A change is coming on special teams for Nebraska football, and it could reshape a few late-game decisions moving forward. Matt Rhule announced that John Hohl will take over the place-kicking job after Kyle Cunanan missed a critical short field goal against Washington in the fourth quarter and also came up short against Indiana.
Hohl has already been through this before. In the 2024 season, he went 10-for-15 for Nebraska, and one of his cleanest stretches came against Ohio State, when he was perfect on three tries.
But his season also had some painful misses, including a kick against Illinois with just over two minutes left and another in the 13-10 loss to Iowa. He did connect on his lone attempt last week, so Nebraska is turning back to a kicker with a mixed but familiar track record.
The Huskers are also tweaking how they handle the offensive staff on game day. Dana Holgorsen and Geep Wade will both be in the booth, while Lonnie Teasley will work from the sideline so he can handle the technique side of things.
Rhule’s setup is a little unusual, especially with an offensive line coach upstairs, and it suggests Wade may have a larger voice in the operation. However it shakes out, Nebraska is looking for more patience in the run game.
Rhule also addressed Anthony Colandrea on Wednesday night radio, and his message was simple: let him be himself.
“When you’re the quarterback, everyone’s looking to you. So we don’t want him to be too much.
But we do want him to be Ant,” Rhule said. “Ant’s a dynamic player.
I want him to run around and make plays. Be in the quarterback run game.
I don’t want him to listen to, ‘Don’t run it. Be in the pocket.’
When you’re in the pocket, be great in the pocket. When you’re outside the pocket, go be you.”
On the recruiting front, Nebraska has picked up momentum with another big target. Tim Verghese of Hurrdat Sports reported that the Huskers are the team to beat for four-star tight end Israel Johnigan.
Johnigan, a 2028 prospect from Missouri, is listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds and sits at No. 216 overall in the 247Sports Composite rankings. He was in Lincoln for the Washington game and has made multiple visits already. Oregon and Notre Dame have both entered the picture with recent offers, but Nebraska appears to be in the strongest position right now.
In Other News...
Former Husker Rookie Just Put Nebraskas NFL Pipeline Back In Focus
Week 8 offered another reminder that Nebraskas NFL footprint is still very much alive, with several former Huskers making their presence felt across the league. Emmett Johnson broke loose for a 73-yard touchdown for the Kansas City Chiefs, while Nate Boerkircher added a 31-yard scoring catch for the Jacksonville Jaguars, two plays that kept the programs pro pipeline in the conversation as the season moved along.
There was plenty of other Nebraska representation as well, from Ameer Abdullah and Maliek Collins to Cam Jurgens, but the weekend also brought a tougher update for Cam Taylor-Britt. The former Husker cornerback was placed on injured reserve because of a groin injury, a setback that adds another layer to a week that otherwise highlighted how widely Nebraska alumni are spread across the NFL. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Faces A Friday Night Chance To Change The Season Mood
Nebraska has spent enough recent seasons chasing a better feeling to know how quickly one good night can change the conversation. Under Matt Rhule in 2023, the Cornhuskers found one of those moments at Illinois, a road win that briefly reset the tone around the program and showed how much a single result can matter when the margins are thin and the expectations are heavy.
Now the calendar has circled back to another Friday night meeting with the Illini in 2026, a matchup that carries both history and a little extra attention because of where Nebraska wants to go next. The series has been tight enough to keep interest high, and the game will be in the spotlight on broadcast TV, with players like tight end Luke Lindenmeyer and defensive back Donovan Jones part of the broader picture as Nebraska keeps trying to turn isolated bright spots into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Can Pile On As Nebraska Faces Another Late-Game Test
Nebraska keeps finding itself in the same uncomfortable spot, with a lead in the fourth quarter and no way to protect it. After three straight losses in which the Cornhuskers were ahead late, the next chance to reset comes against Illinois, a game that carries real weight for both teams with bowl eligibility on the line. Matt Rhule has stressed steadiness, and that message has become impossible to ignore as Nebraska tries to turn solid overall play into a finish it can actually trust.
The defense has generally done enough to keep the Cornhuskers in games, but the fourth quarter has been the problem area, and Illinois will be looking to press that weakness again. With the records so close and the stakes so clear, this feels less like a midseason checkpoint than another test of whether Nebraska can close out a game when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]