Year two is where a lot of players stop looking like prospects and start looking like answers. That could be the case for Nebraska in 2026, especially with several second-year Huskers positioned to take on much larger roles after a 2025 recruiting class that brought in 20 new players.
There’s no shortage of competition waiting for those underclassmen, but three returning names stand out as ready to make real noise this fall: Isaiah Mozee, Dawson Merritt and Kade Pietrzak.
Mozee’s path has already taken a turn from what Nebraska originally recruited. He arrived as a three-star wide receiver, but the Huskers’ thin depth at running back pushed him into a new spot during fall camp. That move came after a prep career that piled up 3,241 receiving yards and 42 touchdowns through the air, plus 665 rushing yards and 11 scores on the ground.
The switch paid immediate dividends in terms of getting him on the field. Mozee played in all 13 games last season and finished his freshman year with 383 all-purpose yards.
Now the opportunity is even bigger, with former Big Ten Running Back of the Year Emmett Johnson headed to the NFL. The Missouri native is in the mix for Nebraska’s starting running back job, and his current frame - 6-foot, 215 pounds - suggests he’s built for the kind of inside work that matters in the Big Ten.
He was listed at nearly 30 pounds lighter when he was a prep recruit.
Merritt’s résumé already looks like that of a player Nebraska can build around. The Blue Valley High School product in Stilwell, Kansas, closed the 2025 recruiting cycle as the nation’s No. 103 overall prospect, per 247Sports, after choosing the Huskers over 24 other Division I programs, including Alabama, Oklahoma and Missouri. At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, he brought size to the linebacker room before he ever played a snap.
As a freshman, Merritt got on the field quickly. He appeared in eight games, made the first two starts of his college career and finished with eight tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss while dealing with injuries for much of the fall.
He’s expected to be healthy heading into camp, and that matters in Nebraska’s new 4-2-5 defensive scheme. Defensive coordinator Rob Aurich added three transfer portal linebackers, each listed at no smaller than 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, but Merritt now has the body and the experience to keep pushing for a bigger role.
He may not be in line to start this fall, but the snap count should rise. If he stays on the field all season, Merritt has the kind of tools that could make him one of the faces of Nebraska’s defense by 2027.
Pietrzak may have been a three-star defensive line prospect out of Sheyenne High School in Fargo, North Dakota, but he played like much more than that in 2025. He appeared in all 13 games as a true freshman, earned his first collegiate start and made life difficult for opposing offenses with 17 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, one pass breakup and one safety.
That kind of production from a freshman changes the conversation. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound edge will have plenty of competition in Nebraska’s edge room this fall, but he already showed enough to suggest an even larger role is coming. He reportedly added 10 pounds since the 2025 season ended, and while he probably won’t be asked to start, he should still be a major piece of the defensive front.
The expectation here is simple: Pietrzak is set to be on the field early and often, with game one a realistic place to start proving just how much more he can give the Huskers in 2026.
In Other News...
Nebraska Freshman WR Momentum Is Suddenly On Hold In Camp
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The specifics remain unclear, which leaves plenty of questions for the Huskers as they keep sorting out their receiver depth. The team has not offered a diagnosis or a timeline, and Miles place in the upcoming season now depends on how quickly he can get back on the field and back into the competition. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Offense Is Turning Heads For One Reason Fans Will Love
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Holgorsen has also pointed to the young running backs as a group with real upside, even if they are still short on game reps. For Nebraska, the appeal is easy to see: the offense is not just bringing back bodies, it is bringing back pieces that should help the Cornhuskers play faster and with more confidence, which is exactly the kind of development fans have been waiting to hear about as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska May Be Gaining Ground With A Rare Two Sport Target
Nebraskas push for Ahmad Hudson has become one of the more interesting recruiting threads around the program, especially because the top tight end prospect is also weighing his future on the basketball court. Hudson is already committed to LSU, but Nebraska has stayed active in trying to flip him, and he has indicated the Huskers have been more engaged in their recruiting effort than the Tigers.
For Nebraska, that matters beyond just adding another coveted football talent. Hudson is a rare two-sport target, and his interest in both football and basketball gives the Huskers an extra angle as they try to separate themselves from the competition. Nebraskas recent Sweet 16 run on the hardwood could also help its case, even if the decision still appears to be a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]