Emmett Johnson kept making the same kind of case all preseason: if the Kansas City Chiefs were looking for a late-round steal, they found one.
The former Nebraska football standout closed his preseason Friday night with another useful showing against the Seattle Seahawks, rushing seven times for 39 yards and adding two catches for 15 yards. He also had another sizable gain through the air wiped out by a penalty, one more example of the kind of hidden damage the Chiefs’ flags have caused him at the wrong moments.
That theme has followed Johnson throughout August. The plays are there, the versatility is there, and the production has shown up on both handoffs and receptions. His final preseason line reflects that: 26 carries for 123 yards and a touchdown, plus 6 catches for 35 yards on seven targets, with no drops.
The rookie fifth-round pick wasn’t the only Kansas City back trying to make noise Friday. Brashard Smith turned in a 16-carry, 72-yard performance of his own, which keeps the competition for a depth spot very much alive. The expectation is that Kenneth Walker will open as the starting back, with Emari Demercado sitting in the RB2 role.
Still, Johnson has done enough to make this a real conversation. He’s been given plenty of chances before the regular season, and that suggests the Chiefs could be preparing to expand his role once the games count.
For Nebraska fans, the appeal is obvious. Johnson looks like another player they can follow on Sundays, even if the source of the optimism comes with a reality check: he’s not likely to see anything close to 20 carries a game unless injuries hit that backfield hard.
In Other News...
Nebraska Got Some Rare Star Power As One Commit Keeps Turning Heads
Nebraskas opener against UNLV already had a little extra shine to it, but the presence of Tom Brady made the scene feel bigger than a typical season-starting match. The Las Vegas Raiders part-owner was on hand during the Spikes Under the Lights tournament and spent time around the Cornhuskers, including interactions with Harper Murray and Lexi Rodriguez, giving the program a rare dose of star power in a setting that usually belongs to the players and coaches.
And while that cameo drew plenty of attention, Nebraska commit Trae Taylor kept building his own buzz with another notable high school football performance. There was also a leaguewide wrinkle to keep an eye on, with the Big Ten announcing a new injury report policy for the 2026 season, a change that could alter how teams handle information going forward and add another layer of interest for a program trying to keep momentum rolling on and off the field. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Top QB Commit Is Already Facing An Unwanted Distraction
Trae Taylors commitment gave Nebraska a marquee arm for the future, but the chatter around the five-star quarterback has already drifted into an area no program wants to manage this early. A heavy rushing workload in a recent high school game drew concern from Nebraska staff and Taylors father, adding a layer of attention around how the prospect is being used on Friday nights while the Huskers try to keep their top quarterback pledge on track.
The issue only grew louder when Taylors father said Nebraska coaches planned to reach out to the high school about the quarterbacks usage, a claim the schools coach pushed back on. Now the situation has spilled into public view, with Taylors performances and workload getting a closer look than Nebraska would prefer for a committed recruit still finishing out his prep career. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Timi Aliu Just Raised A Bigger Recruiting Question
The recruiting buzz around Timi Aliu got a little louder after the four-star offensive lineman made a recent trip to Florida State, but the Nebraska pledge did what the Cornhuskers wanted to see publicly: he reaffirmed his commitment on social media. Aliu, one of the more coveted linemen in Nebraska's 2027 class, is ranked No. 267 nationally and has already pulled in more than 30 offers, which tells you how widely his name is circulating across the Power Conference landscape.
For Nebraska, the bigger question now is not whether Aliu is a respected prospect, but how firm that commitment stays as other programs keep pushing. He has built strong relationships with Nebraska coaches and other recruits, and those ties matter, yet his connections in Tallahassee give Florida State a real foothold too. In a cycle where blue-chip linemen can shift quickly, this is the kind of tug-of-war Nebraska will be watching closely all the way down the road. [Read more 🡒]