Huskers news: TJ Lateef is finally healthy; Super Bowl champ aids D-line, more

There have been questions about the health of Huskers quarterback TJ Lateef since he injured his hamstring during the Iowa game.

Lateef was limited in practice during the first part of bowl prep, but on Saturday, during a meeting with the media, Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule said Lateef was a “full go” for the Las Vegas Bowl on Wednesday.

That’s great news for the Huskers. What it signals to me is that Lateef will be able to run the ball. He wasn’t able to do that against Iowa, and it cost Nebraska football dearly.

For as much as Nebraska’s run defense has been criticized. Utah actually allows even more rushing yards (181 per game) and 4.9 yards per attempt. If Lateef is healthy, a fair amount of zone read seems reasonable.

Isaiah Mozee and Mekhi Nelson also have career-changing opportunities. Like Lateef, if one of them stands out in the bowl game, it could be the first step toward meaningful snaps in 2026. The Huskers will added a running back via the portal, or maybe two, but Nelson or Mozee could have something to say about RB1 next season.

The same can be said for Lateef. The best-case scenario for the Huskers might be Lateef playing well and laying claim to the starting job this week. Or the starter could come from the transfer portal. But the Las Vegas Bowl will give us an indication of what kind of QB Lateef can be moving forward.

Huskers getting assist from a Super Bowl champion

Dave Tollefson, who won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants, and also played for the Las Vegas Raiders, is helping coach Nebraska football EDGE players this week, Matt Rhule revealed on Saturday.

Rhule is also helping to coach the defensive line, along with Phil Simpson. Some players have even suggested that Rhule does it full-time moving forward, which isn’t that realistic, although he could play the part during practice, if not during the actual games.

Huge week ahead for Nebraska basketball teams

The Nebraska women’s basketball team will restart Big Ten play on Monday with a huge game against USC. Fred Hoiberg’s team will do the same on Friday against Michigan State.

However, the Huskers (men) have one final non-conference game on Tuesday against New Hampshire. That’s before the Michigan State Spartans come to town for a ranked matchup.

On Monday, the women will host USC. The Huskers will also play at Iowa on Thursday. Both of those teams are ranked. Michigan State is ranked, too, so there will be three top-25 matchups involving the Huskers this week on the hardwood — two at the Vault.

Go Big Red.

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