Has Nebraska Found Its QB of the Future? TJ Lateef Leads Huskers Past UCLA

The Common Fans discuss Nebraska’s bounce-back win against UCLA, TJ Lateef’s coming out party, Emmett Johnson’s continued dominance, and much more.

On true freshman quarterback TJ Lateef:

Lateef sparkled in his debut as Nebraska’s quarterback, leading the Big Red past the Bruins in front of 20,000+ Husker fans at the Rose Bowl.
The offense seemed to find a spark they have been missing in recent games.
Lateef’s ability to run with the football is such a benefit to the offense.

On do-everything running back Emmett Johnson:

What can’t Emmett Johnson do? EJ continues to shine.
He continues to top his own performance from previous games, seemingly getting better, stronger, and faster as the season goes on.
Will Johnson return for his senior year in 2026? The Common Fans speculate on the pros and cons from a player’s perspective. Hopefully, the prospect of more money in college, being a potential Heisman candidate, and drastically improving his draft stock are enough to bring him back for one more season.

On the performance by the defense:

It wasn’t a perfect performance by the Blackshirts, and they were gashed by running quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
That said, they made critical stops when the Huskers absolutely had to have them, and they did enough for Nebraska to win the game.
John Butler’s unit has a lot of young talent, and optimism is sky high for the future.

On the Nebraska crowd at the Rose Bowl:

Husker Nation does it again! 20,000+ fellow Common Fans take over the Rose Bowl in what was an electric night to be a Cornhusker.
Common Fan co-host T.J. Birkel was in the house, and shares his experiences on the night.

On the future of Nebraska football:

Vibes are sky high among the Common Fans right now.
No, it hasn’t been a perfect season, but the Big Red continues to improve, and Matt Rhule is committed to being in Lincoln for the long term.
The Huskers have a real chance to finish strong this season, and they have one of the youngest rosters in all of college football.
Rhule will have to figure out how to get over the hump, and go from being good to great, but it feels like a strong culture and foundation are in place for much future success.

This and so much more on the latest episode of the Common Fan Podcast! As always, GBR for LIFE!

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