Demitrius Bell is finally back on the practice field, and for Nebraska that alone counts as a meaningful checkpoint in a recovery that has dragged on since April 2024.
After the Huskers’ ninth fall camp practice, head coach Matt Rhule said the former three-star athlete from McGavock High School in Nashville, Tennessee, had taken part in practice for the first time since the injury that hit during the 2024 Red-White scrimmage. Bell was on the field for the first fall scrimmage, but he still wasn’t cleared to go full speed.
"We had Demitrius Bell back today for the first time in a long time," Rhule said. "He didn't scrimmage, but he was out there practicing. ... So, looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the table."
That’s the part Nebraska has been waiting to see. Bell has never had a true live-game chance in front of Husker fans, and with the way the receiver room has evolved, 2026 may be the first real window for that to change.
Bell entered college with plenty of buzz. Nebraska beat out Kentucky and Michigan State, and he also drew interest from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Penn State, Mississippi State, South Carolina and Tennessee. In the 2023 recruiting class, he was ranked as the No. 52 athlete and the No. 20 player in Tennessee.
His high school production matched the hype. As a senior playing both wide receiver and defensive back, Bell caught 59 passes for 702 yards and eight touchdowns, ran for 274 yards and two more scores, and added 17 tackles on defense. At 6-foot, 195 pounds, he came in as one of the country’s more explosive prep playmakers.
Before the injury, Bell was expected to be part of Nebraska’s receiver mix during Dylan Raiola’s freshman season at quarterback. Instead, the wideout group kept changing around him.
Jacory Barney Jr. stepped into a bigger role in 2024, finishing second on the team with 842 all-purpose yards and three rushing touchdowns. Barney moved into the slot, a natural fit given the similar frames of the two receivers, but Bell was still expected to see the field that season.
Then 2025 came and went without Bell playing at all. The knee injury that interrupted his redshirt freshman year continued to slow him as a sophomore. Now, at last, he appears to have turned a corner.
Nebraska’s 2026 receiver room already has some proven production. Three players on the roster have led their teams in receptions in a season: Barney at Nebraska in 2024, Nyziah Hunter at Nebraska in 2025 and Kwazi Gilmer at UCLA in 2025.
Beyond that trio, there’s still plenty to sort out. Janiran Bonner is back from injury and entering his fifth season, Quinn Clark has emerged as one of the offseason’s biggest risers, and Cortez Mills is still showing the kind of upside that once made him a four-star recruit.
Where Bell fits into all of it remains unclear. What isn’t unclear is that Nebraska fans have not forgotten him, and after this latest step, he is closer than he has ever been to competing for the Huskers again. How quickly the staff expands his workload is still to be seen, but if he gets back to form, he should have a chance to carve out snaps this fall.
In Other News...
Nebraskas Running Back Room Just Got More Unsettled Before The Season
Nebraskas running back room keeps shifting as the season approaches, and the latest change came with Tikey Hayes no longer on the roster. Hayes had joined the program just over a month ago and was in the mix for playing time at a position group that was already trying to sort out its depth chart.
The timing makes the situation more notable, since it came shortly after Mekhi Nelson was cleared to rejoin the team. Nebraska still has time to settle things before the opener, but the backfield picture is looking a little less settled with each passing week. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Reworked Secondary Just Opened A Fascinating Ballhawk Battle
Nebraskas defensive backfield is going through a real reset heading into 2026, and the changes have created one of the more intriguing competitions on the roster. With the Cornhuskers sorting out roles in a new 4-2-5 look, the secondary is being asked to define itself quickly, and names like Donovan Jones, Victor Evans III and Dwayne McDougle III are suddenly central to that conversation. The additions from the transfer portal only add to the sense that this group could look very different by the time the season starts.
What makes the picture especially interesting is how much turnover can change the ball production at the back end. Nebraska is trying to build a secondary that is not just dependable, but disruptive, and the players in the mix all bring a case for why they could end up making the biggest plays on the ball. If the Cornhuskers are going to turn this reworked unit into a strength, they may have to find out quickly which defenders are best suited to seize those opportunities. [Read more 🡒]
Jamarques Lawrence Could Give Nebraska Fans An Awkward Return To Lincoln
Jamarques Lawrences path through college basketball has already taken a few turns, and Nebraska fans briefly had reason to wonder if it might circle back to Lincoln again. The former Cornhuskers guard was eligible for a fifth year after the latest rulings, which at least opened the door to another stay in the program where he had already been part of a transfer-heavy journey from Nebraska to Rhode Island and back again for the 2025-26 season.
Instead, the next step appears to be somewhere else, with Lawrence exploring options away from Lincoln as he looks to continue his college career. Michigan, USC, Troy and Fresno State have all been in touch, leaving Nebraska to watch a familiar name move toward yet another new home rather than setting up the awkward reunion some fans may have been bracing for. [Read more 🡒]