Nebraska’s open practice on Tuesday didn’t reveal everything, but it did offer a useful snapshot of where the Huskers stand in fall camp. The pictures and clips that floated around social media gave fans their clearest look yet at the 2026 team outside of the spring game, and a few themes stood out fast.
Start with the trenches, where Nebraska looked every bit like a Big Ten team. That was the easy takeaway from a practice that didn’t include full 11-on-11 work, but the size was impossible to miss.
Dylan Berymon is listed at 350 pounds, David Hoffken looked like he has a chance to play this season, and the defensive line as a whole carried the kind of body type Nebraska needs up front. Last season, that area sometimes got pushed around.
This group looks different.
The same goes for the offensive line. Sua Lefotu is listed at 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, and he looked the part.
Claude Mpouma also turned heads in one-on-one work, and he looked like a future All-Big Ten type of tackle. He could end up as the starting left tackle for the next three or four seasons, and if Nebraska needs help at tackle this year, he may be the first option off the bench depending on when that need hits.
That size shows up across the roster. Nebraska has 26 players listed at 300 pounds or more between the offensive line and defensive line - 17 on offense and nine on defense.
Justin Evans is the lightest projected starting offensive lineman at 315, and every other projected starter is at least 320. Matt Rhule called this his “biggest team,” and Tuesday made that label look accurate.
At running back, the early drill reps suggested Mekhi Nelson and Isaiah Mozee are leading the way. Mozee went first, though it’s worth keeping the caution flag up - drill order can mean plenty or nothing at all.
Still, the expectation is that those two will split the job, and both already showed what they can do by combining for 216 yards rushing and receiving against Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. With more strength, more experience, and a bigger line in front of them, Mozee, Nelson and Jamal Rule should give Nebraska a solid back-by-committee setup.
The pass rush also looked more dangerous. Anthony Jones, the UCLA transfer who had five pressures against USC last season, beat Elijah Pritchett in a one-on-one rep, according to Inside Nebraska.
Williams Nwaneri appears to be in better shape and moving better, and Jashear Whittington drew praise as a force up front. He’s undersized for defensive tackle, but that can work in his favor.
Linebacker may be the deepest spot on the roster. Inside Nebraska reported that Owen Chambliss and Dexter Foster are the top two linebackers right now, with Vincent Shavers right behind them.
Dawson Merrit and Christian Jones should also see action. Nebraska will want about five dependable linebackers to get through the season, and it looks like the Huskers have that kind of depth.
Chambliss, in particular, has the look of a possible All-Big Ten performer.
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One of the clearest signs of progress has been the energy up front, where transfer Jahsear Whittington has stood out for the way he competes. Aurich praised the way Whittington approaches the position, and its the kind of profile Nebraska wants in the middle of its defense as camp rolls on. There is still more of the playbook to finish, but the pace of the buildup has given the Huskers a chance to keep layering on details without losing the edge theyve shown so far. [Read more 🡒]
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Raiola also arrives with time on his side, carrying two years of eligibility as he begins this next chapter. For Oregon, the bigger question is less about the noise around him and more about how quickly he can turn that attention into traction in practice and, eventually, into a real role in a crowded competition. [Read more 🡒]