke Lindenmeyer this fall. 

Flynt comes from a family of elite athletes

Ian Flynt has an impressive athletic pedigree to boast of. Mama Dagmar Pesakova was a superstar thrower from the Czech Republic in the 90s. Pesakova set a national record in the discus for NAIA and barely missed the 1996 Olympics. Ian’s father, Darren, started on the track team at Nebraska before transferring to Azusa Pacific, where he set a national record in the hammer throw. They both attended Nebraska and met while they were students in Lincoln.

Ian’s sister, Amelia, came to Nebraska in January of 2023 after her freshman year at Cal-Berkeley. At Cal-Berkeley, she set a freshman record in the shot put with a throw of 54 ‘2.75″, emerging as the second-best in their program’s history. She also placed eighth in the shot put at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in February 2023.