Nebraska’s 2025-2026 run already gave the program a first NCAA Tournament win, a second straight breakthrough with a victory over Vanderbilt in the round of 32, and a Sweet 16 game against Iowa in which the Huskers led for 35 of the 40 minutes before falling. They were also one of the last unbeaten teams in the country, opened 20-0, and climbed as high as No. 5 in the rankings.
Now the question is whether Fred Hoiberg’s group can top it.
The answer, at least on paper, is yes.
Hoiberg understood the offseason had to be handled with care, not panic. Nebraska’s offense is built around a 5-out style that gives players room to shoot and move, so the staff went after pieces that could actually live in that system. The goal was simple: keep Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager in place, replace departing big man Rienk Mast, and build a roster that fits the way Nebraska wants to play.
That mission looks like it was completed.
Sandfort is the headliner. He is viewed as one of the 25 best players in the country, the best three-point shooter in the Big Ten, and a wing who can score inside, rebound and pass.
He is also a favorite to win Big Ten Player of the Year, which would be another first for Nebraska. Frager, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, is already considered one of the best 75 players in the nation and still has room to grow.
The biggest roster change may be at point guard, where Nebraska finally has a true lead guard in Trevan Leonhardt. After four years at Utah Valley, Leonhardt arrives in Lincoln with a reputation as one of the best on-ball defenders in the Big Ten.
He averaged 6 assists per game, scored in double figures, shot 37% from deep, and owns a career 3-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. If Nebraska needs him to score, he can do that.
But his real value is in running the offense, taking care of the ball, and hounding opposing stars at the point of attack.
Another key piece is Sam Orme, who steps in as the kind of floor spacer Nebraska needed to ease the burden on Pryce. Connor Essegian remains on the roster, but he is coming off season-ending foot surgery.
Orme, meanwhile, was a budding superstar at Belmont and built his reputation by stretching the floor and knocking down threes. He can also get to the rim, and he gives the Huskers another player who can help protect the two stars.
Inside, Nebraska is banking on a different kind of upgrade. The program has spent much of the Hoiberg era looking for consistent protection around its top scorers, and that began to change with Rienk Mast last season.
Now Boden Kapke enters the picture. His previous stops didn’t make him a headline name, but the reports are encouraging.
Kapke has shot better than 34% from three for his career, and the bigger swing is his ability to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. He brings athleticism to a center spot that Nebraska has lacked for the last three years.
The depth is there too. Nebraska is expected to play more than seven guys this season, and in some games the rotation could stretch to nine or 10.
Taj DeGourville, a transfer from San Diego State, brings another elite point-of-attack defender, even if the offense is still developing. Cale Jacobson returns as the do-everything piece who makes winning plays after filling that kind of role for Sam Hoiberg.
Leo Curtis is back as a big man with a high floor despite limited minutes last season. And then there’s freshman Jacob Lanier, who is getting attention as a future star with the chance to become an elite scorer and a first-round NBA draft pick down the line.
The pieces are in place for Nebraska to be deeper, more balanced, and better from top to bottom than it was a year ago.
In Other News...
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Nebraska recruiting chatter has a way of turning a simple social media post into a full-blown event, and that is exactly what happened when director of personnel and recruiting Keith Williams dropped a GIF that fans quickly read as a sign something was coming. The reaction only got louder when four-star offensive tackle recruit Timi Aliu jumped in with a suggestive reply, giving the whole thing the feel of a teaser with real weight behind it.
For now, though, it remains just that - a tease. The buzz has already spilled into speculation about a possible commitment or even a flip, with some fans connecting the dots to five-star tight end Ahmad Hudson, but nothing official has surfaced and no expert projection has backed up the noise. Still, when Nebraska recruiting starts humming this loudly off a single post, it usually means the next reveal is worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Raiolas Value Is Being Debated Again After Leaving Nebraska
Dylan Raiolas move to Oregon has put his value back under the microscope, and ESPNs transfer rankings offer one snapshot of how the market sees him. The former five-star recruit and Nebraska starter landed at No. 28 among college football transfers, a reminder that even after arriving in Eugene, his reputation is still tied as much to projection as production.
Dan Lanning has already pointed to Raiolas growth and intelligence, saying Oregon is asking him to do things he has never been asked to do. Raiola has also sounded comfortable with the idea of waiting his turn, which makes his next steps worth watching even if the immediate path is not the one he once envisioned. [Read more 🡒]