Nebraska’s special teams has become one of the quieter storylines in a rough stretch, but the details matter. As the Huskers head into November, the third phase is carrying both a few bright spots and one glaring problem: the kicking game still hasn’t settled down.
The biggest change came Monday, when head coach Matt Rhule said senior John Hohl will take over as the starting kicker moving forward. That move follows a string of misses from senior Kyle Cunanan, who is 4-of-9 on field goals this season.
Cunanan missed a 36-yard try early in the fourth quarter against Washington, and Nebraska was outscored 14-3 after that. He also missed a 40-yarder against Indiana in a game the Hoosiers won by three.
“It's hard to win a game when you miss these crucial field goals,” head coach Matt Rhule said during his weekly press conference on Monday. “Obviously that’s the kicker.
It’s also the snapper putting the ball in the [holder’s] hands. We have to be better in that area.”
Cunanan’s season has been a sharp drop from last year, when he went 16-of-19 as a junior. That run included important kicks in three-point wins over Cincinnati and Maryland, along with attempts that at least got Nebraska on the board in losses to Minnesota, Penn State, Iowa and Utah.
Hohl, meanwhile, already gave Nebraska a reason to trust him. He made a 42-yard field goal late against Washington, his first as a Husker in nearly two years.
Rhule said Monday that Hohl will start going forward, and with Nebraska’s offense still searching for an identity, the Huskers need that spot to steady fast. Hohl was 10-of-15 on field goals as a sophomore with Nebraska, even though he started just 1-of-5.
If the kicking game has been shaky, punting has been a different story. Sophomore Archie Wilson has given Nebraska a dependable weapon, and his latest performance earned him national recognition.
On Tuesday, Wilson was honored with the Ray Guy Award for Week 9 after averaging 49.8 net yards per punt on five kicks against Washington. Four of those punts landed inside the Huskies’ 20-yard line.
Wilson’s season has been one of the steadier pieces in Nebraska’s three-game skid. The punter from Frankston South, Victoria, Australia ranks 21st nationally and third in the Big Ten with a 45.1-yard average. He has also kept returns to a minimum, with just four of his 31 punts brought back this year.
That kind of field-position edge could matter even more over Nebraska’s final four games. The Huskers will need Wilson to keep flipping the field while the offense tries to get back on track.
The return game, though, has slipped since last season. Nebraska averaged 27.8 yards on 20 kickoff returns a year ago, but that number has dropped to 19.7 yards on 12 returns through eight games this season. The decline has come with Mike Ekeler gone after one season as special teams coordinator, a move that left a noticeable gap in a unit he helped turn into a strength.
Before Ekeler arrived, Nebraska had serious issues in the return game, especially on punts. In 2023, the Huskers ranked 121st nationally in FBS punt-return average and finished with just 48 total punt-return yards. Last season, that changed in a big way, as Nebraska finished with the 13th most punt return yards in the nation and averaged 12.3 yards per return.
Brett Maher has been on Nebraska’s staff since 2024 and is in his first season as special teams coordinator in 2026 after serving as an assistant special teams coach under Ekeler. Last year’s return game featured Kenneth Williams, who averaged 32.9 yards on 12 kickoff returns, and junior Jacory Barney Jr., who earned All-Big Ten recognition.
Barney has tried to keep that level going this fall, but he has not matched last season’s production and is now dealing with a broken rib. That has shown up in Nebraska’s field position, with the offense starting drives at its own 28-yard line on average this season, compared to its own 32 last year.
Nebraska goes on the road to face Illinois on Friday, Nov. 6.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast on Fox.
Hohl, Wilson, Barney and the rest of the special teams unit will be looking to open the final four-game stretch on a cleaner note.
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