Nebraska’s offense looks strong in plenty of places on EA Sports College Football 27, but one spot jumps off the screen for all the wrong reasons: running back.
The Huskers have no shortage of respectable ratings elsewhere on the roster. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea comes in at 87, and the receiving group brings real firepower with Jacory Barney at 87, Nyziah Hunter at 86, Kwazi Gilmer at 85 and Cortez Mills at 81. But when it comes to the backfield, Nebraska doesn’t have a single running back rated above 78.
That makes the position group stand out as the lowest-rated unit on the team in the game, with the top number capped at 78. Isaiah Mozee and Mekhi Nelson both sit at that mark, while Kwinten Ives is rated 77 and Connor Booth checks in at 73.
There is one odd wrinkle on the digital roster. Freshman running back Jamal Rule is not included, and in his place EA has inserted a fictional player, Mario Golston, who is rated 76.
Granted, if Rule were on the roster, there’s no guarantee he would have landed much higher to begin with. He remains an unknown in the college game.
Still, the ratings line up with the concern Nebraska has been dealing with since the Transfer Portal closed this winter: a running back room short on depth and even shorter on veteran experience. That has led to questions about whether the group could be the biggest weakness for the 2026 Huskers.
The EA numbers aren’t proof of anything on their own, and they’re only a projection of how players might perform. But they do put a spotlight on a backfield that hasn’t exactly eased those concerns.
And with a season that could be make-or-break for the Matt Rhule era, Nebraska is heading toward fall camp with one of its biggest questions still hanging over the roster.
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Fred Hoiberg May Finally See Nebraskas Answer At Point Guard
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Taj DeGourville, the defense-first guard who has been working to expand his role, has caught Hoibergs attention for the kind of clean, low-risk decisions that can settle a teams offense. He has been finding shooters and helping create open looks for teammates like Belmont transfer Sam Orme, a sign that Nebraska may finally be getting closer to a point guard who can keep the ball moving and make the whole group easier to play with. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Point Guard Battle May Be Breaking In A New Direction
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Leonhardts next test is a bigger one, because Hoiberg made it clear the lead guard job is open enough for him to compete for it. Nebraska also has Taj DeGourville waiting in the wings if the transition to the Big Ten proves more demanding than expected, but Leonhardts summer has at least put him in position to get the first real chance to run the show. [Read more 🡒]
Fred Hoibergs First Summer Read Hints At Nebraskas Next Step
Nebraskas first summer live action gave Fred Hoiberg the kind of early read he expected: plenty of sloppiness, a few growing pains and signs that the group is still learning how to play together. Hoiberg said the turnover issues were typical for this point on the calendar, but he also sounded encouraged by the way the roster is trending as it keeps stacking work and getting healthier.
The more intriguing part for the Huskers is who has started to define the tone. Boston College transfer Boden Kapke has already stood out to Hoiberg as a vocal presence, and his energy on the floor has drawn praise for the kind of effort Nebraska can build around. With injured pieces nearing full recovery and fall practices still ahead, the next step for this team may be less about finding talent than seeing how quickly the pieces start to fit. [Read more 🡒]