Latest news with #Huskers'
USA Today
04-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Five-star safety from Omaha excited about relationship with Nebraska football
One of the top recruits in the state of Nebraska is impressed by the Huskers' recent recruiting efforts. Omaha Central safety Tory Pittman III told KETV that Nebraska is the one school that has caught his eye. Pittman recently earned his fifth recruiting star. The class of 2027 recruit is the No. 1 prospect in the state of Nebraska and the No. 1 safety in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite score. "From the jump, they tried to get to know me as a person. Coach Matt Rhule has stayed in constant communication since my eighth-grade year when they first offered me." The recruit has played both safety and wide receiver for the Eagles. In his first season, Pittman totaled 34 tackles and two interceptions and caught three passes for 70 yards in eight games. This past year, he racked up 54 tackles and three interceptions and hauled in 26 catches for 458 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games. Nebraska's class of 2027 holds one commitment. Four-star quarterback Trae Taylor committed in May. Find more from Tory Pittman below. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
03-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Nebraska football freshman wide receiver Cortez Mills named to South Florida Watch List
Nebraska football freshman wide receiver Cortez Mills was named to Rivals' list of five freshmen from South Florida who can make an impact in 2025. The list was compiled by Marcus Benjamin on Friday. Mills comes to Nebraska after putting together an accomplished high school career. He had 1,640 yards as a junior and 466 yards and six touchdowns as a senior in high school. He was selected to the Navy All-American Game and looks to make an impact at the collegiate level. Mills' big-play threat ability certainly lends itself to the opportunity to see the field. Benjamin seemed to be extremely high on Mills, as he wrote about in his piece. "The Cornhuskers have a relatively young receiving corps, giving Cortez Mills a real opportunity to get on the field early this season. Aside from projected starter, senior Dane Key, Mills will be battling underclassmen for the most part for playing time." Although there is depth at the wide receiver position, Mills could have the opportunity to get on the field early. The Huskers' wide receiver group has been revamped, and offensive coordinator Dana Holgerson has made it clear that he will play the best wide receivers. Mills could certainly fall into that category sooner rather than later. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
02-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Nebraska volleyball announces schedule change
The Nebaska volleyball team has announced a change to their 2025 schedule. The Huskers' match against the USC Trojans will be played on Sunday, Nov. 16, at 2:00 p.m. CT, after being originally scheduled for Nov. 15. The change is being made due to scheduling conflicts. The Huskers' West Coast road trip also includes a match at the UCLA Bruins on Friday, Nov. 14. Nebraska will open the 2025 season on Friday, August 22, when the Huskers host Pittsburgh at 6:00 p.m. CT at the Pinnacle Bank Arena as part of the AVCA First Serve. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
31-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Big Ten volleyball head coaches reflect on John Cook's legacy ahead of 2025 season
Rick Pizzo of the Big Ten Network continued Volleyball Media Days on Tuesday by interviewing head coaches across the conference. Pizzo asked each of them their thoughts on John Cook now that he's retired. Each coach spoke praise of the Nebraska legend, emphasizing how he helped the sport become what it is today. Even Nebraska's new head coach Dani Busboom Kelly reflected on her time with Cook, both as a player and an assistant coach. "It's been a ton," she said. "His mentorship, friendship. Just what he's done for the sport of volleyball, always pushing it forward and never giving up. He's not afraid to go out there and keep pushing the envelope over and over again." Cook's impact has been felt in Nebraska and across the nation, the biggest reflection of that being the Huskers' match against Omaha at Memorial Stadium in 2023, with 92,003 fans in attendance. "We wouldn't be here without John [Cook]," Illinois head and former Nebraska assistant coach Chris Tamas said. "You talk about the stadium match. It could probably only happen in one place in the country. To have the turnout they do with their fans every single match, a lot of that is John's drive." Under Cook's tenure, the Huskers wrangled four national championships, 12 Final Four appearances, nine Big 12 titles, five Big Ten titles and 722 total wins, the most by a D-I coach this century. "They were never satisfied with where they were at," Minnesota head coach Keegan Cook said. "Always thinking about growth. Always thinking about doing something that hadn't been done before, and just being merciless in that space, not getting distracted from making his program the best it could possibly be." Cook was also a leader in the sport, helping it grow across the decades with 11 of the 12 biggest crowds in NCAA women's volleyball history featuring Nebraska. "For volleyball, he's been incredible for the growth of the game," Northwestern head coach Tim Nollan said. "He was such a pillar for a long time, bringing the sport forward and pushing it to new heights. We're still going to be talking about him for 10 years." His impact was also felt among the coaches across the conference who respected not only his coaching but also his sportsmanship. "I always respected John for the success he had," Maryland head coach Adam Hughes said. "But anytime we went there, he always checked on me before the game, shook my hand. He always wanted to know how I was doing, how the kids were doing. It just speaks volumes as to who he is." With his retirement, Cook leaves behind a legacy that will still be felt for years to come. For Nebraska, the team enters a new era, one that both Cook and Terry Pettit built. "He's one of the greats of the game," Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley said. "He's made a huge impact on the sport across the country, and I think he'll continue to do that. I'm sure he'll be on TV. But you can't replace coaches like him, and I was lucky enough to be around him." Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
New York Times
29-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Five things to know about Nebraska as Huskers open camp
LINCOLN, Neb. — Minus the triple-digit heat index, it felt like fall Monday at Nebraska. Before the first practice of preseason camp, some 120 football players awoke at Selleck Hall. They were reintroduced last weekend to the dorm life that has become tradition for Matt Rhule-coached teams in Lincoln. Advertisement A difference this year? The Huskers voted their coaches out. 'They want it to be their thing, their team,' Rhule said. 'So as much as I love staying in the dorm, I was happy to oblige.' The Day 1 revelation advances a player-driven push toward independence. 'It's been a long offseason of not just football, but also of learning and understanding my teammates,' said sophomore QB Dylan Raiola, the returning starter. 'And in order for that to happen, it's a two-way street. I commend them for putting up with me.' Nebraska is 12-13 in two seasons under Rhule. It punctuated 2024 in the Pinstripe Bowl, the Huskers' first appearance in the postseason — a victory against Boston College — since 2016. They're intent in 2025 to take a big leap. The primary offseason storyline at Nebraska has involved one question: Does this group possess the ability to jump similarly to Rhule's former teams in this spot at Temple and Baylor in 2015 and 2019, respectively? Both programs added four victories from their second seasons led by Rhule to the third. The coach believes. 'We've got enough good players,' Rhule said. 'We have an excellent roster. We're fast. We're explosive. We've got veterans where we need them. We're good on the lines. We've got great coaches. But we're going to have to go perform.' One month ahead of the Nebraska opener against Cincinnati, here are five more of the most interesting storylines about the Huskers as they begin training camp: Nebraska started camp Monday with 125 players. That's 20 over the eventual limit of 105 negotiated as part of the House v. NCAA settlement terms. Pressure applied by the judge in the case this spring forced the NCAA and power conferences to allow programs to grant exemptions to all players who would have been cut if roster limits had been implemented this year. Advertisement 'I don't know how I could have told some of these guys, 'Hey, you're not on the team,'' Rhule said. 'They're paying to go to school … and a lot of them are good players, developing into good players.' The roster exemptions allow Nebraska, which carried approximately 150 players last year, to ease into the era of roster limits. In the meantime, its depth fosters competition and practice flow, Rhule said. The last time Holgorsen spent an entire season focused solely on coordinating an offense, it was 2010 at Oklahoma State. Brandon Weeden threw for a Big 12-best 4,277 yards. Justin Blackmon led the FBS with 20 touchdown receptions. And the Cowboys scored 44.2 points per game. They scored 41 apiece in their lone losses — against Nebraska and Oklahoma. Holgorsen, 54, spent the next 13 seasons as a head coach. He joined the Huskers in November last year as OC. In his second game, Nebraska beat Wisconsin 44-25, posting its highest point total in more than three years against a Big Ten opponent. After an offseason to get comfortable with the personnel and implement his offense, Holgorsen looks set to push Nebraska to a new level after it averaged 5.19 yards per play over two seasons, ranking 104th nationally in 2023 and 2024. The bar is not especially high. USC coach Lincoln Riley described the Holgorsen addition as a 'big win for Nebraska.' 'He's a phenomenal offensive coach,' said Riley, who worked alongside Holgorsen at Texas Tech and matched wits with him when Riley coached at Oklahoma. 'It was a home run offensive hire for Matt, and Matt knows it.' No tight end in two years under Rhule at Nebraska has caught more than 36 passes or four touchdowns in a season. The Huskers' returning production is limited, with three tight ends back who combined for 31 catches and one TD in 2024. Advertisement But look deeper. 'I'm not going to spoil the eggs on what we're going to do with those guys,' Raiola said, 'but they're all special athletes.' Holgorsen is bullish on the position group, perhaps the Huskers' deepest and most talented on offense. And despite his history with the Air Raid offense, the coordinator plans to make use of a four-pronged weapon at tight end for Nebraska that includes Luke Lindenmeyer, Heinrich Haarberg, Carter Nelson and Mac Markway. According to Lindenmeyer, Nebraska's ready to take the throne as 'Tight End U.' That's a bit aggressive, but Haarberg and Nelson likely deliver as much talent at the spot as any duo in the Big Ten. Haarberg, a converted quarterback, rates as impressive as any athlete Rhule has coached, he said. Nelson, who played receiver as a freshman last year, is a former top-100 recruit with high-end skills. Markway, the LSU transfer, and Lindenmeyer are equally adept on the edge in the run game and as pass catchers. Observers on Monday at practice caught a first glimpse of Archie Wilson, the rugby-style freshman punter from Australia who arrived in Lincoln this summer. The Huskers changed course on their punting plans under the direction of first-year special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler, who used rugby-style punter Jackson Ross at Tennessee over the past two seasons. Like Ross, Wilson can punt traditionally or while rolling out — and with both legs. He was booming kicks with his left leg on the turf in the shadow of the Osborne Legacy Complex early Monday. And there's more. 'I think what he can do is fantastic,' Rhule said. 'He can roll left. He can roll right. He can really run. He's fast. He can throw. … That could put defenses really, really at a disadvantage.' For a program that's struggled to win with special teams and has lost 23 of 28 games decided by one score over the last four seasons, Wilson can flip the field in more ways than one. Advertisement Nebraska teams for longer than a generation established a standard of greatness on the offensive line. The Huskers produced 18 first-team All-Americans on the O-line over 20 years. But since 2001? Not one. And worse yet, the Huskers have rarely leaned on their line to set a physical tone in 14 seasons of Big Ten play. 'I want to walk through the hallways and be a little bit physically intimidated by our O-line,' Rhule said. 'That's how it's supposed to look — and not by their height, but their girth.' Could this be the year? Left to right, Nebraska features Alabama transfer Elijah Pritchett, Henry Lutovsky, Justin Evans, Notre Dame transfer Rocco Spindler and a battle at right tackle that includes Tyler Knaak, Gunnar Gottula and Teddy Prochazka. The line has experience, size, strength, depth and versatility. 'That's a group I'm extremely proud of,' running back Emmett Johnson said. 'They're really buying in. They're probably the hardest-working group on the team.' Lutovsky represented Nebraska last week at Big Ten media days. A fifth-year senior, he switched in the spring from right guard to the left side. He said he'd play anywhere up front that best suits the squad. This season marks the final opportunity for Lutovsky to realize a dream from before his time at Nebraska arrived. 'I fell in love with the idea of bringing it back.' (Photo of Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola: Dustin Satloff / Getty Images)
