How Many More Receiving Records Can Jacory Barney Break?

With 55 catches as a true freshman, his name is already etched in the Nebraska football record book.

Nebraska wide receiver Jacory Barney Jr. celebrates with teammates after a 10-yard touchdown run against Northern Iowa. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Eight days away from the start of Nebraska's 2025 season, the hype is real. As the Huskers enter year three under Matt Rhule, they boast several underclassmen poised for breakout campaigns. Chief among them is Jacory Barney Jr., who led the team with 55 receptions last fall, setting a freshman school record.

Now, the rising sophomore he has a chance to join rare company in Nebraska history as one of the few receivers to lead the team in back-to-back seasons. If he does, the conversation will shift from breakout potential to all-time legacy.

Nebraska wide receiver Jacory Barney Jr. outruns a Purdue defender. | Nebraska Athletics

Over the last 25 years, only four Nebraska receivers have led the team in receptions for consecutive seasons. Those players were Wilson Thomas (2001–02), Kenny Bell (2011–14), who did it three times, Jordan Westerkamp (2015–16) and Stanley Morgan Jr. (2017–18). Each carved out a meaningful place in Nebraska’s record books, with Bell and Morgan rewriting career marks, Westerkamp becoming a highlight-reel staple, and Thomas serving as a steady target during a transitional era. Their success is the exact standard Jacory Barney Jr. is now chasing.

After hauling in 55 receptions as a true freshman and with fall camp buzz suggesting an even bigger role ahead, it’s worth examining just how likely Barney is to repeat as Nebraska’s leading receiver, and what that could mean for his place in the program’s record books.

Nebraska wide receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. hurdles a Wisconsin cornerback. | Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Chasing greatness is no easy task, especially when the benchmark is Stanley Morgan Jr., the program’s all-time leader in both receptions and receiving yards.

Still, the production and excitement Barney brought in 2024 is impossible to overlook. If he's able to match, or even slightly improve upon, that output over the next three seasons, he could carve out a spot among the most productive receivers in school history.

His 55 receptions, multiplied over three more seasons, would surpass Morgan’s record (189 receptions) by more than 30 catches. Meanwhile, replicating his 447 receiving yards each year would total 1,788 yards, seventh all-time, just Westerkamp.

Nebraska wide receiver Jacory Barney Jr. hauls in a 28-yard catch against Rutgers. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Traditionally, Nebraska hasn’t been a place where wide receivers dominate for four straight seasons, but Barney holds a unique advantage: the pairing of quarterback Dylan Raiola and offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, known for his high-powered aerial attacks.

Having already proven himself during what’s often a collegiate player's toughest year, Barney may have cleared the hardest hurdle. With Raiola entering year two at Nebraska as the highest-rated quarterback recruit in program history, and Holgorsen orchestrating an offense designed to feed playmakers, the table is set for Barney’s numbers to climb in 2025.

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola throws a short pass against Illinois. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

If his trajectory holds, the conversation could soon shift from potential to legacy. The next few seasons won’t just determine whether Barney can replicate his freshman success; they may define where his name stands among Nebraska’s all-time great receivers.

Even with notable transfer additions, Barney’s connection with Raiola and his comfort in Holgorsen’s scheme could make him the centerpiece of Nebraska’s passing attack in 2025. Should he again lead the team in receptions, he would become the first Husker wideout to do so in consecutive seasons since 2018. In an offense expected to push the ball downfield more aggressively this fall, his growth over the offseason should be a big component in the success of that approach.

No one is crowning him a record-breaker just yet, but the path is there. He’s proven, he’s hungry, and by all accounts, he’s taken another step forward this offseason. If that holds true, 2025 might be the start of something historic.

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