NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

LINCOLN — The first scrimmage of Nebraska football's fall camp is in the books.

The Huskers tallied more than 120 plays on Saturday, ranging from goal line to two-minute. They even got some special teams work in.

The team worked in three groups, with each group getting around 40 plays each.

Here is what head coach Matt Rhule had to say after the scrimmage.

Reps Reps Reps

Despite a good day of scrimmaging, Rhule said there is plenty to clean up.

"As I tell our guys, 'two things can be true,'" Rhule said. "They've done a nice job through nine practices. They've come a long way. There's a long, long way to go."

Among the items to improve on, Rhule noted snap counts, cadences, shifts, motions, trades, and communication on defense. Each of those aspects will be something he's looking for improvement in each day.

As for where the emphasis was on Saturday, tackling on defense was big to watch.

"This was the first time they've had a chance to strike and knock people to the ground," Rhule said.

He was also keying in on ball carriers being able to make guys miss or gain extra yards against live tackling compared to thud tackling from most practices.

Running Backs

Rhule closed his opening statement by mentioning that all of the running backs did well in the scrimmage.

"Blitz pickup was good. No balls on the ground. Caught the ball out of the backfield. Ran the ball well. We'll just have to watch the tape and see where we can improve at that position," Rhule said.

As for an individual update in the room, Mekhi Nelson faced legal issues this summer when he was arrested in Florida and accused of battering a pregnant woman. Those charges were eventually dropped, with athletics director Troy Dannen saying at Big Ten Football Media Days that Nelson would not face disciplinary action from the department, though that could come from the team. Rhule said there is nothing coming from him.

"If he's exonerated, he's exonerated," Rhule said. "I don't address it with the team. Every case, when it comes to our guys, we handle each differently, depending on the facts that we have and the facts that are there."

Rhule has experience in working with off-field issues, having taken over at Baylor after a sexual assault scandal that was determined to be a systemic institutional crisis.

"I learned very much there how to handle (Clery and Title IX) as a head coach because it was probably one of the worst scandals in modern football history," Rhule said. "What we do is we let people handle it who that's their job. They all went through it; they all exonerated him, so there's no repercussions for him."

Injury Update

Short-term absences are on the docket for defensive back Caleb Benning and linebacker Gage Stenger.

Wide receiver Demitrius Bell was back at practice. He redshirted in 2023 before missing all of 2024 and 2025 with injury. Although he didn't scrimmage, he was on the practice field and took part in individual work.

"Looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the table," Rhule said.

Also back from a season-ending injury suffered in the first game last fall is Janiran Bonner.

"When he got hurt last year, obviously, it was frustrating for us all," Rhule said. "With Wood, it's not just football; it's just who he is. He's just one of those guys. To see him back out there is great."

Bonner's reps are monitored, though the gadget player "doesn't know another speed but full speed." Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen has spoken before about how important Bonner's skill set can be for his play-calling.

Return Game

Jacory Barney Jr. is locked in as the punt returner.

"We think we have as fine a returner as there is in the country in Jacory," Rhule said. "We have to put enough people around him to do a good job."

As for kickoff return, Barney has been working back there alongside Nyziah Hunter and Isaiah Mozee.

"Any chance we have to get the ball in Barney's hands, we're going to do it," Rhule said.

Other Notes

• Summer graduations included current and former Huskers Gunnar Gottula, Emmett Johnson, and Dasan McCullough.
• Might do another big scrimmage during fall camp. That will depend on how the tape looks from Saturday and how the week ahead goes.
• Quarterbacks handled the day "really well."
• Mac Markway is working to get reps while staying healthy, which was one of the reasons he told Rhule he wanted to switch from tight end to edge.
• Freshman defensive back Danny Odem III is impressing.
• Excited to another blackout game after the unveiling of the black alter

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos