Well, we’re almost back for another fall filled with cool Saturday’s watching the Big Red navigate yet another College Football season. This year starts off feeling slightly different than years past, with the sting of a sluggish finish in 2025 still fresh in the minds of Husker fans. 3 blowout losses including a 44-22 loss to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl led into a very quiet offseason. After the transfer portal window was closed and spring ball came to an end, there was no head coach podcast, rarely any hype from the team’s social media and no fan base over expectations.

So where does this leave the 2026 Nebraska Football team? Is there more pressure than years gone by? Is Matt Rhule on the hot seat? Can the team make a third consecutive bowl game?

Key Questions for 2026

The Defense

The biggest failure across last season was obvious; the run defense. Watching middling teams quarterbacks look like Heisman candidates could be draining at time last year. Key upgrades in the department, on paper, will bolster some major holes. Starting with coordinator, Rob Aurich leads the Big Red after coming over from San Diego State. Aurich brings two key pieces with him; Safety Dwayne McDougle and LB Owen Chambliss. Along with the 2 apparent starters, Aurich presents a 4-2-5 defense, a sharp change from the 3-3-5 seen since the Tony White days.

Other key transfers on defense: Edge Anthony Jones Jr., DL Jashear Whittington, LB Will Hawthorne, DT Owen Stoudmire, CB Victor Evans, LB Dexter Foster.

With these incoming transfers, along with some key returners from last year, the defense should be a marked improvement. Time will tell if Aurich’s system and history of year 1 turnarounds can continue in the B1G.

The Offensive Line

This was the top criticism from the Husker faithful in 2025, and clearly the biggest gap the Rhule addressed this offseason. Bringing in three transfers; T Tree Babalade, G Brendan Black, and G Paul Mubanga. With these three, the O-Line room boasts some good experience matched with a high talent level, including Justin Evans, Gunnar Gottula, and Elijah Pritchett, the starting lineup should be set. The only true battle that will be interesting to see play out during the non-conference schedule will be for the Right Tackle spot between Tree Babalade and Gunnar Gottula.

Rhule also decided to part ways with long-time O-Line coach Donavon Raiola, and bring in proven coach Geep Wade from Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets O-Line led a rushing attach at GT that put up nearly 200 yards per game, ranking 2nd in the ACC and 22nd nationally.

The coaching pedigree and the transfer talent should have Husker fans excited about a new look offensive line.

The Quarterback

Dylan Raiola departed for Oregon after a season ending injury against USC. TJ Lateef took over for the remainder of the season and showed flashes of the ability to be a B1G starter.

Nebraska staff elected to bring in the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, Anthony Colandrea from UNLV. Rhule stated in a presser last week that Colandrea will be the starter Week 1 with two capable backups in Lateef and Daniel Kaelin will sit behind. Colandrea will be surrounded by the most talented Wide Receiver room Nebraska has had in a while; with standout stars Nyziah Hunter, Jacory Barney Jr., transfer Kwazi Gilmer, the 6-5 Sophomore Quinn Clark, and the return of Janiran Bonner. He will provide a spark to the Dana Holgorsen offense that we haven’t seen in previous years, namely his mobility and ability to extend plays and make something happen when a play breaks down. While that comes with an upside, the downside of this play style is that Colandrea will take risks, some that pay off and some that don’t. The biggest question remains, can Colandrea do enough to not cost the Huskers any games, but also can he do enough to win?

The Running Backs

How do you replace the B1G running back of the year? How can you replace 250 carries and almost 1500 yards? The simple answer is you can’t replace Emmett Johnson. This coaching staff however believes the best way forward is to replace the production by committee. Mekhi Nelson had a breakout game in the Las Vegas Bowl, and ignoring the result, there are some things he did in that game to be excited about. Also in the RB room is Isaiah Mozee, true freshman Jamal Rule and depth pieces like Connor Booth. We are yet to see who Holgorsen will go with as his #1 option, but multiple guys will see meaningful snaps. The non-conference schedule will really help decide and see if one pulls away from the pack as a true #1. The decision by the staff to not target a RB in the portal shows that they like what they see in the current returning room. Tikey Hayes was added late in the process, but was gone as quickly as he arrived. With these three key pieces, can they reach and exceed to production and efficiency of Emmett Johnson in 2025?

Schedule Predictions

Ohio – Win – Nebraska opens the season at home slow with the new staff, system and players. Takes a close one in Lincoln.

Bowling Green – Win – Huskers win big at home

North Dakota – Win – Big Red cruises to a 3-0 start

Michigan State – Win – First B1G test, first road game, MSU and new coach Pat Fitzgerald lose a tight one to Nebraska

Maryland – Win – Close game, Huskers come out on top.

Indiana – Loss – Matchup between 5-0 teams, Nebraska can’t overcome the Hoosiers.

Oregon – Loss – Tough environment coming off a home loss to Indiana

Washington – Win – Big Red back on track after the Bye Week and pulls off a tough one in Seattle

Illinois – Loss – The Illini have the edge in this matchup

Rutgers – Win – Cold game in Piscataway, Huskers roll.

Ohio State – Loss – Ohio State has an NFL roster.

Iowa – Loss – …

Final Record – 7-5.