Nebraska’s fall camp is still a few weeks away, but the Huskers already have a short list of players who could turn into real difference-makers in 2026 despite missing spring practice.
The obvious names on offense are Anthony Colandrea, Kwazi Gilmer and Jacory Barney. On defense, Dwayne McDougle and Andrew Marshall are expected to carry plenty of weight. But every season brings at least a few surprises, and Nebraska has a trio of players who fit that mold because they spent spring on the sideline instead of building momentum on the field.
That matters less for some guys than others. For these three, the key question is whether fall camp gives them enough time to catch up and carve out a role.
Janiran Bonner is the most versatile of the bunch. He came into last season with talk of being a Swiss Army knife for Dana Holgorsen’s offense, but that plan got derailed fast when he tore his ACL after catching one pass for four yards in the opener against Cincinnati. Bonner missed the rest of the year and sat out spring practice, though he is expected to be ready for fall camp or shortly after it begins.
Now in his fifth and final season with Nebraska, Bonner has already shown he can contribute in a few different ways. He has 13 receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown, plus eight carries for 24 yards and two scores.
If the knee is sound, he could line up at running back, fullback, slot receiver or tight end. That kind of flexibility gives Nebraska options.
Dawson Merritt is another player who could make noise once camp opens. The 4-star linebacker got off to a solid start last season after missing spring practice, then his year was interrupted by a knee injury in the eighth game. That also cost him a second straight spring.
Even with that limited prep, Merritt proved he didn’t need a full spring to get rolling. As a sophomore, he has the size and edge to fit well in defensive coordinator Rob Aurich’s system if he stays healthy.
Carter Nelson rounds out the group. He switched from wide receiver to tight end last season and had trouble getting onto the field, though he did appear in every game on special teams. Missing spring practice at a new position would normally be a setback, but Nelson enters his third season with enough experience to still be in the mix.
He has described himself as having a killer mindset and as someone willing to do whatever is asked. With an eight-man background and a career that started at wide receiver, Nelson also has the kind of versatility that could make him another Nebraska Swiss Army knife. If Bonner is not back right away, that could matter even more.
In Other News...
Nebraska Is Finally Giving Anthony Colandrea The Offense Fans Wanted
Anthony Colandrea looks set to be Nebraskas starting quarterback, and the early signs suggest the Huskers are trying to make the offense fit him instead of forcing him into a rigid system. Colandrea has already praised Dana Holgorsen for adjusting the scheme to include elements from his time at UNLV, a notable shift for a program that has spent plenty of time searching for the right formula under center.
For Nebraska, that matters because Colandrea arrives with a track record of production and a style that can change how the whole offense feels. The same momentum around the program is showing up on the recruiting trail, too, with the Huskers offering defensive lineman Simon Nuamah and expecting him on campus, while the schedule ahead also gives Nebraska a pair of familiar MAC matchups in Ohio and Bowling Green as the 2026 slate starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska's Offense Is Drawing Real Belief From Its New Quarterback
Anthony Colandrea has spent spring practice getting a closer look at what Nebraska wants to be on offense, and the early impression is a confident one. The quarterback said he likes the way Dana Holgorsen has blended concepts from his previous stop at UNLV into the Huskers system, with Colandrea pointing to a group of receivers and an offensive line that give the unit a chance to do more than just get by.
There is still a learning curve, though, and Colandrea did not gloss over it. He talked about the jump from the Mountain West to the Big Ten and the challenge of facing a defense that has been complex throughout camp, but he also said the offense is starting to get more comfortable with the system. For a Nebraska attack looking for a cleaner identity, that kind of belief from the new quarterback matters, even if the real proof is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]