Nebraska’s fall camp is starting to sharpen the picture in the trenches, and Tuesday’s second open practice brought a little more clarity - even if the big decisions are still a ways off.
On the offensive line, Gunnar Gottula is forcing the conversation. Assistant coach Geep Wade made it plain how he feels about the veteran lineman.
“I love Gunnar Gottula,” Wade said. “He is going to get it done because he loves Nebraska.
Tough, gritty, plays through the whistle. Those are the guys we will win with.”
That praise matters because the Huskers still haven’t settled on a starting five. Wade said he’s thinking bigger than that anyway.
“I look at it as I’m trying to get eight guys going to win the Big Ten - and playing them anywhere,” Wade said.
Gottula, who has 16 career starts at both right and left tackle, is making his case at right tackle. He’s also fully healthy, and Brendan Black said the difference was obvious when he came back.
He isn’t the only returning lineman turning heads. Former three-star recruit Gibson Pyle has put together a “strong camp,” according to Wade. The coach said one of the best signs for a lineman is not hearing his name in the film room, and that’s been the case with Pyle.
Pyle dealt with injury problems last season as well, but he’s back to 100 percent and could be one of the eight Wade wants ready to roll. Even with the competition heating up, the projected starting five still looks like Elijah Pritchett, Paul Mubenga, Justin Evans, Brendan Black, and Tree Babalade.
The battle is clearly getting more interesting, though, especially with Gottula pushing hard at right tackle. He’s long looked like a natural fit at guard, too, which only adds another layer to the mix.
Nebraska’s line play isn’t the only place where young talent is starting to surface. On the defensive side, the Huskers brought in transfers Owen Stoudmire and Jashear Whittingon this winter, and both are expected to matter up front along with Riley Van Poppel.
Corey Brown said Van Poppel is working toward that next step, but there’s still more in him. Brown also mentioned wanting a six-man rotation, which could open the door for Tyson Terry, Dylan Berymon, and Malcolm Simpson to become bigger pieces.
Terry, in particular, sounds like he’s trending up. Brown said his approach was “second to none.”
The sophomore missed last season with an injury, but he appears close to cracking the two-deep. Listed at over 300 pounds, he looks like the most advanced of Nebraska’s young defensive linemen right now.
Berymon could join the mix as well. Freshmen defensive linemen don’t often see the field, but Kade Pietrzak managed it, and Berymon brings top-200 recruit status plus a massive frame at around 350 pounds. A little trimming during fall camp might help his conditioning, but once Big Ten play starts, those 340-350 pounds could be exactly what Nebraska needs inside.
The trenches are giving Nebraska plenty to feel good about on both sides of the ball.
And the Huskers are also staying active on the recruiting trail. Four-star safety Jordan Hicks is scheduled to visit for the Maryland game, according to Rivals. The Santa Margarita, California, product is 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, and he checks in at No. 194 overall in the 2028 class in the Rivals Industry Rankings.
The offer sheet is loaded, with Oregon, USC, UCLA, and Ohio State among the Big Ten programs involved. USC has hosted Hicks four times, while Oregon has had him on campus twice.
Nebraska will get its first look during the Maryland game, and Oregon hosted him this summer. He is also set to visit Eugene in November.
247 Sports has a crystal ball projection for Oregon, though that pick came in June. The Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine gives USC a slight edge in a race that still looks open. Hicks is one of secondary coach Addison Williams’ top targets and one of Nebraska’s biggest 2028 priorities overall.
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For Nebraska, the commitment is the kind of early win that matters in building future depth and size on the roster. It also fits into a busy stretch around the athletic department, with football recruiting and coaching notes still part of the wider conversation, but Kenyons decision gives the basketball program a promising frontcourt name to follow long before she arrives in Lincoln. [Read more 🡒]