Nebraska’s backfield picture is coming into focus, and the message from running backs coach E.J. Barthel was pretty clear: this isn’t a one-man show.
Barthel met with the media on Tuesday along with the running backs, and the biggest takeaway was his belief that the Huskers have “multiple starters” at the position.
“We have multiple starters. We have guys that can go be the guy. Different skillsets in the room, but the top of the room, I feel really comfortable with multiple guys starting right now,” Barthel said.
That fits with how the room looks heading into the season. Mekhi Nelson, Jamal Rule, and Isaiah Mozee are all in the mix for the No. 1 job, and all three appear likely to have a real role.
Nelson had more than 100 yards in the Las Vegas Bowl and flashed big-play ability there. Rule, an avid bowler, looks ready to make an early impact as a freshman.
Mozee seems to have the fewest questions around him and may have had the strongest offseason.
The way it looks now, Nebraska could spread the load much more than it did a year ago, when Emmett Johnson handled just about every carry, and rightly so. This season, each of the three backs could clear 100 carries.
At quarterback, Nebraska has another expensive piece in the mix. Anthony Colandrea will be paid $2.5 million this season, according to Pete Nakos of On3.com. Nakos reported that 13 quarterbacks in college football will make more than $3 million this season, putting Colandrea just below that group.
That figure is well above the just over $1 million that had been reported during the offseason. It leaves a couple of obvious possibilities: Nebraska may have bumped up the offer to keep him for another year, or the earlier number simply wasn’t right. Either way, the Huskers are paying a premium, and the expectation is clear.
On the tight end side, Carter Nelson is drawing more attention as well. The former top-100 recruit signed with Nebraska over Georgia in the 2024 class and has played in every game over the past two seasons, mostly on special teams. He has one touchdown reception, and fans have been waiting to see what his role will become.
Tight ends coach Marcus Satterfield addressed Nelson on Tuesday and said he pushes him hard because of what he believes Nelson can become. Satterfield also said the junior tight end has been getting “better and better.”
Satterfield added that Eric Ingwerson has earned a “role,” while freshman Luke Sorensen has also generated positive buzz. Behind Luke Lindenmeyer, who remains the only sure thing, it sounds like Nebraska could have several tight ends seeing the field this season.
In Other News...
Ndamukong Suh Just Brought Back Nebraskas Most Painful Source Of Pride
Ndamukong Suh has never been shy about the violent art of defense, and his latest trip down memory lane brought Nebraska fans right back to one of the most unforgettable nights of his college career. By naming the quarterbacks he most enjoyed hitting, Suh reminded everyone how overwhelming he was at the height of his powers, especially in a 2009 Big 12 championship game that still lingers in the schools memory for all the wrong reasons.
For Nebraska, that game remains a strange mix of frustration and pride. Suh was everywhere against Colt McCoy, piling up 12 tackles, 6 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, a performance so dominant it became part of his legend even in a loss. Years later, his list only reinforces what Cornhuskers fans already know: Suhs best moments were the kind that could wreck an opponent and still leave Nebraska wishing the final outcome had gone the other way. [Read more 🡒]
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The target is to have Nebraska facing a Power 4 opponent every year through the 2030s, with possible foes including Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State. Nothing has been announced yet, but the direction matters: for a program that still measures itself against old Big 12 neighbors and regional peers, the scheduling shift would reshape both the tone and the stakes of future non-conference play. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Just Changed A Roster Detail Fans Can't Misread Now
Nebraska Athletics is making a quiet but meaningful change to the way it lists players across its programs, moving away from the familiar redshirt labels as it aligns with the NCAAs new five-in-five model. Instead of seeing redshirt freshmen or redshirt sophomores, fans will now notice players identified more simply as sophomores or juniors, a shift meant to reflect how much eligibility remains rather than how long they have been in school.
The update is mostly about clarity, not a change in anyones actual status, and it will show up across multiple sports. For Nebraska supporters used to tracking rosters through the old terminology, it should make the eligibility picture easier to read, even if the underlying rules of player development and playing time are still very much intact. [Read more 🡒]