Nebraska’s depth chart is about to get tested in a hurry.
The Huskers will head to Rutgers on Saturday without linebacker Owen Chambliss and defensive back Andrew Marshall, two key pieces on a defense that already needs answers after four straight losses in the 2026 season. Rutgers has its own major problem, too: star wide receiver KJ Duff is effectively done for the year, leaving the Scarlet Knights to sort through a major void on offense.
Nebraska enters Week 11 at 5-4 overall and 2-4 in Big Ten play. Rutgers is 2-7 and 1-5. Wednesday evening’s initial availability report made clear both teams are dealing with some serious attrition.
Chambliss has been one of Nebraska’s best defenders this season. Pro Football Network ranks him as the No. 27 highest-graded linebacker in college football, and the senior has put up 55 tackles, 0.5 sacks, one pass deflection and an interception. He was on the field for only 31 defensive snaps in Friday night’s 24-13 loss to Illinois, but still finished with two tackles, including one for a loss.
Now Nebraska has to replace him, and that won’t be simple. Rob Aurich’s defense will likely lean harder on Vincent Shavers, Dexter Foster and sophomore Dawson Merritt, who logged 17 snaps a week ago. Those three were the only other linebackers to see action for Nebraska in Week 10.
Marshall’s absence carries similar weight in the secondary. The senior cornerback, an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selection, is ranked by Pro Football Network as the 17th-highest-graded cornerback in the country.
He played a team-high 67 defensive snaps against Illinois, but the recent results have not been pretty. Over Nebraska’s last three games, Marshall has been targeted 24 times and allowed 13 catches for 200 yards and two touchdowns.
His spot on the availability report suggests he may have been dealing with something for a while. If he can’t go, freshman Danny Odem III and Towson transfer Jasin Shiggs should see more work. Odem played five snaps last week, while Shiggs was on the field for just one.
Rutgers, meanwhile, is staring at a huge hole at receiver. Duff’s junior season appears to be over after a year in which he piled up 774 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 45 catches.
The 6-foot-6, 225-pound target from Riverhead, New York, is listed by Mel Kiper as the No. 18 overall prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft, and the numbers show why. Through nine games, he has accounted for more than 39% of Rutgers’ receiving yards and half of its receiving touchdowns.
No other Scarlet Knights receiver has topped 265 yards or two touchdowns.
That leaves more on the shoulders of Ben Black III, Jourdin Houston and Vernon Allen III. Black and Houston have combined for 529 yards and three touchdowns on 34 receptions, while Allen is tied for second on the team with two receiving scores.
Nebraska also listed several other players in Wednesday’s report. San Diego State transfer Dwayne McDougle was questionable, while safety Jamir Conn was probable.
Conn first got hurt against Indiana on Oct. 10 and, even though he was available against Illinois in Week 10, he did not play. McDougle has appeared in all nine of Nebraska’s games this season and has started eight.
A number of Huskers remain out as well: Anthony Jones Jr., Larry Miles, Kahmir Prescott, Vincent Genatone, Jase Reynolds, Jacob Bower and Gabe Moore.
Rutgers also continues to be without former starting quarterback Dylan Longergan. Junior AJ Surace is expected to keep the job after going 14 of 24 for 164 yards and a touchdown against Wisconsin last week, though he is listed as questionable.
In Other News...
Nebraska Faces A Costly Problem As Matt Rhule Eyes Key Decision
Nebraskas recent run has been slowed by a problem that keeps showing up in the same places, and it is not hard to see why the staff is pressing the issue. Tight end Luke Lindenmeyer said the penalties have been a pattern in practice as well as in games, which has pushed the Cornhuskers toward a heavier dose of accountability as they try to clean up the details that can swing close contests.
At the same time, Matt Rhule has another important call to make on the offensive side, with Jerry Neuheisel and Rob Aurich among the names being discussed for the coordinator opening. There is also some roster stability to note, as Cameron Lenhardt announced he will return for a fifth season under the new 5-for-5 rule, giving Nebraska a bit more continuity while the staff sorts through its next move. And across campus, Britt Princes 24-point outing helped the womens basketball team move to 3-0, a reminder that there is plenty going right even as the football program works through a few pressing issues. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas First Top 25 Night Brought Exactly What Fans Wanted
The first night as a Top 25 team came with the kind of performance Nebraska fans were hoping to see, as the Huskers rolled past Lindenwood 94-60 in a nonconference home game. It was a comfortable win from the start, and it gave Nebraska a chance to settle into its new ranking without much drama, while senior forward Damon Wilkinson provided a strong lift with 19 points and solid shooting from beyond the arc.
Pryce Sandfort led all scorers with 22 points, giving Nebraska another scoring option to lean on as the schedule turns a little more demanding. The next test comes against Boise State at a neutral site in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a matchup that should offer a better gauge of where this group stands now that the early-season spotlight has found it. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Slide Just Made This Final Stretch Feel Even More Urgent
Nebraskas latest loss to Illinois did more than extend a frustrating skid. It pushed the Cornhuskers into a deeper hole in the national polls and triggered a major change on the coaching staff, with offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen fired after the defeat. For a team that has tried to steady itself through a difficult stretch, the timing only sharpened the pressure around what remains of the regular season.
Rutgers is next, and the math is simple enough for Nebraska even if the path is not. The Cornhuskers need one win in their final three games to become bowl eligible, which makes every remaining Saturday feel heavier than the last. After four straight losses to Illinois and the fallout that followed, there is no margin left to waste. [Read more 🡒]