Nebraska added a transfer catcher on Wednesday, announcing the signing of Reyse Zobel from Southeast Community College.
Zobel arrives as a mid-year transfer, which means she will not be eligible to play in the 2027 season. Even so, Nebraska expects her to fill an important support role by catching bullpens and helping in practices and warm-ups.
At SCC, Zobel had a productive freshman year. She started 27 games, hit .435, and finished with 30 hits, including nine doubles and eight home runs. She also scored 19 runs and drove in 29.
Before college, Zobel starred at Grand Island Northwest High School, where she helped lead her team to two state titles. She earned Super State First Team honors in 2023 and 2024, was named First-Team All-State Class B in both of those seasons, and made the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star All-State First Teams in each of those years.
Around the wider Nebraska sports scene, Maryland moved on from coach Mike Locksley after a loss to Rutgers, the final blow in a stretch that included 12 straight Big Ten losses. Earlier in the season, Nebraska had been hoping Locksley would still be on the sideline when the Huskers faced Maryland; he was, and Nebraska beat the Terrapins 48-23.
There was also quarterback news nationally, with former Michigan Wolverine JJ McCarthy set to make his first start with the New York Giants this Sunday. John Harbaugh said McCarthy will be the Giants’ starting quarterback for the foreseeable future, giving him his first extended shot to run the offense.
Back in Lincoln, Matt Rhule is clearly fed up with Nebraska’s kickoff return situation. He said the Huskers should be fair-catching kicks with a four-second hang time or longer, pointing out that if the returner does that, the ball goes to the 25 anyway.
Rhule said, “That was something I wanted to do last year, and the special teams coordinator wouldn’t always do it. Changes happened.”
It remains unclear why that adjustment still hasn’t been made this season.
Rhule is also using the bye week to recruit. Reports say he is heading to Ruston, Louisiana, to pursue top tight end Ahmad Hudson and keep working to flip him from LSU. Hudson visited Nebraska during the Maryland game.
On the volleyball side, Nebraska has turned up the aggression on serve this season. It’s been a high-risk, high-reward approach, and one that will be worth watching as the season closes in on the postseason.
And in football injury news, defender Anthony Jones has a broken foot and will be out for “a while.” That injury could open the door for Kade Pietrzak, who was listed as the No. 2 defensive end on last week’s depth chart, to move into the starting lineup on October 31 against Washington.
In Other News...
Nebraskas Next Three Games Will Decide What This Team Really Is
Two narrow losses to Indiana and Oregon have left Nebraska with the kind of frustration that lingers through a bye week, especially when both games seemed to turn on the same late-game issues fans have been talking about. At 5-2, the Huskers still have a solid record, and Matt Rhule has tried to strike the right balance by acknowledging the disappointment while also pointing to what still sits in front of them.
Washington, Illinois and Rutgers now shape the next stretch, and they come before the schedule tightens again with Ohio State and Iowa waiting later on. Nebraska has an experienced roster and a chance to show whether those close calls were the product of a team still learning how to finish or simply the prelude to a better version of itself. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Gets A Different Oregon Offense Than Fans Expected
Oregon heads into its game against Illinois still trying to sort out a passing attack that looked very different than expected when the week began. Dante Moore will miss his third straight game because of a concussion, and the Ducks have already been forced to lean on a quarterback rotation with Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas splitting duties in Moores absence.
The receiving picture is just as unsettled, with leading target Evan Stewart unavailable after an injury and a recent arrest. Raiola helped finish the last game with the winning drive, but Oregon is still navigating a stretch where its offense is being asked to adapt on the fly, and the next test against Illinois will reveal a lot about how far that reshaping has come. [Read more 🡒]