Latest news with #NebraskaFootball
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nebraska football tabbed with easiest Big Ten schedule for 2025
Nebraska football has the easiest 2025 schedule in the Big Ten, according to rankings from Phil Steele. His rankings were put out earlier this week. Wisconsin has the toughest schedule, followed by UCLA, Purdue, Rutgers, and Oregon, which round out the top five. Washington, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Nebraska round out the bottom five. Advertisement The Huskers open up the 2025 season on August 28 against the Cincinnati Bearcats. They do have a tricky stretch at the back half of the schedule, which includes Maryland and Minnesota in October. They then take on UCLA, Penn State, and Iowa in November, rounding out the schedule. Overall, it should be an exciting season. The Huskers will look to build on their victory in the Pinstripe Bowl last December, with several new pieces on both the offensive and defensive sides of the football. Matt Rhule teams are known to take a third-year jump, and this team may have the pieces to do it. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions. Advertisement This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Nebraska football ranked with easiest Big Ten schedule in 2025
New York Times
11-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Is Nebraska on the verge of a breakthrough? Cincinnati opener should provide quick answer
Nebraska football won 29 consecutive season-opening games from 1986 to 2014. The Huskers are 4-5 since then, losing each time they opened away from Memorial Stadium or against a power conference opponent. Many of the stinky starts — Illinois in 2021, Northwestern in 2022 and coaching debuts for Scott Frost against Colorado in 2018 and Matt Rhule at Minnesota in 2023 — snuffed months of offseason momentum. Advertisement Now, though, confidence is swelling internally at Nebraska. The program believes it has progressed and is not so vulnerable to another faceplant. But as Rhule's third team pushes toward the newly named Kansas City Classic against Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium on Aug. 28, evidence of an impending breakthrough remains scarce. Has Nebraska made a jump? Its first season-opening win against a Power 4 team since 2003 would help signal that it has. Prognosticators are largely predicting that the Thursday night ESPN opener will be a Nebraska victory. Joel Klatt of Fox Sports listed the Huskers among 10 teams most likely to make the College Football Playoff in 2025 for the first time. Nebraska is often in the conversation as a nine- or 10-win contender, not a team in danger of an early stumble. Don't sleep on the Bearcats, though. While Cincinnati is 8-16 in Satterfield's two seasons, the Bearcats return a quarterback in Brendan Sorsby who threw for 2,813 yards while completing 64 percent of his passes last season. In Cincy's first five games, Sorsby, an Indiana transfer, tossed 10 touchdowns to one interception. But he struggled late in the season when his receivers failed to get free on the perimeter, Satterfield said. Big 12 defenses loaded up in the box. The Bearcats addressed their issues in the portal by adding 6-foot-5 receiver Jeff Caldwell, who's pushed his weight to 214 pounds while maintaining speed and an 11-foot-9 broad jump. Cyrus Allen from Texas A&M and Caleb Goodie from Colorado State provide a burst that Cincinnati lacked in 2024. Tight end Joe Royer is a preseason All-Big 12 pick. Running back Tawee Walker, a transfer from Wisconsin, rushed for 864 yards last season. While the Bearcats have had their ups and downs — Cincinnati beat Big 12 champ Arizona State last year but closed the season with five consecutive losses — the program is only four years removed from a CFP appearance. Advertisement And as other coaches captured the attention of Nebraska fans this week at Big 12 media days, Cincinnati's Scott Satterfield billed his squad as a contender in the wide-open conference, and his revamped offense could be a handful for first-year Nebraska defensive coordinator John Butler. 'We're a much more explosive football team this year,' Satterfield said. Satterfield said he's noticed an uptick in urgency among the Bearcats this summer because of the name-brand opponent in Nebraska. 'It's a great gauge for our football team,' he said. 'We feel like you've got to be hitting on all cylinders when you start the season against a team like Nebraska.' He referred to the game in Kansas City as a 'neutral site.' It is, of course, but only by definition. Per an early summer update from Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen, 62,000 tickets were sold for the opener. A sellout or close to it at the 76,000-seat home of the Kansas City Chiefs appears likely. Expect the overwhelming majority of those fans to back Nebraska, a seven-point favorite, according to BetMGM. The willingness of Nebraska fans to travel and the state's close proximity to Arrowhead ensure an environment that will feel like home to the Huskers. Initially, the matchup was scheduled for Indianapolis, 110 miles from Cincinnati. The programs agreed late last year to move to Kansas City in a deal that sweetened the financial pot for the Bearcats. 'Strictly football and as a coach, I'd rather play at home,' Satterfield said. 'Bring Nebraska to our place, and let's go. So now, it'll be like a road game for both teams.' Or perhaps not. Regardless, Rhule and Nebraska players, including quarterback Dylan Raiola, will have their opportunity at Big Ten media days on July 22 to present a picture of a team on the rise. Many of their talking points figure to sound similar to what we heard this week from Cincinnati. They are two programs mired in something closer to the same place than the Huskers might comfortably want to admit. But of the two, only Nebraska has a chance to exorcise a decade of demons.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nebraska's top linebacker target trending toward ACC school
Nebraska football linebacker target Calvin Thomas was trending to the Huskers early this week, but several experts have logged predictions for him to commit to the North Carolina Tar Heels. Tim Verghese logged in his prediction on Saturday afternoon, while On'3's Sean Callahan also put a prediction for Thomas to the Tar Heels on Saturday night. Thomas is a four-star linebacker. He is the No. 26 overall linebacker in the 2026 class and the No. 45 overall player in his class from the state of Texas, according to the On3 industry rankings. The linebacker is set to make his decision on July 12. Advertisement This would certainly be a tough miss for the Huskers, as Thomas brings both playmaking ability and athleticism. He had 69 tackles and seven sacks as a junior, according to statistics from This is certainly a disappointing development for the Huskers. Nothing is truly over in recruiting, and we will have to see if the Huskers make one final push before Saturday. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions. This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Nebraska football might miss out on linebacker Calvin Thomas to UNC
New York Times
02-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Nebraska recruiting reset: Biggest needs, class size, in-state strategy under Matt Rhule
LINCOLN, Neb. — As a debate simmers on whether Nebraska football swung and missed in the June recruiting race or if the Huskers hit a home run, coach Matt Rhule can relax and survey the solid results of a long spring and early period of summer during the next 20 days — in theory, the least hectic time on the college football calendar. Advertisement Nebraska added a commitment to its Class of 2026 on Tuesday from three-star wide receiver Larry Miles of Winter Garden, Fla., to go with pledges gathered Monday from offensive linemen Leon Noil of New Orleans and Claude Mpouma of Chicago. A physically imposing four-star prospect, Mpouma rates as an especially gratifying score for Rhule. High-ceiling tackles are hard to come by out of high school and from the portal. Nebraska missed on more than it landed in recent cycles. Mpouma visited Auburn and Florida last month and considered Ohio State and Michigan among his finalists. Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Iowa wanted him. His talent and size appear so promising that FBS offers began to arrive last year before he'd played a down of football or attended a camp. He provides a cornerstone in this class for Nebraska. His commitment also solidifies the Huskers' presence in Chicago, where they've got 2027 QB commit Trae Taylor trending fast to become the top peer recruiter ever for the program on social media. The 2026 class stands at 12 members. Compared to USC, which has 20 four- and five-star commits in its 30-player class, that's a pedestrian output. But the measure of recruiting success demands perspective. It rarely boils down to who said no. Or who said yes. Rather, how did they fit and develop? Did they stay for more than a handshake? With the transfer portal in play, team rankings in recruiting mean less than ever. The same will be true if Nebraska wins 11 games next season and carries that momentum forward to build a top-10 class in the 2027 cycle. Twelve to 15 commits in the bag when Nebraska opens camp in four weeks would put it on track. Rhule planned to favor efficiency ahead of depth in this recruiting cycle. The new roster limit, in effect this season after the adoption Tuesday of a revenue-sharing model in college athletics, likely dictates a class of fewer than 20 players. Advertisement And the best play for Rhule this year involves a gamble. He's banking that the Huskers make a jump, starting Aug. 28 at Arrowhead Stadium. He's expecting that recruits will notice and that new doors will open. And that the final batch of spots in the 2026 class go to players who perhaps aren't looking today at a program that's lost 58 percent of its games over the past 10 seasons. Rhule came off sounding defiant in a message posted less than two hours after the Mpouma decision went public. Too many people have profited financially off of negativity and despair. Their time is over — Matt Rhule (@CoachMattRhule) June 30, 2025 Is that a prediction? Or was the third-year coach philosophizing on a summer evening during a dead period that's supposed to offer him and his staff a chance to escape from the grind for a few weeks? Extended downtime, I suspect, is a fleeting dream for Rhule. He's got plenty on his plate. Front and center sits a growing group of recruits and the need to execute a balancing act to manage the roster as the program readies for the start of camp. Here are the answers to three questions about more of what's happening with the Class of 2026: What's unique about the construction of this class? Terms of the House settlement have eased the transition to a 105-player roster. A hard-count 105 is coming, though, and Nebraska must recruit with the altered math in mind. Its roster today numbers 126. By Sunday, 30 days after the settlement was approved in federal court, any team that plans to carry more than 105 into the 2025 season must designate the players who would have been cut if a hard-count 105 had been implemented. For the remainder of their careers, regardless of the programs at which they play, those players will be protected. They won't count against the 105. But when their careers at Nebraska end, the Huskers cannot exceed 105. Advertisement The roster is composed of 92 freshmen and sophomores and 34 juniors and seniors. As many as 21 could be placed on the designated list. To avoid a logjam as the list grows smaller in 2026 and 2027, Rhule and his staff simply can't sign a big class this year. At what spots are the Huskers in need of reinforcements? The 2026 class includes four offensive linemen, three wide receivers and one player each at quarterback, running back, tight end, defensive back and linebacker. That's two defensive players out of 12 commits. Here's a breakdown of the roster: QB (6), running back (8), receiver (15), tight end (7), offensive line (21), defensive line (18), linebacker (18), defensive back (26) and specialist (7). Linebacker and O-line have the highest concentration of upperclassmen on the roster. Four-star linebacker Calvin Thomas of Houston is set to announce his decision on July 12. 🫣 — Calvin ''CT3'' Thomas (@Calvin_Thomas08) June 28, 2025 Expect the Huskers to prioritize the pursuit of defensive linemen, although they've got nine freshmen at the position group on the roster. How has the recruiting strategy changed during Rhule's time in Lincoln? Aside from the need to place monetary values on each recruit and think more strategically than ever on class size, there's this nugget: Rhule signed eight Nebraskans out of high school in 2023, eight in 2024 and six in 2025. From the first two classes, five of 16 have departed via transfer; five of 16 are projected as two-deep players when camp begins this month. The takeaway: Nebraska can be more selective with local talent. In the Class of 2026, it has one commitment from a Nebraskan — linebacker Jase Reynolds of Elkhorn North. Fifteen are committed elsewhere, including nine players from reigning Class A champion Millard South. Alabama QB commit Jett Thomalla headlines the group. Advertisement Nebraska offered just one of the players who has chosen to leave the state, Millard South tight end and Missouri commit Isaac Jensen. There's one left on the table: Omaha North defensive back Darion Jones, brother of Nebraska cornerback Donovan Jones. The younger Jones is set to announce a college decision Friday, likely between Iowa and Nebraska.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nebraska football predicted to land four-star Texas linebacker
Nebraska football landed a prediction in their favor on Monday for 2026 four-star linebacker Calvin Thomas. Thomas was given a prediction to Nebraska by On3's Steve Wilfong on Monday afternoon. Thomas is the No. 26 overall linebacker in his class and the No. 45 overall player in the state of Texas, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. The Texas Longhorns were originally thought to be leaders and his recruitment, but momentum has shifted towards the Huskers. Advertisement The linebacker recorded 69 tackles last season, to go along with seven sacks, a pass deflection, and a fumble recovery, per statistics from Nebraska football holds 11 commitments in the class of 2026, but Thomas would give them another four-star commitment. The class itself currently ranks No. 46 overall nationally. It will certainly be interesting to see how this commitment plays out. Thomas would be another good addition to a solid group of linebackers. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions. This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Nebraska football predicted to land four-star linebacker Calvin Thomas
