Jacory Barney keeps showing why Nebraska leans on him when it needs a spark.
The receiver and return man was right in the middle of one of the Huskers’ biggest offensive bursts last season against Michigan, breaking loose for a 26-yard touchdown to put Nebraska on the board and then hauling in a 52-yard score on a Hail Mary right before halftime. It was the kind of sequence that sticks with a fan base, and it came from one of the most popular players on the roster.
That’s a big reason Barney checks in at No. 9 on the Most Indispensable Huskers list. The case is simple: he makes explosive plays.
He did it with 120 receiving yards against Michigan and 132 against Houston Christian. Five games into last season, he had already piled up 348 receiving yards on 23 catches, the kind of pace that says a lot about a player’s big-play ability.
He finished with 484 yards on 45 catches, but the ceiling was obvious.
Nebraska wide receivers coach Daikiel Shorts said this spring that Barney looks stronger and more balanced. Shorts also sees the challenge with a player like Barney: the speed is there, but the game can move fast for him.
"He's such an exciting player and he's so fast that sometimes you kind of want it to slow down for him so he can be deliberate in everything he does," Shorts said.
There’s also reason to think Barney could fit well with new quarterback Anthony Colandrea. Their connection showed up quickly in the spring game, when Colandrea hit Barney on a back-shoulder ball in tight coverage for a big play. Barney likes what he sees from the quarterback’s approach.
"The swag he has is different," Barney said. "I love it.
I feel like he brings another aspect of confidence to the offense. Him just letting us know that he's going to do whatever it takes for us to take that next step as an offense."
Barney’s second half of 2025 was quieter on paper, though he still flashed with a jet sweep touchdown in the bowl game. Nebraska also worked to get him the ball in different ways as a freshman, and that versatility still matters.
Shorts said the arrival of Kwazi Gilmer has helped Barney, and Barney echoed that feeling. The two have pushed each other through extra work, and Barney sees a familiar edge in the new receiver.
"Just with him coming in, I loved that we picked him up," Barney said. "He reminds me of myself and pushes me harder every day.
We're the last two in getting extra work. The coaches already know that we're going to make them a lot of money this season.
I love having him as a brother and thankful that we picked him up. That's the mindset we have coming in - League Year."
Barney will also be a major piece of the punt return game again. He totaled 270 punt return yards last season and earned third-team all-Big Ten return specialist honors from the media.
He said he wanted to lead the country in punt return yardage in 2025, and while he didn’t get there, he still finished No. 11 nationally in punt return yards and No. 14 in punt return average at 12.60. His 81 return yards against Michigan State, including a 57-yarder, helped Nebraska in that win.
"I'm still working at it every week, just getting better from it," Barney said. "I trust my guys out there blocking.
They want to block for me. Every time we go out there, they tell me it's the one.
So I know that they think that. So it's on me from there."
The bigger question for Nebraska is whether Barney can help the passing game produce more explosives on a consistent basis. The production dipped later in 2025 as Emmett Johnson became the focal point of the offense and Dylan Raiola suffered a November injury. Over seven of Nebraska’s final eight games, Barney had just 81 receiving yards, with the one exception being a 55-yard outing against Penn State.
There were also missed chances that didn’t land on him. Coaches believed Nebraska had a walk-in touchdown against USC on an inside screen, but TJ Lateef dropped the snap.
Barney likely scores on that play if it’s clean. Other near misses, including a few trips, kept him from adding even more explosive gains.
Still, one thing has never been in doubt: Barney believes the next play can always be the one that breaks open.
"My mom," Barney said before last season of where his confidence comes from. "Just always knowing that I just got to work for everything.
I feel like if you work hard enough, and you put the work in behind the doors, when your time comes you should be ready for that moment. I feel like I should be ready because of all the work I put in through all the years."
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