Nebraska defensive back Donovan Jones earned a spot on the 2026 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List on Tuesday, a recognition that puts a premium on what happens far beyond the stat sheet. The award is given to Football Bowl Subdivision players who lead through community service while also standing out in the classroom and on the field.
Jones has already built a strong case on the football side. In 2025, the redshirt freshman played in all 13 games and made 11 starts as a returning piece in the Huskers’ secondary.
He finished with 59 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, and tied for the team lead with five pass breakups. That production put him in rare company: Jones became just the fifth Husker freshman to post at least 50 tackles since NCAA restored freshman eligibility in 1972.
He also helped Nebraska finish third nationally in pass defense in 2025.
His impact stretches well beyond game day. Jones has been active in Nebraska’s community outreach, volunteering with the Food Bank of Lincoln, Matt Talbot Kitchen, the Malone Center, F Street Community Center and with the Omaha and Lincoln Public Schools. Earlier this year, those efforts earned him the Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award.
The Wuerffel Foundation is again teaming with Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association for the third straight year to link college football’s biggest community-service honors with the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®. In September, 11 student-athletes from the Watch List will be selected for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and become semifinalists for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy.
The 2026 winner will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards show on December 11, and that player will also serve as captain of the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
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Nebraskas Running Back Battle May Be Starting To Break One Way
Nebraskas open practice during fall camp offered one of the clearer clues yet about how the backfield picture is sorting itself out. Isaiah Mozee seemed to get the bulk of the first-team work at running back, and that lines up with the way insider Steve Sipple has framed him as a strong candidate to open the season in that role.
The position battle still has plenty of time to shift, but the early signs are enough to give the Huskers a better sense of where they might be headed on offense. At the same time, the staff is already working ahead in the recruiting lane, where Nebraska is in strong shape with 2028 four-star targets Israel Johnigan and Baron Marshall, both of whom have made multiple visits to the program. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Is Teasing An Offensive Twist Husker Fans Have Missed
Fall camp has offered a small but intriguing window into what Nebraskas offense may look like under Dana Holgorsen. Video clips making the rounds have shown the Huskers working on option plays, with quarterbacks and running backs mixed into drills that point toward a more varied attack. It is not a full return to the old-school option identity, but it does suggest Holgorsen is looking for ways to put the quarterback run game back into the conversation.
That part matters because Anthony Colandrea and TJ Lateef both bring mobility that could give Nebraska a different edge if the staff leans into it. The idea has already sparked plenty of buzz among fans who remember the programs history with option football, and the clips have only added to the anticipation. For now, the exact balance of how much Nebraska will use those elements remains the part everyone is watching. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska May Finally Have The Depth Big Ten Football Demands
An open practice in fall camp gave Nebraska a useful checkpoint on where the roster stands heading into a rugged Big Ten season, and the early impression is that the Huskers may have more usable depth than theyve had in recent years. The offensive and defensive lines looked like real strengths in the latest observations from Inside Nebraska, while the backfield also showed a more workable rotation with Mekhi Nelson and Isaiah Mozee helping to stabilize the running back group.
The most encouraging part may be how many spots look capable of holding up over a long season, not just flashing in a single workout. Nebraskas pass rush appeared to be taking a step with Anthony Jones among the players drawing notice, and the linebacker room also looked deeper with Owen Chambliss and Dexter Foster in the mix, the kind of balance that can matter when the injuries and attrition of conference play start to pile up. [Read more 🡒]