Nebraska got a little early recognition Tuesday, landing 12 points in the first USA Today Coaches Poll and sitting in the equivalent of 41st as fall camp opens in Lincoln on Wednesday.
The poll had plenty of Big Ten flavor near the top. Ohio State was No.
1, Oregon came in at No. 2 and Indiana was slotted No. 6.
All three earned first-place votes, and all three are on Nebraska’s schedule this season. USC checked in at No.
14, Michigan at No. 16, Penn State at No.
17, Washington at No. 19 and Iowa at No. 22.
Illinois joined Nebraska as the other Big Ten team to receive votes.
That schedule is no joke. Nebraska’s slate includes three College Football Playoff teams from last season, along with Washington, Iowa and Illinois.
At Big Ten media days in Chicago last week, Matt Rhule pushed back on the constant talk about how hard the schedule looks. He said assistant Phil Snow was tired of hearing about it, and Rhule framed it as part of the pitch Nebraska has already used on the recruiting trail.
"Like, guys, this is the same schedule we used to recruit these players. We sat there with these guys and we're like, 'Hey, come to Nebraska.
We get to play Oregon this year. We get to play Ohio State this year.
We get to play Iowa this year. We get to play Indiana this year.'
Come," Rhule said. "They're all nameless, faceless opponents to me," Rhule said.
"And I'll tell you what also about college football, some of the teams we think aren't going to be very good are going to be great. And some of the teams we think are going to be great aren't going to be as good.
No one knows with the portal what everyone is."
In Other News...
Former Nebraska Standout Put His NFL Push On Hold For One Reason
Ceyair Wrights NFL push hit pause during Bengals fall camp, but not because of an injury or a roster move. The former Nebraska standout stepped away from Cincinnati to chase an acting opportunity, a decision Bengals coach Zac Taylor said was tough for Wright because it comes down to two real passions for him: football and acting.
Wright is no stranger to the screen, either, with prior work that includes a role in the Space Jam remake and a run on Grown-ish. For Nebraska fans who watched him develop into a standout, the football part of the story is still very much alive, with Wright planning to return after his acting project wraps in October. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Fall Camp Is Already Revealing Who Could Define This Season
Midway through fall camp, Nebraska is starting to get a clearer picture of which players could shape the season once the real games arrive. With one scrimmage already in the books and another coming up, the staff is using every practice rep to sort out the Huskers biggest personnel questions, and a handful of names keep surfacing in that conversation. Andrew Marshall, Anthony Colandrea, Elijah Pritchett, Owen Chambliss and Justin Evans all figure to matter in different ways, whether through past production, projected roles or the expectation that they can raise the ceiling of the roster.
What makes this stretch of camp so important is that the Huskers are not just looking for depth, they are looking for players who can define the identity of the team. Some of the evaluation is rooted in what those veterans and newcomers have already shown, while some of it is still projection, which is exactly why the next scrimmage matters. Nebraska still has time to refine the picture, but the current read is that a few key contributors are beginning to separate themselves from the pack. [Read more 🡒]
Former Huskers Are Already Turning Heads In Early NFL Battles
The NFL preseason is still young, but a handful of former Nebraska players have already found ways to make an impression. Emmett Johnson, now with the Kansas City Chiefs, got steady work in his preseason debut and showed the kind of versatility that helped him stand out in Lincoln, while Ty Robinson and Garrett Nelson both showed up on defense with sacks for their new clubs.
For Nebraska fans, it is the sort of early August development worth keeping an eye on because it gives the program another quick reminder of how many Huskers are trying to carve out roles on Sundays. Some alumni were active in games, others did not see the field, and these opening reps are only the first step in battles that will stretch through the rest of the preseason. [Read more 🡒]