Nebraska heads into fall camp with three position groups that could shape how high this team climbs in 2026: quarterback, wide receiver, and offensive line.
At the center of it all is Anthony Colandrea, who arrives from UNLV with plenty of attention on him. His legs give Nebraska something it didn’t have before, because he can change the math in the run game and keep drives alive when plays break down.
He also brings experience, which matters even more with a new cast around him. Behind him, TJ Lateef and Daniel Kaelin both have starting experience, giving Nebraska what looks like one of the better quarterback depth charts it has had in a while.
If Colandrea clicks quickly with his receivers and the line in front of him, this group could move even higher before the season is over.
The receiving room may be even more encouraging. This could be Nebraska’s deepest group at the position in several years.
Nyziah Hunter is back after leading the Huskers in receiving, Jacory Barney Jr. remains one of the conference’s most dynamic playmakers, and UCLA transfer Kwazi Gilmer adds another established option. Janiran Bonner also returns, giving the offense more flexibility and more ways to line up and attack.
There are real targets all over the depth chart, and that gives Colandrea a chance to work with receivers who can win downfield and create after the catch.
Then there’s the offensive line, the group that may carry the biggest expectations of all. Matt Rhule has talked up this unit all offseason, and the reasons are easy to see.
Elijah Pritchett is the left tackle, Justin Evans brings all-conference potential and leadership at center, and transfer additions Brendan Black, Tree Babalade, and Paul Mubenga are all in position to help right away. Nebraska also has more quality depth with Gunnar Gotulla, Tyler Knaak, and Grant Brix in the mix.
The result is a front that finally looks big enough, experienced enough, and competitive enough to handle the line of scrimmage on a consistent basis.
If that happens, the payoff could be huge. A strong offensive line would open up the rushing attack, give Colandrea cleaner pockets, and make his ability to scramble and extend plays even more valuable. Put those three groups together, and Nebraska has a real path to offensive production that can go toe-to-toe with anyone on the schedule.
These are the units Nebraska will lean on most as Matt Rhule tries to push the program forward again this season.
In Other News...
Dylan Raiolas Value Is Being Debated Again After Leaving Nebraska
Dylan Raiolas move from Nebraska to Oregon has already put his name back in the middle of the national conversation, and not just because of the pedigree he brought with him as a former five-star recruit. ESPN slotted the former Cornhuskers starter at No. 28 among college football transfers, a reminder that his value is still being weighed against a crowded market of quarterbacks looking for new starts and bigger roles.
For Oregon, the appeal is less about what Raiola is ready to do right now and more about what he could become with time. Dan Lanning has praised the way Raiola is growing into the Ducks system and has pointed to his intelligence as a separator, while Raiola has sounded comfortable with the idea of learning before taking on a larger job later. The question now is how quickly that upside turns into something more concrete in Eugene. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Faces A Blackshirts Test That Could Define Rhules Season
Riley Van Poppel is the kind of player Nebraska needs to keep trending upward if Matt Rhules defense is going to take the next step. The junior defensive tackle is entering his fourth year in the program, and the backdrop around him is hard to ignore: he has already had to adapt to a third defensive coordinator and a third defensive line coach, all while trying to carve out a bigger role in the middle of the Blackshirts front.
That matters because the Huskers problems last season were not subtle, especially once opponents got inside the 20. Nebraska gave up points on almost every red-zone trip, a level of breakdown that can erase everything else a defense does well. If the line can become sturdier and Van Poppel can keep developing, it could go a long way toward changing the shape of this season, even if the biggest answers still have to be earned on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska May Finally Have The Roster Fred Hoiberg Has Wanted
Nebraskas breakthrough 2025-26 season gave Fred Hoiberg something he had been building toward for years, with the Huskers winning their first NCAA Tournament game and pushing all the way to the Sweet 16. The bigger development now is that the program does not have to treat that run like a one-off, because the core that made it possible is set to come back while the staff has kept adding pieces designed for the way Hoiberg wants to play.
Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager give Nebraska familiar production and continuity, and the newcomers are just as important to the picture. Trevan Leonhardt arrives as a guard who can help organize the offense, while Sam Orme adds the kind of shooting the Huskers have been looking for around their key returners. Hoiberg and his staff spent the offseason targeting players who fit the system rather than forcing the system to fit the roster, and that is usually where real progress starts. [Read more 🡒]