Nebraska’s NFL footprint shrank again Sunday, and the number tells a blunt story: only eight former Huskers made it through roster cuts to 53-man teams.
That total is the lowest Nebraska has opened a season with in the last five years, a striking marker for a program still trying to climb back toward relevance. The eight players left standing are all “true Huskers,” meaning they spent their final college season in Lincoln rather than arriving via transfer.
Those eight are Ameer Abdullah with the Jaguars, Maliek Collins with the Browns, Thomas Fidone II with the Giants, Luke Gifford with the 49ers, Cam Jurgens with the Eagles, Emmett Johnson with the Chiefs, Ty Robinson with the Eagles and Cam Taylor-Britt with the Colts.
The recent trend has not been kind to Nebraska. The program had 12 players on opening rosters in 2025, 10 in 2024, 10 in 2023 and 19 in 2022. The current number sits well below that run, and it comes at a time when Nebraska’s NFL draft pipeline has thinned, too.
Over the last four years, only five Huskers have been drafted. None were offensive linemen, a position group that once defined Nebraska football.
The only defensive lineman in that stretch was Robinson, who has drawn praise from Eagles veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Robinson was Nebraska’s highest draft pick since 2023, going in the fourth round.
The absence of premium draft talent is hard to miss. Nebraska’s last first-round pick was cornerback Prince Amukamara in 2011. Big Ten Running Back of the Year Emmett Johnson was the only Husker drafted in 2026, going in the fifth round.
A look at 2027 mock drafts - with the obvious caveat that plenty can change before April - shows no Nebraska player being projected as a first-rounder.
Here’s the recent draft list for the Huskers since 2023: 2026: 5th Round - Emmett Johnson, RB, Chiefs
2025: 4th Round - Ty Robinson, DT, Eagles; 7th Round - Thomas Fidone II, TE, Giants
2024: None
2023: 6th Round - Ochaun Mathis, Edge, Rams; 6th Round - Trey Palmer, WR, Buccaneers
The comparison with the top of the Big Ten is jarring. Ohio State has 59 players on NFL rosters, and every Buckeye draft pick from the last two classes - 25 in all - is still on an NFL roster.
Michigan has 47. Maryland has 15, nearly twice Nebraska’s total.
There were also 19 former Huskers who were let go this year, including undrafted free agents who received spring tryouts. Some of those players could still surface on practice squads and eventually get into games later this season, but they are not on active rosters heading into Week 1.
Those players are Jahmal Banks - Titans, Omar Brown - Dolphins, John Bullock - Bucs, Heinrich Haarberg - Panthers, Nash Hutmacher - Bucs, Brenden Jaimes - Giants, Dane Key - Broncos, Henry Lutovsky - Bucs, Dasan McCullough - Broncos, Ochaun Mathis - Jets, Garrett Nelson - Saints, Quinton Newsome - Cardinals, Isaiah Neyor - Packers, Trey Palmer - Saints, Ben Scott - Bucs, DeShon Singleton - Chiefs, Samori Toure - Eagles, Ceyair Wright - Bengals and Javin Wright - Bucs.
For Nebraska, the message is plain. The problem is not just coaching, schemes or turnover. The talent gap is showing up in the NFL, and it is showing up loudly.
In Other News...
Nebraskas First 2026 Depth Chart Raised A Few Eyebrows Fast
Nebraska released its first official depth chart for the 2026 season ahead of the matchup with Ohio, and the list gave fans an early look at where things stand on both sides of the ball. It also offered a fresh snapshot of a program that is juggling the present and future at once, with the staff continuing to sort out starters and notable changes while still keeping a close eye on recruiting.
Owen Herricks upcoming visit adds another layer to the week, especially with the 2028 quarterback recruit standing as one of Nebraskas top targets. And while the current roster is getting its own attention, seven former Huskers landing on NFL practice squads around the league is another reminder of how much talent the program still has moving through the pipeline. [Read more 🡒]
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 🡒]