Projecting Nebraska’s offensive depth chart before spring ball

Nebraska football coaches met with the media on Thursday, two days before the start of fall camp.

Head coach Matt Rhule spoke with reporters for the first time in a couple of months. New defensive coordinator Rob Aurich also met with the media, as did offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen.

The spring game is coming back on March 28th. So there will essentially be five weeks of spring ball. It seems like fundamental improvement, especially in the trenches, will be a focal point. Corey Brown and Geep Wade need to knock it out of the park as OL/DL coaches.

Rhule spoke highly of them on Thursday. The coaches talked about plenty of things. We learned a few tidbits about the roster, mostly who won’t be taking part in spring ball, so with that in mind, here is our projected Nebraska football spring depth chart, starting with the offense.

QB1: Anthony Colandrea; Backups: Daniel Kaelin and TJ Lateef

The backup quarterback battle might be more interesting than the starting quarterback job. Rhule said that Colandrea has carried himself like QB1. Dana Holgorsen said that the Huskers “brought him here for a reason.”

Barring injury, Colandrea will be the Nebraska starting quarterback next fall. The QB that wins the backup job might end up being the future starter.

My money is on Kaelin.

RB1: Mekhi Nelson or Isaiah Mozee; Backups: Kwinten Ives, Jamal Rule, and Connor Both

The running back competition is one that fans are interested in. GM Pat Stewart said the Huskers view the room a lot like they did last season. They believed in Emmett Johnson. Others didn’t.

Nebraska deserves the benefit of the doubt. Both Nelson and Mozee played well in the bowl game. The offensive line should be improved, and there will be a running quarterback to help occupy blockers.

Don’t forget about Ives and Rule, or Connor Booth.

WR: Kwazi Gilmer, Nyziah Hunter, and Jacory Barney; Backups: Quinn Clark, Cortez Mills, and Larry Miles

Gilmer, the 6-foot-2, UCLA transfer, has caught a pass in 23 consecutive games. He averaged 440 receiving yards over the past two seasons. Gilmer might be Nebraska’s best transfer addition. Quinn Clark, Cortez Mills, and Larry Miles should all make an impact this season. Clark had three receptions of more than 30 yards.

TE: Luke Lindenmeyer; Backups: Luke Lorensen, Carter Nelson

Lindenmeyer is a better tight end than he gets credit for. Last season, he caught 29 passes for 312 yards. He’s a quality blocker and will play the most of any tight end on the roster this season.

The hopes for Carter Nelson are starting to fade a bit. He will miss this spring. Fall camp will be huge for the former top-100 recruit. Freshman Luke Sorensen sounds like the real deal.

If Nelson can’t play this season, he will get passed up, and it will be hard to recover that spot on the depth chart if it’s Sorensen.

OL: Elijah Pritchett, Paul Mubenga, Justin Evans, Brendan Black, and Tree Babalade; Backups: Grant Brix, Tyler Knack, Gunnar Gottula, Claude Mpouma, Gibson Pyle.

There is some quality depth on the offensive line. Gottula started most of the season at left tackle in 2024 and is likely coming off the bench this season. Brix and Gibson Pyle could be ready to contribute this season, and Knack is a starting-caliber player who will open the season coming off the bench.

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