Nebraska Football Preview 2026: Can the Huskers Finally Deliver?

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Nebraska fans are among the best in the country.

They're crazy-mad for their teams – in a good way – always supportive, and for the most part, anecdotally, they're eternally hopeful that this can all pivot back to greatness in a hurry.

But you'll have to forgive them for being beyond ready for something special after going nine straight seasons without more than seven victories – and with a 26-54 record in the Big Ten in that span.

It's Nebraska. It's supposed to be good at this.

Matt Rhule Must Make the Huskers Special Again

Matt Rhule got Nebraska back to winning seasons and bowl games, but that's the bare minimum.

He was a big hire in 2023, specifically brought in as a big-name, big-respect coach who was going to restore the glory days at one of the proudest and greatest college football programs in the sport's history.

He's 19-19 in three seasons in Lincoln, 10-17 in the Big Ten, and 66-62 overall as a college head coach.

Nebraska needs Matt Rhule to start winning more football games.

– 2026 Nebraska Schedule Analysis

Nebraska Quick Hits

• Head Coach: Matt Rhule (4th year, 19-19; 11th year overall: 66-62)
• Best Case / Worst Case: Win nine games for the first time since 2016/An eighth losing season in ten years
• Key Player: Anthony Colandrea, QB Sr.
• 2025 Record: 7-6
• Biggest Question: Does Nebraska have the talent to hang with the good teams on the schedule?

Nebraska Key 2025 Stats

• Sacks: Opponents 33 for 219 yards, Nebraska 22 for 169 yards
• Passing Yards Allowed: Opponents 224.6 per game, Nebraska 154.1 per game
• Punt Return Average: Nebraska 13.6, Opponents 3.8

Offense

How is this not blowing up with Dana Holgorsen as the offensive coordinator?

His attack only averaged 370 yards and 28.7 points per game, the ground game wasn't great, and the overall pop just wasn't there.

It's all about the transfer portal to try making this better, fast.

What’s Working

It's not a high bar to hit. Last year's Nebraska team went 5-0 when pushing past just 352 yards per game. (By the way, averaging 352 per game would've made you 95th in the nation in total offense last year.)

The Huskers went 2-6 when they didn't blow past the 350-yard mark. There's no excuse not to do that every game out.

There's a lot to like with the receiving corps. Getting Kwazi Gilmer from UCLA was great. Jacory Barney is a nice midrange pass catcher who caught 45 passes, and Nyziah Hunter is a good one who finished third on the team with 43 grabs.

Tight end Luke Lindenmeyer has to be used more after a 29-catch season.

The running backs will be fine, even without Emmett. The Kansas City Chiefs got Emmett Johnson – he'll be a part of your fantasy football life for the next few years – after his 1,451-yard, 12-touchdown season along with 46 catches for 370 yards and three scores.

Isaiah Mozee, Mekhi Nelson, and a big recruit Jamal Rule should fill in the statistical gap.

What Needs Work

The quarterback situation. Dylan Raiola did what he could – hitting 72% of his passes with 18 touchdowns and just six interceptions last year before getting hurt – and now he's at Oregon.

Raiola was supposed to be the centerpiece of the rebuild to greatness.

TJ Lateef did a nice job in relief, but he's not quite the passer and playmaker that UNLV's Anthony Colandrea is. Neither one is Raiola talent-wise.

The offensive line has to be better. As someone of a certain age, the idea of Nebraska not having a dominant force of a front five doesn't seem or feel right. Now this bunch has to be better than 115th in the nation in sacks allowed.

There's experience returning with Justin Evans at center and Elijah Pritchett at left tackle, and on the way is a potential star in Tree Babalade from South Carolina for the right tackle gig, and Brendan Block from Iowa State and Paul Mubenga at the guard gigs.

Just score. To continue to live in the past. The historic 1995 Husker team never scored fewer than 35 points. Last year's team scored fewer than 35 points ten times.

Nebraska was 6-0 when scoring 28 or more, 1-6 when it didn't.

Player to Watch

Isaiah Mozee, RB Soph.
(We'll dive into the importance of the quarterbacks in a moment.) Replacing Emmett Johnson is the real issue early on.

With good size, the return man speed, and the hands to become more of a receiver, there's too much potential not to give Mozee a shot. 

Defense

San Diego State's defense turned into a powerhouse last year under Rob Aurich, and Nebraska made him its new defensive coordinator. 

Last year's Husker defense wasn't bad. There were a few odd moments – seriously, who gives up 40 points to Iowa? – but it was a positive to build on with all the good new parts coming in.

What’s Working

San Diego State. Seriously, the Aztec defense turned into a brick wall, helped by a front line that made a big deal out of getting to the quarterback.

It finished 11th in the nation under Aurich, and it was only that low because all the good parts left before the bowl game shootout with North Texas that screwed up the stats.

It also helped to bring along linebacker Owen Chambliss and safety Dwayne McDougle – these two are instant playmakers.

The linebackers will dominate. Chambliss does a little bit of everything on the outside, and Vincent Shavers is back after making 61 stops and 7.5 tackles for loss in the middle.

Dexter Foster from Oregon State can work just about anywhere. There's depth and options to play around with.

The line got a boost from the portal, too. Anthony Jones is a good-looking edge rusher from UCLA.

Owen Stoudmire will be a part of the tackle situation right away, and Jahshear Wittington is a smallish quick option from Pitt who'll help take care of the depth inside.

What Needs Work

Red zone defense. It's one thing to give up points when teams get inside the 20 – fine, long drive, hold up, give up the field goal, move on. But Nebraska's defense was miserable when it came to keeping teams out of the end zone.

The Huskers were dead last in the nation in red zone defense touchdown percentage.

For example, Ohio State allowed teams to score touchdowns just 37% of the time in the red zone. Nebraska allowed teams to score six on 79% of their trips.

The pass rush has to show up. The Huskers didn't have anyone who could get to the quarterback last year. 

Projected starting Husker ends Cameron Lenhardt and Williams Nwaneri combined for 4.5 sacks last year, and they were the best of the bunch.

That's one part of the Aurich defense that he didn't bring with him from San Diego State – the killers on the edge. (SDSU stars Trey White ended up at Texas Tech, and Ryan Henderson went to Texas A&M.) 

The run defense has to be better. The Huskers lost when they were shoved, going 1-6 when allowing more than 175 rushing yards, and 6-0 when they didn't. Worse yet, they allowed 4.8 yards per carry on the year.

Player to Watch

Owen Chambliss, LB Sr.
After starting out at Utah, Chambliss had one okay year at San Diego State, and then last season he couldn't be stopped.

He came up with a team-high 110 tackles with four sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss, and five broken up passes – he'll be all over the field for the Huskers.

Keys to the Season

• Find something on either side of the ball that opposing teams have to worry about.
• Get even more production at quarterback, especially down the field.
• Both lines have to hold up better – better pass protection on one side, more against the run on the other.

Player Who Needs To Shine

Anthony Colandrea, QB Sr.
Or TJ Lateef. One of them has to not only take over the full-time gig after the loss of Dylan Raiola, 

Colandrea was okay at Virginia, but he had an interception problem with 20 thrown in two years. He was great last year at UNLV, showing off the mobility and the upside to make him a strong fit for the Huskers.

Biggest Concern

Beating the good teams.
In three seasons under Rhule, Nebraska has beaten two teams that finished a season with more than seven wins – 2024 Colorado and 2023 Northwestern.

Over those three seasons against Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, USC, and Indiana, the Huskers are 0-10.

Biggest Game

Indiana, October 10
Indiana is what Nebraska was supposed to be.

Nothing would kickstart the former superpower program more than beating the new Big Red Machine in Lincoln – especially with a trip to Oregon up next to kick off a run of three road games in four dates.

Transfer Portal

Nebraska got a few phenomenal players – especially the three likely new starters for the offensive line, and several other good players are coming in here and there.

But is it enough to really compete with the Ohio States and Indianas of the Big Ten world?

Ehhhhh, this is more like holding serve rather than upgrading into a champion.

Best Signing

Tree Babalade, OT (South Carolina)
Here's how Nebraska becomes instantly better. The 6-5, 330-pound former Gamecock is NFL-good – even if it's a Day Three pick – at right tackle, and the pass protection becomes a positive when Elijah Pritchett has a great season on the left side.

Biggest Loss

Keona Davis, DT (Miami)
Yeah, the obvious answer should be losing Dylan Raiola to Oregon, but don't be totally stunned if Colandrea is more than just okay as the new starting quarterback.

Davis only made 43 tackles with 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss, but he's about to be a key factor for the Miami defensive interior – he's a tough one to lose.

Other Names to Know

• Brendan Black, OG (Iowa State)
• Kwazi Gilmer, WR (UCLA)
• Dexter Foster, LB (Oregon State)

CFN Season Prediction

Again, here's sort of the problem.

The last time Nebraska beat Ohio State was … 2011. 1-10, and it took the Luke Fickell-pre-Urban year to do it. The Buckeyes are on the schedule.

The last time Nebraska played Indiana was two years ago, and Curt Cignetti's bunch won 56-7. The Hoosiers are on the schedule.

Rhule is 0-3 against Iowa, and it's on the schedule. Oregon is on the schedule, as is a dangerous Washington team, as is Illinois.

CFN Prediction: 7-5

There's a real shot of starting 5-0 with Ohio, Bowling Green, North Dakota, at Michigan State, and Maryland to start, and then …

Uh oh. Indiana, at Oregon, Washington at Illinois, at Rutgers, Ohio State, at Iowa.

Rhule's teams play hard – effort isn't an issue – they don't get hit with penalties, they don't turn the ball over, and the coverage teams are great.

That's not good enough.

College football needs the Huskers to be fantastic.

Related: Big Ten Football Win Totals 2026: Spring Predictions for All 18 Teams

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