Anthony Colandrea enters 2026 as the player Nebraska football may need most if the Huskers are going to take a real step forward.
That’s not a knock on the rest of the roster. Nebraska’s skill talent could be the best it has been in years, and maybe the strongest group of the Matt Rhule era.
There are still plenty of unknowns, but there’s real reason for optimism across the board. Still, if this team is going to climb out of the lane it has occupied the last few seasons, it starts with the quarterback wearing No.
Colandrea’s game already comes with a clear calling card. In 2025, he won Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, and his mobility was a huge part of why.
Nebraska fans have always had a soft spot for quarterbacks who can move, and Colandrea fits that mold. He gives the offense a different shape before the ball is even snapped.
What makes him even more intriguing is the way Nebraska is talking about him. Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen said this week that Colandrea’s processing and arm talent have impressed the staff. “He’s checking all those boxes right now,” according to Holgorsen, “and we’re very excited about where he’s at.”
That kind of confidence matters, especially when you compare this moment to the last two seasons. Yes, that means Dylan Raiola.
Raiola’s time in Lincoln wasn’t nothing. He gave it everything he had, handled the public side of the job, represented the program well after losses, and helped Nebraska get back to bowl games. After years of instability, the Huskers at least found some footing.
But there’s also a fair question about whether the program became too centered on one player. For two years, the offense revolved around Raiola, the national conversation revolved around Raiola, and every Saturday seemed to turn into a verdict on Raiola. Fair or not, Nebraska often looked like “The Dylan Raiola Show,” and it’s reasonable to wonder whether that limited the growth of the team as a whole.
Colandrea offers a different kind of setup. He arrives without the burden of carrying a local legacy or trying to live up to some built-in storyline.
There’s no family script attached, no massive expectation to become the symbol of an entire era. He’s just a quarterback trying to make the offense work.
And that alone could be a breath of fresh air.
Nebraska has also been missing the kind of unpredictability Colandrea brings. He can throw it, sure, but he can also dodge pressure, extend a play, and turn something broken into a chunk gain. That forces defenses to stay honest on every snap, and that changes how an offense is defended.
The production backs it up. Colandrea has more than 30 career starts, more than 7,500 passing yards, more than 1,100 rushing yards, and 61 total touchdowns. He’s also shown up on preseason award watch lists, and his teammates have praised his leadership, competitiveness, and the energy he brings to the offense.
The big questions are obvious. Can he take better care of the football against Big Ten defenses?
Can he cut down on the risky throws that have shown up at times in his career? Can Nebraska’s upgraded offensive line, or Colandrea’s own legs, give him enough time to work with the weapons around him?
How those answers come out will go a long way toward deciding whether the Huskers break through in 2026 or stay stuck where they’ve been. That’s the Tony C Factor. That’s the difference a quarterback can make.
Nebraska doesn’t need Colandrea to play like a superhero. It needs him to lift the offense into a different class - one that is explosive, unpredictable, and actually able to finish drives.
For most of the Rhule era, the defense has been doing too much heavy lifting while the offense has fallen short. Even if first-year defensive coordinator Rob Aurich gets that side moving in the right direction, Nebraska still needs an offense that can win games on its own.
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The timing matters because Nebraska has been trying to sort through depth and roles as camp progresses, with the roster getting a little more flexible under the Big Tens expanded travel limits. There has still been positive news around the program, including center Justin Evans earning a spot on the Rimington Trophy Watch List, but Miles absence adds another layer of uncertainty to a group that was already going to have to earn its way onto the field. [Read more 🡒]
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The intrigue now is less about whether there are pieces in place and more about how they fit together. The offense has enough weapons to make people look twice, the offensive line has drawn attention for its depth, and new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich is already part of the discussion as practice starts to reveal how the staff wants this team to play. For a fan base eager to read meaning into every early rep, the first camp notes are offering plenty to debate. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Deep Receiver Room Is Fueling Real 2026 Hype
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What makes the room feel more promising is the depth behind the headliners. Nebraska has several other receivers who could carve out roles, and that matters because a wideout group is only as strong as its ability to survive injuries, rotation and the weekly demands of a Big Ten schedule. The real intrigue now is how much of that potential becomes reliable production once the new quarterback situation settles in, because the answer could go a long way toward defining what the Cornhuskers can be next fall. [Read more 🡒]