A Historic Husker Season is on the Horizon

With less than two months until the first game, the hype for the Nebraska football season is in full swing.

While summer hype isn't unusual in Lincoln, there are more reasons for optimism than usual this year, especially on offense. The biggest reason to be excited? The combination of Dylan Raiola and Dana Holgorsen could produce the best Husker offense since the legendary "Scoring Explosion" of 1983. With the Holgorsen-Raiola pair, many Nebraska records are at risk. It’s time to look back through history to see which ones could fall in 2025.

Passing Records

It’s no surprise that the two best passing seasons in Nebraska football history were from Bill Callahan recruits – Zac Taylor in 2006 and Joe Ganz in 2008. In Dylan Raiola's freshman year, several school records were nearly broken. He was only 11 completions shy of surpassing Joe Ganz’s 2008 total of 285. Just 21 more attempts would have broken Zac Taylor’s single-season attempt record of 430 from 2006.

Zac Taylor with Bill Callahan — Nebraska Cornhusker Zac Taylor talks to head coach Bill Callahan. | Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images

Throughout Dana Holgorsen’s career as an offensive coordinator or head coach, his quarterbacks have completed over 230 passes 15 times. I expect Dylan Raiola to break both records in 2025 without much difficulty.

Ganz and Taylor sit atop the leaderboard for two other major passing categories – yards and touchdowns. As a freshman, Dylan Raiola was over 700 yards away from breaking the single-season passing record. His freshman season ranks 7th on the all-time passing list by a Nebraska quarterback. Raiola’s 13 touchdown passes in 2024 were only halfway to the high-water mark for a Nebraska quarterback.

Dana Holgorsen has had 10 quarterbacks beat the Ganz mark of 3,568, and 14 throw for at least 26 touchdowns – Taylor’s record in 2006. While I’m less certain that these passing marks will fall, I do think it’s more than likely that Raiola will set school records in both categories in 2025.

Dylan Raiola is currently the school record holder for career completion percentage at 67.1%. I expect him to extend that lead in 2025. He will also almost certainly finish the 2025 season in the top 5 for school completions, attempts, yards, and touchdowns.

Receiving Records

Husker legend Johnny Rodgers had long been the leader in nearly every receiving category at Nebraska. His first single-season record was broken in 2007 when both Marlon Lucky and Maurice Purify passed The Jet in single-season receptions. His single-season touchdown reception mark wasn’t broken until Quincy Enunwa in 2013. He held the title of most receiving yards in a single season until 2017 when Stanley Morgan Jr finally surpassed it.

Maurice Purify with Marlon Lucky — Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Marlon Lucky (5) celebrates his a 41-yard touchdown run with Maurice Purify (16). | Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images

In 2025, all three single-season receiving records might be broken. Throughout Dana Holgorsen’s career, he's coached eight wide receiver seasons that would have established all three single-season records, including Michael Crabtree’s legendary 2007 season. While Dane Key may seem the obvious choice, don’t overlook the possibility that Jacory Barney Jr. could be the top receiver in this offense. Smaller, speedy players like Tavon Austin, Steadman Bailey, and Tank Dell have all been stars as wide receivers for Holgorsen.

Johnny Rodgers also holds a career record that could fall this year: the most 100-yard receiving games. Almost every reader of this article will have as many 100-yard receiving games for Nebraska as any current Husker – 0. While Rodgers’ 10 career games with 100 yards is a high mark to surpass in just one season, this high-octane offense could certainly achieve that in 2025.

Rushing Records

With all this passing production expected for the 2025 season, what rushing records could be broken? If Emmett Johnson manages 1000 rushing yards in 2025, he would become the 31st Husker since 1950 to reach 2000 career rushing yards. This would extend Nebraska’s NCAA record for most 2000+ yard career rushers to a comfortable five-player margin over Ohio State and Michigan.

I expect that the Huskers’ rushing game will have a breakout season in 2025. It would end a long seven-year drought of no Husker cracking the 1000-yard mark for a season as well.

Defensive Records

While much of the excitement centers on the offense, the defense will face its own challenges and opportunities to make history. After losing Tony White and several key defensive leaders, I expect the defense to take a step back in 2025, even if it remains a good unit.

Like the rushing records, there aren't many obvious places to look for a new record to be broken, as Husker legends fill the defensive history books. The strength of the offense in 2025 might make it easier to break one defensive record this fall.

Dana Stephenson, a local product of Pius X in Lincoln, has held the career interceptions lead at Nebraska for nearly 60 years with 14 interceptions. Josh Bullocks and Nate Gerry each came within one interception of tying the record before their careers ended.

Malcolm Hartzog currently has seven interceptions in his career. However, only four players in Husker history have ever recorded seven interceptions in a single season, including Stephenson in 1969. While it is unlikely Hartzog gets to eight interceptions this fall, the Huskers could have some early leads or find themselves in high-scoring games. The game script could create opportunities for an opportunistic Blackshirts secondary.

Malcolm Hartzog after an interception — Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Malcolm Hartzog Jr. (7) returns an interception. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

The upcoming season could be historic for Nebraska. The Huskers have achieved five 6,000-yard seasons in school history. Dana Holgorsen’s Mountaineers accomplished that feat six times during his time in Morgantown. Holgorsen could ignite a scoring surge in Lincoln in 2025.

The offensive line will need to play better in 2025 if the Huskers want to break any of these offensive records. While it was adequate in 2024, the additions of Elijah Pritchett and Rocco Spindler could make this unit a strength in 2025. If Turner Corcoran and Teddy Prochazka can stay healthy, the offensive line could boast good depth in 2025.

When a program brings in a quarterback as talented as Dylan Raiola, you expect him to rewrite the record books. He has an excellent opportunity to do just that this fall. If Nebraska can take a ‘Rhule third-year’ leap, every passing and receiving record would likely be reset by the time Dylan Raiola leaves Lincoln.

Nebraska Football 2025 Schedule

Aug. 28 (Thursday) vs. Cincinnati (Kansas City) 8 p.m. CDT on ESPN
Sep. 6 vs. Akron 6:30 p.m. CDT on BTN
Sep. 13 vs. Houston Christian 11 a.m. CDT on FS1
Sep. 20 vs. Michigan 2:30 p.m. CDT on CBS
Oct. 4 vs. Michigan State 11/2:30/3 CDT
Oct. 11 at Maryland TBA
Oct. 17 (Friday) at Minnesota 7 p.m. CDT on FOX
Oct. 25 vs. Northwestern TBA
Nov. 1 vs. USC TBA
Nov. 8 at UCLA TBA
Nov. 22 at Penn State TBA
Nov. 28 (Black Friday) vs. Iowa 11 a.m. CST on CBS

Home games are bolded.

More From Nebraska On SI

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.