4 things we have learned so far this spring about Nebraska football

While some teams haven’t even started their spring practices, Nebraska football is about halfway done with spring ball, as the spring game is set for March 28.

That’s two weeks from Saturday. Nebraska fans have been hoping that the Huskers have some men’s basketball games that weekend to worry about, but it will be fun to see Nebraska football back on the field in a competitive situation.

As far as spring ball up to this point, there has been plenty of intel flowing from players, coaches, and insiders. Practice was open to the media on Tuesday.

With those observations fresh in our minds, here are four things we have learned about Nebraska football so far this spring.

Anthony Colandrea is the guy at QB

There has been plenty of buzz about the transfer from UNLV. Colandrea has looked the part in practice, too. He’s the most athletic quarterback, and Dana Holgorsen has been raving about his ability to extend plays.

Colandrea also throws the ball better than the other quarterbacks. He’s confident, collected, and he’s been through this before, although not at a place like Nebraska, even if he was Mountain West Player of the Year in 2025.

If there was any doubt about the QB competition moving forward, there isn’t now. TJ Lateef and Daniel Kaelin are fighting for second.

That’s what we all thought going into the spring, but the past two weeks have reaffirmed that the Huskers have their guy in Colandrea.

The running game will be different, but better

Despite having the Big Ten’s leading rusher last season, Nebraska football ranked 10th in the Big Ten in rushing yards. That speaks to a lack of depth and a lack of QB involvement in the running game.

Emmett Johnson isn’t coming back. He’ll be running in the NFL next season, but with Colandrea, who has rushed for 1,151 yards in his career, including 649 and 10 touchdowns last season, Nebraska won’t have a statue at quarterback anymore.

The zone read can be a thing. QB power can be a thing. That will help in the red zone. It will also occupy a defender on those plays, something Raiola wasn’t able to do because he wasn’t a threat to run.

The running back production will be down, but Mekhi Nelson is having a strong spring. So is Kwinten Ives, and Isaiah Mozee now looks like a running back. That room might be the most underrated on the team, and with a running QB, the running game will be better in 2026, overall.

Nebraska football has improved in the trenches

Nebraska improved simply by hiring Geep Wade and Corey Brown to coach its offensive and defensive lines. Roy Manning (EDGE) and Lonnie Teasley (run-game coordinator) have also made a big impact.

The Huskers have added three players who are expected to start on the offensive line: Brendan Black, Tree Babalade, and Paul Mubenga. All three have looked the part and were impressive during the open portion of practice.

It feels like the O-line is kind of set in stone, in terms of the starters. There will be time for others to make their case, but it’s hard to see one of the top five, which also includes holdovers Justin Evans and Elijah Pritchett.

The D-line seems better, too. Jashear Whittington, the Pittsburgh transfer, has generated a lot of buzz. Former UCLA EDGE Anthony Jones is, too.

It’s just hard to look at the lines on both sides of the ball and not feel like Nebraska football has made significant improvements.

Experience will be a strength

Nebraska has been one of the youngest teams in the Big Ten since Matt Rhule arrived. That’s how he built Baylor and Temple, through recruiting and development.

Rhule has spent the past three seasons building Nebraska’s roster. Now, it’s time for those players to show their maturity. The second, third, and fourth-year guys have to produce. If not, they will be replaced with transfers.

On the offensive line, Nebraska has five players with at least 11 career starts under their belt. The same can be said on defense with guys like Whittington, Jones, Riley Van Poppel, Cameron Lenhardt, Williams Nwaneri, Owen Stoudmire, and others. These guys have all played a lot of football.

Some need to play better, but experience matters. We saw that with Indiana last season. Nebraska leaned into getting older, and it will pay dividends in 2026.

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