Fall camp is grinding on in Lincoln, and Nebraska’s picture is getting a little clearer - though not clear enough to settle every job. With a scrimmage possibly coming Saturday and just one more week before Ohio Game Week, the Huskers are now 16 days from the season opener, and the biggest battles are still very much alive.
That’s the story of camp right now: a roster with real competition and a few spots that refuse to sort themselves out. Right tackle, cornerback, running back, safety, linebacker and defensive line all remain up for grabs.
Tree Babalade was in a non-contact jersey during open practice Tuesday, while Gunnar Gottula has been getting more run with the No. 1 group. That development has at least made the right tackle race more interesting.
Whoever comes out on top there will have the job, but the loser is still expected to play, since Nebraska can’t get through a season leaning on just five offensive linemen.
The secondary and front seven are just as crowded. Caleb Benning has made a move at safety, and the running back battle became a little easier to read after Tikey Hayes’ departure.
At corner, Victor Evans and Jeremiah Charles are battling to start opposite Andrew Marshall, with Danny Odem still in the mix. At linebacker, Vincent Shavers is competing with Dexter Foster for the starting role.
All of that sits against a bigger backdrop for Nebraska: a season that hasn’t generated quite the same buzz as the past two offseasons, but is starting to pick up steam in camp. There are still real questions about whether this team can get to a winning record.
Six wins against this schedule won’t be easy. Seven or eight would count as a real accomplishment.
Matt Rhule has already pushed the program forward with consecutive bowl trips and back-to-back winning seasons, but the expectation now is for more. This group looks capable of giving it to the fan base.
Nebraska is also already getting a look at a major future target. J’deion Jackson, a 6-foot-2, 330-pound defensive tackle from Orlando, Florida, will visit Lincoln for the Maryland game, according to Tom Loy of 247 Sports. Jackson is a rising sophomore in high school and is ranked No. 2 in the initial 247 Sports rankings for the 2029 class.
Florida and Texas A&M are among the schools “standing out,” and Jackson also has Gameday visits scheduled to Nebraska, Texas, LSU and Ohio State. That’s strong company for the Huskers to be in, even if landing him looks like a long shot right now.
Rhule and his staff have recruited well, but the next step on the trail is tied to what happens on the field. As the source noted, winning eight games in 2026 would help a lot in the chase for recruits like Jackson.
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Still, the bigger question around the streak is whether ending it would change anything meaningful for the Cornhuskers. Nebraskas financial position is not the same as programs such as Ohio State, and the departments broader challenges go well beyond attendance counts. In that sense, scrapping the streak would be less a solution than another flashpoint, one that would put more scrutiny on Troy Dannen without addressing the real fixes the program still needs. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Fall Camp Is Turning Up Pressure On A Few Starting Jobs
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There are other names pushing for more than just reserve work, too. Freshman Jamal Rule and senior Jeremiah Charles have been mentioned as players who could see larger roles this season, whether that means earning starts or simply carving out more meaningful snaps. For a roster still being tested in camp, the next stretch should tell a lot about which players are ready to turn praise into real responsibility. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Has An Unexpected Position Problem On Offense
As Nebraska moves toward the 2026 season, one of the quieter concerns on offense has become the tight end room. Former offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield was reportedly dissatisfied with what he saw in practice, and Dana Holgorsen has also singled out the group for its play over the summer, especially as a passing-game outlet. For a team trying to stabilize its offense, that is not the kind of position battle the Huskers can afford to let drift.
The pressure now falls on a handful of players to turn that group into a more dependable part of the attack. Luke Lindenmeyer and Carter Nelson are among the names Nebraska is counting on to bring more production and consistency, while true freshman Luke Sorensen arrives with real promise as a recruit. The talent is there for the room to help the offense in a meaningful way, but the gap between potential and reliability is what Nebraska still has to close. [Read more 🡒]