Nebraska’s injury picture got a little clearer - and a little messier - heading into Saturday’s matchup with Washington.
On Thursday night, head coach Matt Rhule said on the radio that Riley Van Poppel will be back for the game. That’s a big boost for a Nebraska defensive front that has already been dealing with Anthony Jones being out. Van Poppel has missed the last two games with an injury, but he gave the Huskers important production last season with four tackles for loss and two sacks.
The good news didn’t last long, though. When the Thursday injury report came out, Gunnar Gottula showed up as out for Saturday after not appearing on Wednesday’s report.
Linebacker Vincent Shavers is also now questionable, which stings considering how much he has been improving. Isaiah Mozee is listed as probable and appears likely to return.
Washington has its own quarterback situation taking shape. Demond Williams was upgraded to probable for Saturday.
He has thrown for eight touchdowns and three interceptions this season. Jedd Fisch said the starting quarterback won’t be announced before the game.
While football health updates dominate the week, Nebraska’s recruiting machine is humming too. More than 50 recruits will be on campus for the Blackout game against Washington, though Ahmad Hudson is not on the list right now.
One of the biggest names in the group is five-star offensive tackle Antijuan Wilkes Jr., a 6-foot-5 prospect from Detroit who is ranked No. 15 overall by Rivals in the 2028 class. Missouri four-star tight end Israel Johnigan is returning, and so is in-state EDGE Owen Price. Three-star running back Noel Washington from California is also set to visit.
The buzz around those visits suggests Nebraska may be in front for Johnigan, Price and Washington.
Nebraska volleyball is back on the road for a two-match trip, starting tonight in Ann Arbor against Michigan. The Wolverines are 13-8 overall, 4-6 in the Big Ten and sit at No. 46 in RPI.
They’re still trying to build the kind of résumé that gets them into the NCAA tournament for a second straight year, and a win over No. 1 Nebraska would be a huge line on that sheet.
Michigan can score. The Wolverines rank 23rd in kills per set and 20th in assists per set, and Ella Demetrician is the main threat. She leads the Big Ten with 319 kills and ranks third in the league with 4.14 kills per set.
Nebraska brings its own edge into the week. The Huskers own the best hitting-percentage defense in college volleyball, and Andi Jackson just picked up Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors for the third straight week a Husker has won the award.
Harper Murray, meanwhile, will be back in her hometown. The Ann Arbor native, whose late father played football for Michigan, has been surging during conference play.
In eight October matches, she has 95 kills, averaging 4.13 per set while hitting .330.
The Huskers are tied with Pitt for the best hitting percentage in college volleyball at .332.
After Michigan, Nebraska heads to No. 25 Michigan State on Saturday.
The Spartans are 17-3 overall and 7-3 in the Big Ten, marking the best start in program history. Alanna Bankston had 24 kills last week for Michigan State, and freshman Madi Andrews added 12 in a win over Maryland.
Nebraska’s match at Michigan is set for 5:30 Friday night, while the trip to Michigan State begins at 3:30 p.m. Both matches will be streamed on BTN+.
In Other News...
Ryan Walters Just Handed Nebraska Fans More Fuel For Memorial Stadium
Ryan Walters may have done Nebraska a favor without meaning to. The Washington defensive coordinator and former Purdue coach revisited Memorial Stadium in comments that acknowledged the places passionate fan base and the way it can go quiet when the Huskers make plays, a reminder of just how much the environment matters when Nebraska is at home.
Given Walters history with the program and his previous critical remarks, it is no surprise his latest take has landed in Lincoln. Nebraskas athletic department now has fresh material to work with, and fans can probably expect those comments to be hanging around the stadium atmosphere when the next game kicks off. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Colandrea Just Changed Nebraskas Entire Offseason Plan
A quick round of retention talks ended with Nebraska locking down a major piece of its future, as quarterback Anthony Colandrea agreed to a contract extension that will keep him in Lincoln through the 2027 season. The move comes after speculation around the transfer market, but Colandrea made it clear he wanted to stay with the Huskers, giving the program an important bit of certainty at a position that can shape everything else in an offseason.
For Nebraska, the timing matters just as much as the agreement itself. With Colandrea settled in, the coaching staff can turn its full attention to other roster needs instead of wondering whether it would have to replace its quarterback plan, and that kind of stability changes how the rest of the winter can unfold. It also gives the Huskers a clearer foundation heading into the next stretch, even if the bigger roster questions still have to be answered. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Just Got A Huge QB Boost For Its Playoff Push
Nebraskas postseason push just got a significant lift with the news that senior quarterback Anthony Colandrea will be back for the 2027 season, his agent confirmed. Colandrea, who arrived after transferring from UNLV, has quickly become a central piece of the Huskers offense, and the added year of eligibility created by the NCAAs 5-for-5 ruling gives Nebraska a chance to keep some continuity at the most important spot on the field.
For a program trying to build momentum in the Big Ten, keeping a proven quarterback in place matters almost as much as any portal addition. Coach Matt Rhule has already been navigating the realities of transfer portal tampering and the week-to-week grind of conference play, so retaining Colandrea gives Nebraska a little more certainty as it tries to keep its playoff hopes moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]