Nebraska’s roster valuation suggests the Huskers are no longer easy to dismiss in the NIL arms race.
When Matt Rhule signed his extension with Nebraska last fall, he pointed to the resources he was promised to keep pace in the new era. He said the Huskers would have “enough to compete,” and The Athletic’s latest roster-value estimate backs that up in a big way.
The site’s months-long project, built from interviews with coaches and college front-office executives, attempted to put a dollar figure on every Power 4 roster. The top of the list looks about how you’d expect.
Ohio State is estimated to have the richest roster in college football at $49-$54 million, with Oregon close behind at $48 to $54 million. Texas, LSU, Miami, and Texas A&M sit in the next tier, all estimated at $45-$55 million.
Nebraska doesn’t crack that elite group, but the Huskers landed in a spot that should change the conversation. The Athletic pegs Nebraska at No. 18 nationally, with a roster worth between $31 and $35 million. That puts the Huskers in the same neighborhood as Georgia and Florida and ahead of Oklahoma, a national title contender.
Within the Big Ten, Nebraska checks in sixth, trailing only Ohio State, Oregon, USC, Indiana, and Michigan. Of that group, only Oregon and USC have not won a national championship in the last five years.
The numbers also matter because of what they suggest about Nebraska’s place in the broader playoff picture. Of the 17 teams valued above the Huskers, only four have not reached the College Football Playoff since it expanded to 12 teams in 2024: Florida, USC, Auburn, and South Carolina. Florida and USC, though, are considered legitimate CFP contenders this season.
Nebraska still has plenty to prove on the field. The Huskers have gone 5-7, 7-6, and 7-6 since the 12-team playoff era began, so they haven’t been close to a CFP push yet. But if Rhule’s comments last November are any indication, the program has put real money behind the push to change that.
That’s the part that matters now. Nebraska coaches have said this is the most talented roster they’ve had since arriving in 2023, and with big-money additions like Anthony Colandrea and Owen Chambliss, 2026 suddenly looks like the season where Rhule’s promise gets tested in full.
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Nebraskas defense took a meaningful step forward in Week 2, especially in how it limited explosive plays against Bowling Green. Defensive coordinator Rob Aurich pointed to the work of Williams Nwaneri, Dylan Berrymon and Malcolm Simpson as part of that improvement, and their production could earn each of them a bigger role as the season moves on.
North Dakota brings a different kind of challenge, though, and one that should test how real Nebraskas early defensive gains actually are. Aurich stressed the need for continued improvement heading into a matchup with an FCS offense that has been effective, which makes this week less about what the Huskers already fixed and more about whether they can keep building against a much sharper test. [Read more 🡒]