Latest news with #HuskerFootball
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Thursday Flakes: Husker Seasons Soon, Premier League and Runaway Tortoise
We are officially 2 weeks away from Husker Football. We are 8 days away from Husker Volleyball. I can already feel the hair standing up on my arms just thinking about how close we are to the fun. The summer doldrums of no Nebraska athletics is finally easing away. The angst, nervousness, and possible joy/despair, well that's just getting started. On a personal level, there is absolutely NOTHING NEW with me this past week. My daughter goes back to preschool tomorrow, but that's genuinely it. I live a boring life, which is exactly how I would prefer it. I enjoy being utterly predictable and boring. I've been accused of living a life like a cartoon character, but I find that to be pretty cool. Through all the boredom, here are you flakes… NEBRASKA: Nebraska linebacker gains new appreciation for football after multiple setbacks in career FOR THE LOVE OF COMPETITION: Javin Wright is in his seventh year of college football. In his final season with the Huskers, he's cherishing his time on the gridiron after missing time over the years. What Phil Snow Really Does for Nebraska Football Nebraska football's associate head coach met with the media to talk a little bit of everything after two weeks of fall camp. Dylan Raiola, Dana Holgorsen and Nebraska's path to College Football Playoff Past vs. Present: Alumni Match Gives Husker Volleyball Unique Tune-Up Saturday's scrimmage against former Huskers allows the 2025 team its first look at a match-like setting before the Aug. 22 season opener. MLB NEWS: 'Uecker Magic?' Or just good baseball as Crew wins 12th straight As a Cubs fan, please for the love of God can someone beat the damn Brewers? Cubs Set To Promote Top Prospect For MLB Debut The Chicago Cubs are reportedly set to promote top outfield prospect the Major League club. IN OTHER NEWS:I've always loved this guy for his 'impressions.' He hasn't done it in a few years, but boy am I glad Lloyd Griffith is back with Premier League hilariousness. Escaped Tortoise Found One Month Later 3 Miles Away – After Going on the Run at 0.004mph Boy With Rare Bone Disorder Becomes Quarterback for a Day and Scores a Touchdown for the NFL Carolina Panthers JOKE OF THE WEEK: I came home today to find my wife left a note on the TV saying 'This isn't working.' Imagine my relief when when I pressed the button and it switched on fine.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Australia punter playing at Nebraska breaks down while discussing homesickness
Life as a college football player requires tremendous sacrifice, from early morning workouts to the demanding balance between academic and athletic responsibilities that leaves little in the way of free time. Some athletes carry a heavier burden than others. Archie Wilson is a freshman punter at Nebraska who joined the program over the summer. To play for the Cornhuskers, he left his home in Australia and traveled halfway across the globe. REQUIRED READING: What are the best college football games of Week1? We list the top 10 It has been a difficult adjustment mentally and emotionally for Wilson, who expressed some understandable feelings of homesickness when asked about it this week while fighting through tears. 'I love (my family) a lot,' Wilson said during a news conference during Nebraska's fall training camp. 'I've got two little brothers and a mom and dad. That's the tough part about being here. I love them a lot and I miss them. But they know this is what's best for me.' WHOLESOME 🥹@HuskerFootball's punter Archie Wilson became emotional when asked about being away from his family in Australia ❤️ The clip of Wilson received widespread attention on social media, with many people empathizing with him and the pain he has carried. Though Wilson is new to college football, he played Australian rules football at Haileybury College as a full-back. More notably, he was trained by the Prokick Australia program, which has produced eight Ray Guy Award winners and 29 players that have earned NFL or CFL contracts. He's one of two punters on Nebraska's roster. For all he has shouldered since leaving home, Wilson will get some much-needed relief later this month. When the Huskers open their 2025 season on August 28 against Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium, there will be some familiar faces in the crowd cheering him on. 'It's good I can still talk to them plenty over the phone and they're coming in to see the first few games, so I'm looking forward to that,' he said.
New York Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Nebraska football concludes spring with ‘Husker Games': 10 thoughts from the festivities
LINCOLN, Neb. — Spring turned into summer, figuratively, Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska staged the Husker Games, a first-time event, that featured a giant garage sale of memorabilia and apparel, tours of the Osborne Legacy Complex, competitions in the spirit of an NFL Pro Bowl, and, yes, a bit of football. Advertisement So was it a hit? Well, about 8,000 fans attended the scrimmage — approximately 10 percent of the figure on this day in 2018, when the popularity of the Red-White game peaked at Nebraska. Last year and in 2023 under coach Matt Rhule, the crowds exceeded 60,000. 'I just can't wait til this place is sold out,' said wide receiver Dane Key, the transfer from Kentucky on track to lead his position group in the fall. The measure of success from Saturday, though, involved more than exposure. Nebraska nixed television options and held its top 60 players out of the scrimmage to avoid transforming the final practice of April into a showcase of talent for interested outside programs. A year after Nebraska lost two key pieces in the spring game to injury, Saturday was simply a fun finish to five weeks of offseason practice. The Huskers accomplished plenty on the field this spring. Here are 10 observations from the end of spring in Lincoln: 1. Dylan Raiola is on solid ground atop the roster. The sophomore quarterback took a few snaps with the Nebraska women's club team in its flag game against Midland at Memorial Stadium. Raiola tossed the ball from 50 yards into a basketball hoop as part of a QB competition during a break in the scrimmage. DR from downtown. 🎯 — Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) April 26, 2025 Raiola helped call plays. Rhule used a microphone to speak to fans periodically, but it was Raiola who thanked them at the end for attending. Little moments illustrate Raiola's readiness to lead. He's displayed steady growth since his freshman season ended in December with a win in the Pinstripe Bowl. Raiola said he's more vocal with teammates. His command of the offense has improved. His confidence is up. 'As a leader, it becomes who you are,' he said. 'You don't want to be that leader where you're sometimes on, sometimes off. It's that consistency of being the same guy every day.' Advertisement 2. Nebraska's QB stable is deep but unproven. With Raiola and top backup Jalyn Gramstad on the sideline, true freshman TJ Lateef and Purdue transfer Marcos Davila directed the first two quarters of action. Both of their first drives ended in interceptions, but Nebraska has talent at the position. Lateef, an early enrollee out of Compton, Calif., showed pocket awareness. Davila, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound redshirt freshman from Midland, Texas, possesses the ideal size to survive in the Big Ten. He threw a touchdown pass to DJ Singleton. DJ All Day 💯 TD 👉 DJ Singleton — Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) April 26, 2025 3. Young defenders flashed. Freshmen Tanner Terch and Kahmir Prescott recorded interceptions in the first half of the scrimmage. Defensive linemen David Hoffken and Mason Goldman registered sacks. The Huskers who scrimmaged Saturday are fighting for position on the bottom half of the roster — and ultimately to move into the top 57. With a 105-player limit likely off the table in 2025 after a federal judge moved last week in the House settlement case to protect active athletes from mandated cuts, a smaller roster is still coming. Nebraska used the spring to identify 18 to 20 defensive players in spots to contribute as starters or in packages as part of John Butler's scheme. The final scrimmage helped organize depth pieces. 4. In Rhule's program, players swap positions in every offseason. This spring, Nebraska shifted Ian Flynt from tight end to defensive line and Landen Davidson from offensive line to defensive line. Flynt and Davidson, entering their second seasons in the program, moved in a bid to add depth up front on defense. Nebraska is thin on experience behind Elijah Jeudy, Cam Lenhardt and Riley Van Poppel. It signed Jaylen George and Gabe Moore out of the portal in the winter. Advertisement Defensive linemen come at a high premium in the spring portal. Nebraska might stand pat with what it's got. 5. Trent Uhlir and Vince Genatone switched spots. Uhlir, a redshirt freshman, is now playing linebacker, and Genatone, a junior, flipped to running back. The move for Genatone comes with some intrigue. He's a 225-pound Montana transfer out of North Platte, Neb., who ran a 10.5-second 100-meter dash while in high school. Genatone played special teams at Nebraska last season. Can he get traction at running back? The Huskers need someone to break out. 6. Brett Maher, the former NFL kicker who punted and kicked at Nebraska in 2011 and 2012, joined Tristan Alvano and Nico Ottomanelli in a kicking competition before the scrimmage. Maher coaches the Nebraska kickers, and he's done good work with Alvano. The third-year kicker from Omaha Westside performed well on Saturday. He appears on track to regain his freshman season form after an injury kept him out last year. John Hohl emerged in Alvano's absence in 2024, hitting 10 of 15 field-goal attempts. Hohl was sidelined this spring and did not kick Saturday. 7. The Huskers' new leader on special teams, Mike Eleker, delivered an inspiring performance. Rhule challenged the 53-year-old Ekeler to show his strength on the bench press, pledging $5,000 to the Teammates mentoring program for each rep at 225 pounds that Ekeler completed. He got 13. Rhule then doubled the donation to $130,000 after former Nebraska linebacker Will Compton finished 15 reps. Compton and his 'Bussin' With the Boys' podcast co-host Taylor Lewan served as guest coaches at the Husker Games. 8. Raiola praised the leadership of Key, naming him among seven Huskers who've directed efforts to set a high standard in the offseason. The others, in addition to Raiola, are Lenhardt, offensive linemen Justin Evans and Henry Lutovsky and linebackers Marques Watson-Trent and Gage Stenger. Advertisement Rhule has helped Key find his voice as a leader since the receiver arrived in January. Key has embraced the role. 'I feel like everybody on this team respects me,' Key said. The order of depth at receiver features Key, Jacory Barney, newcomer Nyziah Hunter and Janiran Bonner, with freshmen Quinn Clark, Cortez Mills and Isaiah Mozee also pushing for work under new assistant Daikiel Shorts. 9. Barney won the fastest-man competition. He predicted the victory last week. After his 55-reception season last fall, the sophomore from South Florida set a goal to 'be unguardable' in 2025. Barney has worked this year on his route running and body control. 'Mastering my game,' he said. 10. Plenty of smiles at Memorial Stadium followed the NFL Draft selections Saturday of defensive lineman Ty Robinson (fourth round to Philadelphia) and tight end Thomas Fidone (seventh round to the New York Giants). Wide receiver Isaiah Neyor (San Francisco), safety Isaac Gifford (Carolina), defensive lineman Nash Hutmacher (Baltimore), linebacker John Bullock (Tampa Bay), wide receiver Jahmal Banks (Baltimore) and center Ben Scott (Tampa Bay) signed free-agent deals. Despite the unorthodox format of the spring conclusion, it allowed for a festive atmosphere and showcased progress in this third year under Rhule. Nebraska has many strides to take. Chief among the priorities: sign and develop first-round picks. Eleven Big Ten players were drafted in the first round on Thursday. Nebraska's last first-rounder remains Prince Amukamara, 14 years ago.
New York Times
18-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Matt Rhule on Nebraska's spring game (it's on, sort of), punting shuffle and roster crunch
LINCOLN, Neb. — Matt Rhule woke up rested Thursday morning. It helped him bring extra energy into football practice, the 12th of 15 at Nebraska this spring. Why the good night of sleep? It's in part, he said, because Rhule sees a team on the field full of players who love to play the game. 'This is the team I've been waiting for,' the third-year coach said in a post-practice interview session. Advertisement For example, Rhule said, to punish these players after the offense fumbled in a competitive period Thursday, he removed them from the field. Instead of making them run the drill again, he took the game away. 'It's completely different,' Rhule said. 'And it has nothing to do with me. It's the guys. They like to compete. They love to practice. And they're competing at a high level.' Rhule provided an update Thursday on the spring as Nebraska enters the final stretch of this chapter in the offseason. Here are four observations: 1. Remember two months ago when Nebraska canceled its spring game? Well, it's back. "I'm going to put the ball down and play some live football." 👀🏈🏟️@CoachMattRhule is giving the guys their shot next Saturday at The Husker Games. Be there to witness what makes Nebraska Football so special. 🎟️ → — Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) April 17, 2025 The traditional Red-White format, pitting the No. 1 offense against the No. 1 defense, remains off the table. Rhule nixed the end-of-spring scrimmage in part because he didn't want to create a showcase for rival programs to scout the Nebraska roster. The school instead devised the Husker Games as an end-of-spring event, featuring skill competitions, a garage sale of apparel and memorabilia, facility tours and other sporting events. As of late this week, it will also include live football. Rhule cleared the idea Wednesday, he said, with athletic director Troy Dannen. The scrimmage will involve players mostly outside of the top 53 to 57 on the roster. 'We have a bunch of guys that, this could be their last time playing in that stadium,' Rhule said. 'We have a bunch of guys that are fighting to make the 105. We have a bunch of guys that, if they can't play here, they need tape to go somewhere else.' Advertisement With the House settlement and details on a roster limit unresolved, Rhule said he believes that current players will not receive relief in the way of a grandfather clause that allows programs to carry more than 105 when the season opens in August. Nebraska's roster stands at 131 players. Any reserve who 'still has meat on the bone,' Rhule said, will be given a shot in the scrimmage. 'We've got guys who do this schedule after being told, 'You're not going to make the 105,'' Rhule said. 'So I'm going to put them out there and tell my wife and kids to come watch them play. 'I can't tell you how grateful I am for the kids that are still here, knowing 'my odds aren't that high.'' 2. Nebraska has entered the market for a punter after Jack McCallister announced on opening day of the spring transfer portal window that he would leave the Huskers. I'd like to thank Coach Rhule, Coach Foley, Coach Ekeler, Coach Maher and many others for the opportunity to play at Nebraska. However, due to a change in circumstances I have entered the transfer portal with one season of eligibility remaining — Jack McCallister (@jmccallister38) April 16, 2025 McCallister arrived at Nebraska in January upon his transfer from Washington. The circumstances of his portal departure differ perhaps from any at Nebraska — and underscore the reality in this NIL era that college programs are managed more than ever like NFL organizations. Rhule and special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler, hired in February from Tennessee, met last week with McCallister to inform the punter that the Huskers planned to employ a rugby-style punting scheme in 2025. Ekekler used the system with the Vols to achieve success behind Australian punter Jackson Ross for the past two seasons. 'Schematically, it's a no-brainer,' Rhule said, citing rule differences between the college and NFL games that permit players in coverage to release from the line of scrimmage before the ball is kicked. Advertisement The Huskers offered McCallister an opportunity to stay. 'He asked if he could continue to stay at practice (through the spring) and finish what he started,' Rhule said. 'I just want to be very clear, I feel terrible about the circumstances. When I met with him, he was so professional, (though) obviously deeply disappointed. 'I don't feel good about how it happened. I don't feel good about the situation. I don't feel good about it, but it is what's in the best interest of us.' The coach said he hoped that his three children would 'grow up to have the type of character in the face of adversity that (McCallister) showed.' Nebraska has practiced covering punts in a rugby-style system this spring. It plans to add a punter in the summer. After the spring ends next week, players will break from team activities until June 2. 3. Last week, offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen pulled the curtain back on several rising performers this spring on his side of the ball. Rhule added a defensive player to the list: sophomore linebacker Jacob Bower. A walk-on from Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Bower, after a redshirt season in 2023, did not earn an invite to preseason camp last August. But he embarked on a steady climb after his arrival when the fall semester began. He is not among the Huskers fighting at the end of spring for a roster spot. Bower, at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, is fighting for a starting spot. 'I can't run him with the twos anymore, because he plays like a starter,' Rhule said. 'He pays for school. Doesn't have an NIL deal. And he just plays and plays and plays and plays and plays.' He won't pay for school after this spring. Whether through NIL or a scholarship, Rhule said, Bower has earned his spot and then some. 4. Camp season at Nebraska is about a month away. The Huskers have acted more selectively, because of roster limits and the rising level of competition in the Big Ten, as they distribute scholarship offers close to home. Advertisement Of the top 10 prospects in the state of Nebraska in the Class of 2026, according to 247Sports, just two have received Nebraska offers — Omaha North defensive back Darion Jones and Millard South tight end Isaac Jensen. None are committed to the Huskers. Five of the top 10 are committed to Iowa State. Want an offer? Come to camp, Rhule said. 'I don't think there's anything wrong at the University of Nebraska that we carry ourselves like one of the top 20 programs in the country,' Rhule said. 'There's lots of kids I would like to recruit. If they've committed to a Big 12 school or somewhere else like that, come to camp. 'If you want to play in the Big 12 over the Big Ten, oh, I got it. But make no mistake, there's a big difference.' It's a reality, Rhule said, that the Big Ten and SEC play at a higher level than teams in other conferences. 'I have to worry about, 'What's Ohio State doing? What's Michigan doing?'' Rhule said. 'I love the state (of Nebraska). I love the players.' The Huskers will take in-state players, he said. 'I just have to be sure that they're good enough.'
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ty Robinson improves draft stock at NFL scouting combine
A Nebraska defensive lineman turned heads at the NFL scouting combine on Thursday. Ty Robinson ran a 4.83 40-yard dash, which was the fastest time from the first group of defensive linemen. Robinson hit speeds of 20.64 MPH according to the NFL's Next Gen Stats. The defensive tackle had an impressive 2024 for the Cornhuskers. In 13 games, he recorded 37 tackles, 13.0 for loss and 7.0 sacks. His performance was good enough to earn Third-Team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media. Robinson is in a great position to be selected in the upcoming NFL draft. The Huskers did not see anyone chosen in the 2024 draft snapping a streak of four straight years with at least two players selected in the draft. The 2025 NFL draft will take place April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI. The Tennessee Titans finished with the worst record in the 2024 season and will make the first overall pick in the draft. Two 40s. Two times under Robinson has been MOVING 😤 @HuskerFootball📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork📱: Stream on @NFLPlus — NFL (@NFL) February 27, 2025 Say his name 🗣️@HuskerFootball DT Ty Robinson is having a day at the #NFLCombine 😤📺: 2025 #NFLCombine on NFL Network📱: Stream on @NFLPlus — NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 27, 2025 This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Nebraska defensive lineman Ty Robinson wows at NFL scouting combine
