Nebraska got a little national shine this week, and it came with a name Husker fans know well.
Justin Evans, Nebraska’s center, was named to The Athletic’s preseason All-America second team and also landed on the Rimington Trophy Watch List for the upcoming season. He’s one of four players on that second team along with Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, Indiana wide receiver Charlie Becker and Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Lauck.
The Rimington watch list includes 40 players, and the selection is based on data from Pro Football Focus. Evans is one of 13 Big Ten players on the list, the most of any conference.
Nebraska’s athletic department pointed out that Evans returns as one of the team leaders this fall. The East Orange, N.J., native has 31 career starts at Nebraska and 38 career appearances overall.
He anchored the offensive line last season, starting all 13 games at center and helping pave the way for Emmett Johnson’s first-team All-America season. Before that, Evans started all 12 games at guard in 2024 and appeared in all 13 games in 2023, including five starts as a redshirt freshman.
The Rimington Award honors former Husker great and College Football Hall of Famer Dave Rimington, a two-time first-team All-American and two-time Outland Trophy winner. As a senior in 1982, he won both the Outland and Lombardi Awards and finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting.
For Nebraska, having a center with that kind of résumé and recognition is no small thing.
The bigger-picture conversation around the Huskers, though, is still tied to the win total.
Nebraska’s over/under has been set at 6.5 wins, and while some people were talking about six wins a few months ago, the chatter has since drifted toward eight or nine. A couple of recent projections may drag that back down.
Stewart Mandel of The Athletic has Nebraska finishing 14th in the Big Ten with a 6-6 record and a 3-6 mark in conference play. A separate set of PEAR Ratings, which the source material says put Nebraska at 5.2 wins and 98th nationally, is also in the mix. On3’s Sean Callahan, Steven Sipple and Robin Washut all had Nebraska at 7-5, though that prediction came nearly a month ago.
As for where this lands in the betting conversation, the source material makes the case that the under 6.5 is the lean right now. The writer notes a habit of talking himself into more wins every year, and says the only game missed last season was Iowa. An official prediction is still to come.
Elsewhere in the Nebraska orbit, there’s plenty more to watch. Corey Brown is tasked with rebuilding the interior defensive line, with the first-year coach inheriting a group that helped allow 4.82 yards per carry and produced just three sacks a season ago. Rob Aurich, Nebraska’s new defensive coordinator, brought Brown over from Miami (Ohio) as part of the shift from a three-man front to a four-man front.
There’s also the right tackle battle, where Gunnar Gottula is pushing for a role, and the continued rise of Emmett Johnson, who keeps stacking up attention.
And in the bigger college football picture, The Athletic’s preseason 2026 All-America teams once again underscore how loaded the sport’s top leagues are. The SEC has gone 20 straight seasons leading all conferences in NFL Draft picks, including a record 87 in 2026, and it has the most preseason All-Americans for the fifth time in the last six years. The Big Ten, though, has led the way in postseason All-Americans over the last five seasons, with 72.
One more Nebraska note from the defensive line room: Jahsear Whittington says he’s not worried about questions around his size. The Pittsburgh transfer said he arrived in Lincoln at “maybe a pound below” 250 pounds and is now practicing between 275 and 279, while still keeping the quickness and bend that stood out at Pitt. His own words on the matter were simple: “I have the heart of a lion”
So Nebraska has some preseason hardware, some national respect, and a whole lot of uncertainty attached to the win column. That’s the territory this team is living in right now.
In Other News...
Nebraska Has An Unexpected Position Problem On Offense
The tight end room has emerged as one of the quieter concerns around Nebraska heading into the 2026 season, and it is not hard to see why the coaching staff has been pressing the issue. Former offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield was not pleased with what he saw in practice, and Dana Holgorsen has already taken aim at the groups summer work, especially when the Huskers have tried to involve the position in the passing game.
For Nebraska, the challenge is less about whether there is talent on the roster and more about whether that talent can turn into dependable production. Luke Lindenmeyer and Carter Nelson are the obvious names to watch as the staff looks for more consistency, while true freshman Luke Sorensen adds another intriguing option to the mix. The upside is there, but this is one of those spots where the Huskers need answers before the offense can feel complete. [Read more 🡒]
Adrian Martinez Just Made His 49ers Roster Fight Even Tougher
Adrian Martinezs bid to stick with the San Francisco 49ers has hit a rough patch in the preseason, and the former Nebraska quarterback is now facing a tougher climb on the roster bubble. Through his first two exhibition games, Martinez has had trouble with accuracy and ball security, completing 24 of 47 passes while throwing two interceptions, a line that has left him behind other quarterbacks on the depth chart.
Martinez still has a path, but it is not the cleanest one. His chances could improve if injuries continue to thin the quarterback room, which would keep the door open a little longer for him to make a case in the weeks ahead. For now, though, he has work to do if he wants to turn a difficult start into a real argument for a roster spot. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Evans Is Giving Nebraska Fans Real Reason To Believe
Nebraskas offensive front has a familiar name drawing national attention heading into 2026. Justin Evans, the fifth-year senior center, has been named a second-team All-American by The Athletic, another sign that his rise has gone well beyond Lincoln. A steady presence in the middle, Evans has started 31 games for the Cornhuskers and has built a reputation as one of the better interior linemen in the country.
The appeal is easy to see for Nebraska fans. Evans started all 13 games in 2025 and was not responsible for any sacks allowed by the offensive line, a strong marker for a player whose job is often measured by what does not go wrong. With his status as a top interior prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft already established, Evans gives Nebraska both a proven anchor now and a clear pro-level storyline to watch as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]