Ranking Nebraska’s position groups heading into 2026 season

Fall camp is less than two weeks away for Nebraska football. We have a series of fall camp articles looking at the depth chart, players under the radar, breakout candidates, and much more.

That continues with another look ahead to the 2026 season. Many Nebraska fans expect the Huskers to struggle against what is certainly the most difficult schedule of the Matt Rhule era.

However, Rhule and others have said this is Rhule’s best team in Lincoln as he enters his fourth season. The Nebraska football head coach needs to show progress at some point. Seven or maybe eight wins this season would achieve that.

The roster is solid, and with that in mind, we rank the Nebraska roster by position groups with a few pleasant surprises, at least based on the past few seasons.

8. Tight end

Luke Lindenmeyer is a solid player. He had 329 receiving yards last season and is a quality blocker. There aren’t any concerns about him. There are depth issues. We don’t know if Carter Nelson is a wideout or a tight end. Luke Sorensen, a true freshman, is pushing for playing time, and it’s a position that needs more young talent.

7. Running back

Nebraska’s running back room is probably the most unproven position on the team. It only ranks ahead of the tight end spot because it feels like there are multiple starters in this room.

Emmett Johnson got the bulk of the carries last season, and he deserved them. Mekhi Nelson and Isaiah Mozee each flashed last season. Both played well in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Nelson’s recent arrest is hanging over his head. It remains to be seen if he faces some sort of suspension. Jamal Rule is another candidate, along with newcomer Tikey Hayes.

Overall, there is enough in the room to make it work.

6. Defensive line

This room feels like it will fare much better in the 4-2-5. Riley Van Poppel needs to have a breakout season, but the Huskers also added Owen Stoudmire and Jashear Whittington from the portal, plus Tyson Terry and Malcolm Simpson are heading into their second seasons. Dylan Berymon is ranked in the top 200 overall.

None of the younger defensive tackles needs to play right away. They can get some more experience this season. EDGE has Williams Nwaerni, Cameron Lendhardt, Anthony Jones, and Kade Pietrzak, plus Willis McGahee IV. The Huskers should be able to get after the quarterback.

The run defense should be better, too.

5. Wide receiver

Nebraska has three proven wideouts. Nyziah Hunter had over 600 yards receiving, while Jacory Barney had 484 receiving yards and Kwazi Gilmer had 535 on 52 receptions. These guys have all had back-to-back seasons with production, and with Anthony Colandrea throwing the ball, each pass catcher should have a chance to stand out.

Remember the names of Cortez Mills, Quinn Clark, and Carter Nelson, too.

4. Quarterback

Anthony Colandrea was the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year last season. He will bring a playmaking element, too, after rushing for over 650 yards last season for UNLV.

Last season, Colandrea averaged 293 total yards per game. For those doubting the competition, Colandrea averaged 272 total yards per game with Virginia in nine games as a true freshman. He’s a career 63.8 percent career passer with 7.542 yards and 33 total touchdowns last season.

If Colandrea improves at protecting the ball, he could be one of the Big Ten’s most productive quarterbacks. TJ Lateef and Daniel Kaelin, the two backups, are former Elite 11 quarterbacks.

3. Offensive line

This might surprise some Nebraska fans; however, Geep Wade has transformed the offensive line room. He added three expected starters via the transfer portal. Elijah Prichett, Paul Mubenga, Justin Evans, Brendan Black, and Tree Babalde have all started at least 11 games in their careers. Three of those players have started at least 20 games.

Nebraska football also has decent depth. Grant Brix, Gibson Pyle, Tyler Knaak, Gunnar Gottula, Sam Sledge, and others provide some insurance. You always need more than five, and it feels like the Huskers have that this season.

2. Linebackers

Owen Chambliss, Vincent Shavers, and Dexter Foster give Nebraska three starting-caliber linebackers. All have multiple years of eligibility, too. Dawson Merritt and Christian Jones are still developing, too. Will Hawthorne was another quality addition. The Huskers almost go three deep when considering there could be just two linebackers on the field frequently this season.

1. Secondary

There are proven players in the secondary, such as Andrew Marshall, Dwayne McDougle, and Donovan Jones. You also have other holdovers like Rex Guthrie and Jamir Conn, who should see plenty of snaps.

5-star freshman Danny Odem could make an impact this season, along with 6-foot-3 rising sophomore Bryson Webber. Mario Buford and Caleb Benning also got their feet wet in 2025. Benning had double-digit tackles in the bowl game, while Victor Evans, the transfer cornerback, is another name for fans to know.

If Odem is the real deal, this will be one of the better secondary groups in the Big Ten this season. If Webber is ready, too, Nebraska football could have a slew of physical, talented man-to-man corners. The safety group is good, too, and Addison Williams will prove that keeping him around was a really good idea.

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