Before Nebraska ever puts the pads on for 2026, the roster already looks like a different team.
Matt Rhule went into the transfer portal and came out with answers at some of the spots that had been dragging the Huskers down. He also added a small freshman class with a few players who could matter sooner than expected.
After another frustrating finish to 2025, including the loss to Utah in the SRS Distribution Bowl in Las Vegas, Nebraska is once again trying to shed the “almost there” label. And hanging over everything is that 29-game losing streak against ranked opponents, a run that stretches back to the upset of No.
22 Oregon in 2016.
If that streak is going to end, the newcomers will be part of it.
The biggest change is at quarterback, where Dana Holgorsen has turned the offense over to Anthony Colandrea. The transfer arrives after a huge year at UNLV, where he won Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year honors. Colandrea threw for 3,459 yards, ran for another 649 and produced 33 total touchdowns while helping lead the Rebels to 10 wins.
His legs give Nebraska something Holgorsen clearly wants more of, and the hope is that Colandrea can help an offense that too often bogged down when it mattered most.
The backup battle is worth watching too. TJ Lateef, who fought through stretches last season, is now competing with Daniel Kaelin, the Nebraska native who came back after a stop at Virginia.
They bring different skill sets: Lateef offers athleticism and improvisation, while Kaelin is the more classic pocket passer with strong anticipation. That contrast gives Holgorsen options depending on what the situation calls for.
Another important piece for all three quarterbacks is UCLA transfer Kwazi Gilmer. His speed gives Nebraska a true vertical threat, something the offense has been missing and something that can force defenses to back off.
Up front, Nebraska needed a reset as badly as anywhere on the roster.
The pass protection last season was a problem, plain and simple, and too often the offense was dead before it had a chance to breathe. Rhule answered by bringing in experienced help. Former Iowa State guard Brendan Black and LSU transfer Paul Mubenga arrive with plenty of college snaps behind them and should help steady the interior right away.
At tackle, Tree Babalade comes over from South Carolina with a chance to lock down the right side and bring some much-needed consistency. The bigger point is that this group now looks older, bigger and more seasoned than the lines Nebraska has rolled out in recent years. Whether that shows up on Saturdays will be the real test once Big Ten play starts.
The defense needed attention too, especially along the front.
New defensive coordinator Rob Aurich takes over a unit that had trouble creating steady pressure and also had issues stopping the run when it mattered. His 4-2-5 scheme leans heavily on linebackers who can move and make plays in space, which is why Owen Chambliss from San Diego State and Dexter Foster from Oregon State look like strong fits and likely Day 1 starters.
Edge pressure was another problem a year ago, making UCLA transfer Anthony Jones Jr. a key addition. Nebraska is banking on his athleticism finally turning into consistent production off the edge.
Inside, Pittsburgh transfer Jahsear Whittington and Boston College transfer Owen Stoudmire add mobility and versatility on the defensive line. Neither is built like a classic space-eater, but both fit the style Aurich wants to play.
That front seven may end up deciding how far Nebraska can go in 2026. If it can stand up to the physical run games waiting in the Big Ten, the Huskers have a chance to take a real step forward.
The freshman class is small - just 12 high school signees - but there are a few names worth tracking.
Running back Jamal Rule may have the quickest path to the field. The Charlotte, North Carolina native stood out in spring practices and looked calm in the spring game, with vision, balance and a willingness to finish runs that could earn him carries early.
Wide receiver Larry Miles has also made noise this spring with his explosiveness. He may not be an every-down player right away, but Holgorsen could find ways to get the Florida speedster into space.
On defense, Dylan Berymon is hard to overlook at 6-foot-2 and 340 pounds. The Monroe, Louisiana product already has a frame that looks ready for college football and could work into a situational role on the defensive line. The new five for five rule also gives Nebraska room to develop him while still letting him get game experience without burning a year of eligibility.
Fall camp always brings hope, but this one feels a little different for Nebraska.
The Huskers didn’t just add numbers. They targeted experience where it was needed most, then mixed in freshmen who might help right away. Quarterback, the offensive line and linebacker all got major upgrades, and those changes will go a long way toward deciding whether Rhule’s fourth season is the one that finally gets Nebraska over the hump.
For a program that has spent nearly a decade chasing consistency and trying to end that brutal streak against ranked teams, the newcomers may end up carrying more than just depth. They may carry the whole narrative.
In Other News...
Nebraska Suddenly Has A Real RB1 Question As Recruiting Buzz Builds
Nebraskas backfield picture has changed quickly, and not in a way the staff probably wanted. With Mekhi Nelsons arrest and Tikey Hayes now in the room, the Huskers are sorting through who can settle into the top spot at running back, and Isaiah Mozee has emerged as one of the more intriguing possibilities after making the switch from wide receiver. His improved size and what he showed last season have kept him in the conversation as Nebraska tries to stabilize a position that suddenly feels open again.
At the same time, the recruiting board keeps moving, a reminder that the staff is trying to build for both the immediate future and the long haul. Nebraska has already jumped in on 2028 offensive tackle Kavon Blackmon of Ohio and EDGE Javontae Eldridge of Indiana, two early offers that signal where the program wants to stay aggressive. And with Tom Osborne recently becoming the first living person elected into the Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame, there has been no shortage of reminders around the program of how much weight the past and future both carry in Lincoln. [Read more 🡒]
Former Husker Elijah Jeudy Takes An Unexpected Turn After Nebraska
Elijah Jeudys next step after Nebraska comes with a sharp pivot from player to teacher. The former Husker defensive lineman is beginning his coaching career after his run at Nebraska from 2023 to 2025, following his transfer from Texas A&M, and the move gives him a chance to stay close to the position he played while learning the ropes on the other side of it.
Jeudys path changed after he tried to catch on in the NFL and did not stick, pushing him into coaching sooner than he likely expected. He now joins a staff led by Cameron McGarry, and the challenge is obvious: help a program that is trying to climb out of a rough season and build something sturdier on defense. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Rhule Still Has To Solve Nebraskas Two Biggest Problems
Nebraska heads toward the 2026 season with the kind of familiar pressure that comes from back-to-back 7-6 finishes, and the biggest questions are still sitting in the middle of the roster. Matt Rhules staff has tried to address the defensive line and secondary through the portal, bringing in Anthony Jones, Owen Stoudmire, Jahsear Whittington, Dwayne McDougle and Victor Evans III, while also shifting into a 4-2-5 look that is supposed to keep the back end sturdy and help the front create more disruption.
The challenge now is turning those additions into answers. Nebraska still has to sort out which LB/DB hybrid pieces will fit the new structure, and the run defense and pass rush both need to take a step forward if the defense is going to match the standard the Huskers want to set. Up front on offense, the line looks like a strength with Brendan Black joining returning anchors Justin Evans and Elijah Pritchett, but the running back room remains unsettled enough that one of the rosters biggest jobs is still waiting for a clear solution. [Read more 🡒]