5 Nebraska football players who have seen their stock rise this fall

Nebraska football is in the midst of its third week of fall camp. The Huskers have held two scrimmages and plan to have another this weekend.

Actual football is so close, you can taste it. The AP Poll was released on Monday. Nebraska football is just outside the top 25, but receiving votes. That was the same with the Coaches Poll.

Some national pundits are drinking the Kool-Aid. Plenty of fans are, too, although many are understandably taking the wait-and-see approach.

As far as fall camp is concerned, here’s a look at five Huskers who have improved their stock with the season-opener now just 16 days away.

Teddy Prochazka

The 6-foot-10 Elkhorn, Nebraska native has seen his career plagued by injuries. After missing all of last season, the career 11-game starter is having a strong fall camp.

Prochazka has been competing at the right tackle spot. Things have gone really well, and when he’s been healthy, Teddy has been effective.

That has been on display this fall and if he stays healthy, he will be the starting right tackle for Nebraska football.

Mekhi Nelson

There was a question about the running back room before fall camp. Emmett Johnson is RB1. He feels due for a 1,000-yard season but everybody knows you can’t survive in the Big Ten with one good back.

You need at least two. Usually three or four. Nebraska knows it has at least two after the fall camp had by Mekhi Nelson, who stood out during the scrimmage.

The redshirt freshman has been praised for his running ability, and his pass-blocking prowess. Kwinten Ives has been injured. Isaiah Mozee has also come on, but there is a clear RB2, at least right now, and it’s Nelson.

Jacory Barney

Barney set the Nebraska football record for receptions for a freshman last season, so his stock was already pretty high. It’s still rising, though.

At the start of fall camp, you wondered if Barney would be able to beat out Nyziah Hunter and others for the starting job opposite of Dane Key.

At this point, Barney has done that. The sophomore from South Florida feels more like 1B to Key’s 1A. Expect another step forward in production for Barney this season.

Riley Van Poppel

After redshirting last season, playing in just five games, including the bowl game, Riley Van Poppel has a lot on his plate this season, needing to be Ty Robinson’s replacement.

Robinson, a fourth-round pick of the Eagles, just had a sack in the preseason. He was a force last season for the Huskers, and if Nebraska football is going to be as effective on defense, it will need Van Poppel to emerge in 2025.

So far, so good. Van Poppel, who is listed at 6-foot-5, 295 pounds, has looked great in fall camp. He was also awarded a single-digit jersey on Monday, which only reinforces how far he’s come.

Archie Wilson

Nebraska football fans probably didn’t expect to hear so much about punter Archie Wilson. Yet, punters are people too. As we have seen, they can be a key component of the game, especially when things go wrong.

According to Matt Rhule, Wilson has done just about everything right this fall. Wilson was an unknown when he was added to the roster, but Mike Ekeler knows what he’s doing.

The addition of Wilson is another reminder of that.

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