Nebraska Football: Five Things to Watch for at Saturday’s Spring Game

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Nebraska’s spring game is at 11 a.m. in Memorial Stadium and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

There will be a lot to digest, but here are five things I’m looking forward to watching.

First Team Offense vs. First Team Defense

This would be worth the price of admission for the Nebraska spring game. According to head coach Matt Rhule we will be seeing the first team offense against the first team defense.

Which are you hoping wins the day? I am not sure. With a new defensive coordinator and an inability to hit the quarterback I am sure we are going to see vanilla defense. However, it sounds like the offensive line will be improved with each of the three transfers setting up to be starters. So how will the defensive line play against what is assumed to be an impressive offensive line group?

Nebraska’s defense appears to be sitting pretty good at the linebacker and secondary positions but it will be the defensive line which will tell the tale.

Luckily, with Rhule having the first team offense going head-to-head against the first team defense we should be able to get a good feeling on that defensive line. If we are lucky, we might walk away from the spring game feeling better about that group.

Oh and we get to see Nebraska’s newest quarterback, but more on that below.

The Running Back Room

To me, the story of the spring is a true freshman running back who is turning heads. Jamal Rule might not be the day one starter at running back but it sounds like he’s going to make life difficult for Mekhi Nelson, Isaiah Mozee and Kwinten Ives.

Which is good news for Nebraska.

If Jamal Rule is as good as what is being advertised then Nebraska’s running backs coach E.J. Barthel deserves to get a raise. He didn’t bring in a five star stud that every school wanted. Barthel brought in a three start prospect from North Carolina. As Barthel said of Rule, “The kid has a chip on his shoulder… To not really get recruited was a slap on the face to the kid.”

But it isn’t just Rule. The play of Nelson, Mozee and Ives leading up to the bowl game against Utah was good enough to persuade the coaches not to go for a running back in the transfer portal.

The new guy is always the most exciting for fans but I’m hoping to see Nelson, Mozee and Ives pop at the spring game.

The Defensive Line Rotation

When the first team offense goes head-to-head first team defense I will be paying attention how many different guys will be in the rotation.

I expect to see Riley Van Poppel, Owen Stoudmire, Jahsear Whittington at the defensive tackle positions. Regarding the edge position we probably see Cameron Lenhardt, Williams Nwaneri, Anthony Jones Jr. and Willis McGahee Jr..

Anybody else? Former 5-star tight end Mac Markway has moved to the edge position for Nebraska. Maybe there will be something there for the Huskers?

I am hoping to see more players in the rotation of the 1v1s. That would go a long way to make me feel better about the upcoming season.

Is it all on the defensive line?

Anthony Colandrea Making Plays?

The assumed starting quarterback for Nebraska in the fall is the transfer from UNLV who was the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year. He started 14 games for UNLV in 2024 and and threw for 3,429 yards with 23 passing touchdowns.

The part that should excite Nebraska fans is that Colandrea’s mobility will be a weapon for the Huskers.

The comparison I am about to make is not a dig at Dylan Raiola but merely showing the stark difference in the type of quarterback play that Nebraska should expect. In two seasons at Nebraska, Raiola had a combined -152 rushing yards. Last season at UNLV, Colandrea ran for 649 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Raiola had zero rushing touchdowns at Nebraska.

I am not saying that Colandrea is a better quarterback than Raiola, though one can hope. I am just illustrating that they are two different types of quarterbacks.

While Colandrea will be wearing the green jersey which means he won’t be getting hit, I do hope that he makes a couple plays against the first team defense that can give us a taste of what we are hoping to see in the fall when the season starts.

Size of the Crowd

I am relatively nervous that the fan turnout for the Spring Game will be one of the lowest in years.

There are a lot of reasons for that including a relative sense of apathy from the football fan base after the finish to the season.

Another question is if the Men’s Basketball Sweet 16 loss might tamper any thought of spending you late morning/afternoon at Memorial Stadium. Or maybe since the basketball season is over, that Husker fans will be able to turn the page.

If Nebraska gets 20,000 fans then I will be impressed.

There will be valuable recruits on hand to witness the spring game so hopefully Nebraska fans show up.

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