Nebraska’s first official depth chart of the 2026 season brought a few eyebrow-raisers ahead of Saturday’s game against Ohio, and the most notable shakeup showed up on the defensive line.
The offense mostly lined up the way people expected. Gunnar Gottula was named the starting right tackle with an OR next to his name, while Tree Babalade is also listed as a starter.
Babalade has been dealing with injuries, so Gottula appears likely to get the nod on Saturday. It will be his 17th career start for Nebraska at right or left tackle.
At running back, Nebraska listed all three backs at No. 1. Isaiah Mozee was first on the chart, and he looks like the most likely starter, but the depth chart makes it clear all three will have a role.
The defensive front is where things got interesting. Riley Van Poppel did not land a starting spot, as Jashear Whittington and Owen Stoudmire moved ahead of him.
Van Poppel is still expected to play, but that was a notable development. Williams Nwaneri is also listed as a backup behind Cameron Lenhardt and Anthony Jones.
That means three of Nebraska’s four defensive line starters are transfers.
Elsewhere on the defensive chart, Victor Evans and Jeremiah Charles were both listed as the No. 1 cornerback. Among the backups, Nebraska listed Tyson Terry at defensive tackle, Danny Odem at cornerback, Jeremiah Jones at defensive end, and 6-foot-4 Braylen Prude at cornerback.
Recruiting-wise, Nebraska is set to host a 2028 quarterback who appears to be climbing the board. Three-star Owen Herrick, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound passer from Pittsburgh, has been offered by Nebraska since May and is ranked No. 419 overall in the 247 Sports composite rankings for the class of 2028. According to Bobby Schneider of Husker Online, Herrick will visit for the Bowling Green game on September 12.
Herrick has already made rounds this summer, including visits to Ole Miss, Penn State, Illinois, Ohio State, and Nebraska. He also has another Ole Miss visit scheduled for November. At the moment, it looks like Nebraska and Ole Miss may be the top two schools in the mix, and the upcoming gameday visit gives the Huskers a chance to make a move.
On the NFL side, Nebraska has 10 former players on rosters if Wandale Robinson and Nate Boerkircher are included. Another nine former Huskers have landed on practice squads: Eric Gregory with the Patriots, DeShon Singleton with the Chiefs, Trey Palmer with the Saints, Henry Lutovsky and Ben Scott with the Bucs, Isaiah Neyor with the Packers, Dane Key with the Broncos, and Ben Stille with the Lions.
In Other News...
Matt Rhule Turned Frank Solichs Return Into A Bigger Nebraska Message
Frank Solichs return to Nebraska is carrying plenty of meaning beyond a simple ceremonial visit. The College Football Hall of Fame inductee will be honored with the Nebraska Football Hall of Fames Legends Award and public recognition during a game, giving the program a chance to celebrate one of its most accomplished figures in front of the home crowd. Solichs coaching rsum stretches well beyond Lincoln, including six years as Nebraskas head coach and 16 seasons at Ohio, but his place in Cornhusker history remains unmistakable.
Matt Rhule has treated the moment as more than a tribute to the past. The Nebraska coach has praised Solich not just for what he accomplished on the field, but for the way he carried himself through the twists of a coaching career and the example he set around the program. In doing so, Rhule has turned the spotlight on Solich into a broader message about Nebraskas standards, its history and the kind of people the program wants attached to it. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas First Depth Chart Leaves One Big Battle Very Much Alive
Nebraskas first official depth chart of 2026 gave the clearest look yet at how the Cornhuskers are lining up for the season opener, and it confirmed several of the expected answers. Gunnar Gottula has the right tackle job, Owen Stoudmire and Jahsear Whittington are set at defensive tackle, and Anthony Colandrea has emerged as the starting quarterback as the staff puts the opening plan on paper.
Even with those pieces in place, the document still reads like a snapshot of a roster with plenty left to sort out. Multiple spots remain marked as OR, a sign that several jobs are still being decided as camp winds down and Nebraska tries to settle the last of its lineup questions before the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Former Huskers Still Have Plenty At Stake After NFL Cutdowns
The NFLs cutdown deadline brought a familiar mix of relief and uncertainty for former Nebraska players, with seven ex-Huskers earning spots on active rosters as teams trimmed down to 53. Several others found a landing spot on practice squads, giving them a chance to stay in front of coaches and keep pushing toward game-day opportunities once the season gets going.
But the story is not done for everyone. A handful of former Huskers were waived and still had not been added to practice squads by Monday evening, leaving their next move unsettled as the league turns the page toward a regular season that begins Sept. 9. For Nebraska fans keeping tabs on the pro pipeline, the coming days will tell whether those players get another shot or have to wait for the next opening. [Read more 🡒]