Nebraska’s offense is walking into Saturday’s game against Maryland with a few of its key pieces on the injury report, and the biggest name on it is freshman running back Jamal Rule.
In the Big Ten availability report released ahead of Week 5, Rule was listed as doubtful after a quiet outing against Michigan State. He was on the field for just eight snaps in Nebraska’s conference opener on Sept. 26, finishing with four yards on four carries before leaving the game. Rule entered that matchup as the most productive freshman ball carrier in college football, and through his first four games he had piled up 415 all-purpose yards.
Wide receiver Jacory Barney Jr. is also in question. The junior was listed as questionable after playing only 21 snaps against Michigan State. Before that game, Barney had been Nebraska’s leading receiver through three contests, putting up 15 catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns while adding 13 rushing yards on two carries.
With Barney limited, Quinn Clark saw a much bigger role. The 6-foot-5 junior from Montana played 40 snaps, his heaviest workload of the 2026 season, and finished with two catches for 34 yards. Anthony Colandrea then found UCLA transfer Kwazi Gilmer for four receptions, 101 yards and a touchdown, which pushed Gilmer ahead of Barney as Nebraska’s current WR1.
The offensive line took a hit, too. Iowa State transfer Brendan Black, who has started all four of Nebraska’s 2026 games at right guard, was forced out early against Michigan State after playing 59 snaps.
The 6-foot-4, 325-pound senior from Yulee, Florida, had a team-best 85.0 pass-blocking grade before the injury, along with a 61.4 run-blocking grade. He has logged 245 offensive snaps this season without allowing a sack or quarterback hit, though Pro Football Focus says he has been charged with one hurry and two penalties.
Black was listed as probable for Maryland.
The rest of the report included Rex Guthrie as probable, while Tanner Terch and Bryson Webber were listed as questionable. Larry Miles, Kahmir Prescott, Gage Stenger, Jase Reynolds, Jacob Bower and Gabe Moore have not yet played for Nebraska this season. Several of those players have already been confirmed out for the year, with Moore the lone exception whose status is still unresolved.
Tight end Carter Nelson was also ruled out for the Maryland game. The junior played in three games this fall before leaving in the second half of Nebraska’s win over North Dakota, and he is expected to miss an extended stretch.
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