Nebraska walked into fall camp with a noticeably upbeat tone on Tuesday, and that mood was already in place before the first practice of the 2026 season even got rolling.
The players who spoke with the media sounded aligned with what Matt Rhule projected last week in Chicago at Big Ten Media Days: confidence, belief and a clear sense that this group expects more than just another middling season. Anthony Colandrea set the tone by calling the offensive line “ elite “ and saying it was the best group he’s been around in his college career.
That kind of praise matters, especially with Colandrea looking like a strong fit for Dana Holgorsen’s offense. The 2025 Mountain West Player of the Year brings the sort of dual-threat ability Rhule has been searching for - a quarterback who can hurt defenses with both his legs and his arm.
The optimism didn’t stop there. Nebraska’s roster looks built to sell that message, whether you’re talking about the receivers, the offensive line, the new defensive coordinator, or the fact that the Huskers are bringing back 14 starters. Riley Van Poppel made the attitude plain, saying they didn’t come to Nebraska to win seven games.
That kind of talk is refreshing, even if the real answer still has to come on the field. Rhule is entering year four, and the big question remains whether he can finally push the program over the hump.
What isn’t in question, at least right now, is how much confidence is in that locker room. The Huskers believe in themselves.
The season will decide whether that belief is earned.
There was also a notable comment from former Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola, who was asked why he chose to leave for Oregon. His answer was direct:
“There’s not cornfields here. There’s mountains and trees, and I love the nature.
As far as football, it’s different, you know, with coaches and players, we have a lot more talent than we did at Nebraska. And I don’t say that to knock on them, but I think everybody will know that.
“But I’m very grateful for my time there. Learned a lot from my coaches, teammates - still have those relationships - but I think that I’m really excited for what Oregon’s going to bring.”
Nebraska also picked up some preseason recognition in the Coaches Poll, receiving votes in the Coaches Preseason Top 25 Poll but landing outside the top 25.
Even so, the schedule leaves room for statement chances. Five ranked teams are on it: No.
1 Ohio State, No. 2 Oregon, No.
6 Indiana, No. 19 Washington and No.
23 Iowa. For Nebraska, that means plenty of opportunities to finally land a ranked win under Rhule.
In Other News...
Former Nebraska Standout Put His NFL Push On Hold For One Reason
Ceyair Wrights NFL push hit pause during Bengals fall camp, but not because of an injury or a roster move. The former Nebraska standout stepped away from Cincinnati to chase an acting opportunity, a decision Bengals coach Zac Taylor said was tough for Wright because it comes down to two real passions for him: football and acting.
Wright is no stranger to the screen, either, with prior work that includes a role in the Space Jam remake and a run on Grown-ish. For Nebraska fans who watched him develop into a standout, the football part of the story is still very much alive, with Wright planning to return after his acting project wraps in October. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Fall Camp Is Already Revealing Who Could Define This Season
Midway through fall camp, Nebraska is starting to get a clearer picture of which players could shape the season once the real games arrive. With one scrimmage already in the books and another coming up, the staff is using every practice rep to sort out the Huskers biggest personnel questions, and a handful of names keep surfacing in that conversation. Andrew Marshall, Anthony Colandrea, Elijah Pritchett, Owen Chambliss and Justin Evans all figure to matter in different ways, whether through past production, projected roles or the expectation that they can raise the ceiling of the roster.
What makes this stretch of camp so important is that the Huskers are not just looking for depth, they are looking for players who can define the identity of the team. Some of the evaluation is rooted in what those veterans and newcomers have already shown, while some of it is still projection, which is exactly why the next scrimmage matters. Nebraska still has time to refine the picture, but the current read is that a few key contributors are beginning to separate themselves from the pack. [Read more 🡒]
Former Huskers Are Already Turning Heads In Early NFL Battles
The NFL preseason is still young, but a handful of former Nebraska players have already found ways to make an impression. Emmett Johnson, now with the Kansas City Chiefs, got steady work in his preseason debut and showed the kind of versatility that helped him stand out in Lincoln, while Ty Robinson and Garrett Nelson both showed up on defense with sacks for their new clubs.
For Nebraska fans, it is the sort of early August development worth keeping an eye on because it gives the program another quick reminder of how many Huskers are trying to carve out roles on Sundays. Some alumni were active in games, others did not see the field, and these opening reps are only the first step in battles that will stretch through the rest of the preseason. [Read more 🡒]