Husker Big Red Daily: Nebraska projected to see Scott Frost in bowl game, position battles still up in the air

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It’s hard to blame Nebraska football fans if they don’t want to look too far ahead, even to bowl season.

After all, with the 2026 schedule as difficult as it is, a bowl game is far from a guarantee for the Huskers in Matt Rhule’s third season. It feels like a seven or eight-win team to me, but Penn State was also ranked No. 2 in the AP Poll last season and fired James Franklin one month into the season.

Things can change quickly. Good or bad. For Nebraska football, hopefully there are more wins on the horizon, although the preseason bowl projection from Brett McMurphy of On3 has Nebraska going to the Cactus Bowl.

The opponent is where things would get interesting. Nebraska is projected to play UCF, led by former Huskers head coach Scott Frost, a legend on the field who led the 1997 Huskers to a share of the national championship.

The Catcus Bowl feels like the result of a six or seven-win season. It would allow the Huskers to exorcise some demons, possibly defeating Frost, but none of that sounds like true progress.

Another bowl projection had Nebraska in the Mayo Bowl against Florida State, which would be a more high-profile game and a better matchup.

However, if bowl executives can make a Nebraska-UCF matchup happen, it’s not hard to see that they will make it happen. Bowl games are about making money. That game would sell tickets and get eyeballs on TV.

Nebraska football position battles are unsettled

According to Husker Online, the cornerback battle to start opposite Andrew Marshall is still “wide open.”

Victor Evans, a nine-game starter for FIU last season, runs the 40-meter dash in 4.31. He’s had a strong camp, but hasn’t quite been able to separate from Jeremiah Charles and Danny Odem.

Rhule said the entire cornerback room has played well. He mentioned Larry Tarver and Bryson Webber. I don’t see Odem as a serious threat to start Week 1. Yet, he could take over the job before the season is over.

Odem might be the best man-to-man corner in the 2026 class. He’s 6-foot and sticky. My money is on Evans to start. All three cornerbacks will play, probably even more than that. Donovan Jones is the nickel.

Regardless of who starts, it does feel a little bit like they are holding a place for Odem, although the five-star freshman may end up having to wait until 2027 to crack the starting lineup.

That might even be the preferred scenario for Nebraska, as long as the other guys are up to the challenge.

Cornerback isn’t the only position. Right tackle. Running back. Linebacker and safety are still to be determined. There is a lot of competition and a lot to learn from the first official depth chart.

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