Huskers news: New defensive assistant for Nebraska football; Volleyball Sweet 16

It has been a wild week for Nebraska football. Head coach Matt Rhule fired Donovan Raiola last week, hired a new offensive line coach last Saturday, and a new defensive coordinator on Sunday.

That wasn’t the final move, though. Rhule has also decided to make a change on the defensive line, firing Terry Braden after just one season as the defensive line coach. Nebraska football has been connected to Elijah Robinson, who worked for Rhule at Temple.

Robinson was the Co-defensive coordinator and D-line coach for the Orange this past season. It was reported on Monday that he signed with LSU, but that deal isn’t done. We haven’t had any updates, but the Huskers did add Roy Manning, a former NFL player and Michigan standout, to coach the EDGEs for Nebraska — the same job he had under Rob Aurich at San Diego State.

That feels like a really solid hire. The Aztecs had 32 sacks last season, ranking 23rd. It’s good to allow Aurich to bring some guys along with him. Rhule said he wasn’t going to fire anyone else, so Addison Williams and linebackers coach Rob Dvoracek seem safe.

A defensive line coach needs to be hired soon, though. Robinson would be a home run.

Thoughts on a new commitment for Nebraska football

We haven’t had a chance to talk about the commitment of Jayden Travers this week for the Nebraska football team, but I love the 6-foot-3, 260-pound defensive lineman from St. Francis in Baltimore. That’s one of the best high school programs in America.

Some have suggested that Travers doesn’t fit in a four-man front that well. I disagree. He feels like a dude who can put on 20-30 pounds and be a three-technique, with some pass-rush ability, or just a bigger 4-3 defensive end.

Either way, it’s perfect for Nebraska. He’s a high three-star prospect ranked No. 527 overall. He’s ranked 54th among defensive linemen. He’s aggressive, knows how to use his hands, and was a stellar player for an 8-1 team.

Travers might not be a blue-chip prospect, but there’s a chance he develops into one. Regardless, he’s the kind of defensive lineman Nebraska has been missing. Want to stop the run, add more players like this up front.

Nebraska volleyball heads into the Sweet 16

Match day has arrived for Nebraska volleyball. The top-seeded Huskers (32-0) will take on Kansas tonight in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA volleyball tournament.

Nebraska is expected to play fourth-seeded Kansas at approximately 8:30 CST on ESPN2. Louisville, the second-seeded team in the region and head coach Dani Busboom-Kelly’s former team, will play Texas A&M at 6 p.m. The Huskers will play 30 minutes after that match ends, led by Region Player of the Year Bergen Reilly.

Nebraska’s offensive attack has been frightening. One player hasn’t dominated the points either. Harper Murray, Andi Jackson and Rebekah Allick were each All-Big Ten and All-Region. The Huskers have the best defense in college volleyball, too.

Nebraska volleyball enters the Sweet 16 having won 22 sets in a row. The Huskers have won 69 of their last 70 after sweeping 22 of their last 23 matches.

Here is the scouting report on the other opponents, from Huskers.com: 

SCOUTING KANSAS
• No. 16 Kansas is 24-10 (13-5 Big 12) in Matt Ulmer’s first year as head coach at the school. Ulmer was previously the head coach at Oregon for eight seasons, compiling a 166-77 record.
• Reese Ptacek and Jovana Zelenovic were All-Big 12 First Team selections this year.
• A sophomore middle blocker, Ptacek averages 2.54 kills per set on .317 hitting with 27 aces and 1.06 blocks per set. Zelenovic, a freshman opposite hitter, adds 2.88 kills per set on .284 hitting with 46 aces and 0.96 blocks per set.

SCOUTING LOUISVILLE
• No. 9 Louisville is 26-6 (16-4 ACC) under first-year head coach Dan Meske, who assumed the helm after Dani Busboom Kelly became the Huskers’ new coach. Meske was an assistant coach at Nebraska from 2010-14.
• Junior outside hitter Chloe Chicoine leads the Cardinals with 3.25 kills per set and adds 2.79 digs per set. Senior middle blocker Cara Cresse contributes 2.49 kills per set on .350 hitting with 1.45 blocks per set. Setter Nayelis Cabello  (10.44 assists per set) was an All-ACC First Team selection along with Chicoine and Cresse.
• Opposite hitter Kalyssa Blackshear was the ACC Freshman of the Year, averaging 2.83 kills per set and hitting .302.

SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
• No. 6 Texas A&M (25-4, 14-1 SEC) is back in Lincoln for an NCAA Regional for the second year in a row under third-year head coach Jamie Morrison. The Aggies were at the Devaney Center in 2024, falling in five sets to Wisconsin in the regional semifinal.
• A&M is led by senior opposite hitter Logan Lednicky’s 4.06 kills per set on .319 hitting. The reigning AVCA All-American is a four-time All-SEC honoree.
• Senior middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla is averaging 2.09 kills per set on .427 hitting with 1.67 blocks per set, which ranks third nationally. Cos-Okpalla received All-SEC First Team honors for the second straight season.
• Setter Maddie Waak leads the nation in assists at 11.49 per set and was an All-SEC honoree.

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