Nebraska’s Week 1 depth chart brought a pair of late-camp shakeups, and both came in the trenches.
With the Huskers set to open against Ohio on Saturday, Matt Rhule handed out a lineup that shows just how much ground Gunnar Gottula and Owen Stoudmire made in August. Both are now listed as starters, giving Nebraska two surprise answers on the offensive and defensive lines after camp buzz pointed their way in recent weeks.
Gottula landed the starting right tackle job, a move that is surprising on paper but not out of nowhere if you were listening to the way Nebraska’s coaches talked through camp. Rhule kept mentioning how much he liked the junior, who is finally healthy and has been a full go since the first day of camp.
The 6-foot-6, 320-pound lineman missed spring practice, then returned and apparently kept climbing. He started a total of 16 games in 2024 and 2025, but at the beginning of camp he looked like the one trying to catch Tree Babalade, the transfer who arrived with plenty of attention.
Instead, Gottula won the job, and the depth chart makes clear this was his push, not Babalade fading away.
The other major twist came on the defensive front, where Stoudmire is listed as a starter at defensive tackle ahead of senior Riley Van Poppel. Van Poppel played in all 13 games last season and made three starts, so this one carries some weight.
Still, it fits with what had been building through camp: Nebraska had heard enough uneven play from some defensive linemen, and Van Poppel was among those mentioned as struggling. Stoudmire, a transfer from Boston College, drew strong reviews late in camp and now gets the first shot in Week 1.
There were a few other details worth noting on the chart. Mekhi Nelson has an “OR” next to his name, which leaves him essentially tied with Isaiah Mozee, while true freshman Jamal Rule is clearly No. 3 in that rotation.
Nebraska’s first look at Rob Aurich’s new 4-2-5 system will include two transfer starters on the interior line. Pitt transfer Jahsear Whittington is the other starter up front, and that spot was never really in question. Behind Whittington, sophomore Tyson Terry and senior Sua Lefotu are listed as the top backups.
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