Nebraska’s running back room is already one of the biggest questions hanging over the Huskers, and the uncertainty got even sharper with Mekhi Nelson’s arrest. That leaves the staff waiting to see how that situation plays out, while also trying to sort through a group that still doesn’t have much proven production behind it.
But one freshman has started to separate himself from the pack.
Jamal Rule, a true freshman, drew strong praise from Matt Rhule and offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen during spring work, and now CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford has put him on the list of Big Ten freshmen to watch. Crawford described Rule as a player who was “overlooked a bit by the elite programs during the recruiting process,” but said the three-star from Charlotte, North Carolina, was an early priority for Nebraska and “checked every box for coach Matt Rhule and his staff.”
Crawford also noted that “Virginia Tech, Michigan State and Syracuse were in on Rule as well, but Nebraska won his commitment and may have grabbed an unexpected freshman starter as a result.”
That possibility matters because the Huskers are heading toward a season in which the backfield looks like a committee. Crawford wrote that Rule “showed aggression and ran hard on every rep” during spring camp, and added that Nebraska is expected to lean on a shared workload after the departure of leading rusher Emmett Johnson. In that mix, Rule should see carries alongside Isaiah Mozee and Mekhi Nelson.
Rule’s résumé helps explain why Nebraska is intrigued. At Charlotte Christian School in North Carolina, he rushed for more than 1,200 yards as both a junior and senior.
As a senior, he logged 173 carries for 1,362 yards and 16 touchdowns, according to MaxPreps, while also catching 25 passes for 327 yards and one score. His junior season was even more eye-catching on a per-game basis: 1,236 rushing yards in just seven games, an average of 176.6 yards per game, plus 15 touchdowns and 12 receptions for 121 yards and another score.
That receiving production could end up mattering just as much as his work between the tackles. Nebraska knows how useful a back can be in the passing game, and Rule’s ability to contribute out of the backfield gives him a chance to do an Emmett Johnson impression in the flat.
For now, the Huskers are planning to spread the work around. But if Rule keeps building on what he’s already shown, he has the kind of profile that could push him into the starting conversation before long.
In Other News...
Nebraska Just Hit A Recruiting Mark Husker Fans Rarely See
Nebraskas 2027 recruiting class has given Husker fans something they have not seen much of in recent years: a group with real national weight. Rivals currently has the class at No. 18 with 22 verbal commitments, and the headliners already give it a different look, with a five-star quarterback, a top safety and a highly regarded interior lineman among the pledges.
For a program still trying to turn recruiting momentum into sustained on-field progress under Matt Rhule, the bigger question is what comes next. Nebraska has been here before with classes that looked promising on paper, and the difference between a strong cycle and a meaningful one will come down to keeping this group together and developing it once it arrives in Lincoln. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Still Has Life With A Five Star As QB Doubts Grow
Nebraskas push on the recruiting trail still has some real momentum, even as the offseason conversation around the offense turns more skeptical. Five-star tight end Ahmad Hudson remains in the mix for the Huskers after spending time around the program, and his comments about the coaching staff and the way Nebraska has handled his recruitment suggest this is not a done deal for LSU by any stretch.
The appeal appears to go beyond a quick pitch, with Hudson pointing to the relationships Nebraska has built with him and his family and the consistency of that approach. At the same time, the quarterback side of the picture is drawing less confidence, since expected starter Anthony Colandrea was left out of Ari Wassermans top 10 Big Ten quarterback rankings, a reminder that Nebraska still has questions to answer even as it tries to land a premier target. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Rhules Biggest Nebraska Gamble Might Decide Everything
Matt Rhule sounds more confident about Nebraskas offensive line than he has in a while, and it is easy to see why. The Huskers have leaned into experience up front, bringing in a group of transfers to stabilize a unit that has been a season-long concern, while also turning the coaching job over to Geep Wade, a fresh voice tasked with sorting out the details and getting the group ready for a demanding fall.
The projected five gives Nebraska a mix of size, pedigree and urgency, with several Power Four newcomers expected to anchor the line and a handful of others pushing for snaps behind them. But the real test is not just whether the starters look the part in August, it is whether the Huskers can keep enough bodies ready when the schedule starts taking a toll, because Rhule has already lived through what happens when that room gets thin. [Read more 🡒]