Breaking Down Nebraska's Unsettled Position Battles

Less than four weeks before Nebraska kicks off its 2026 football season, there are a number of starting positions still to be settled. Matt Rhule and Nebraska have a lot to work with at each position, but they do have some front-runners as fall camp continues.

The Running Back Room Remains a Big Question

Six running backs could see significant playing time in 2026. Three have meaningful experience, with Isaiah Mozee, Mekhi Nelson, and Kwinten Ives all getting 20 or more carries in 2025. (Emmett Johnson had 251, the great majority of the workload.) Mozee's position was changed from wide receiver to RB in his true freshman season. He showed potential with 26 carries and 115 yards, but he averaged only 4.4 yards per rush with zero touchdowns. Mozee has room to grow after his freshman season.

Nelson, meanwhile, ran for 147 yards on 27 carries with two TDs and 5.4 yards per rush, showing speed and capability, especially in the Las Vegas Bowl against Utah, where he ran for 88 yards on only 12 carries. Finally, Kwinten Ives ran for 133 yards on only 20 carries, averaging 6.7 yards per rush with two touchdowns. Ives didn't see the field much in 2025, but when he did, he was good. These three have a better chance at getting more carries thanks to their experience.

Also in the room are Jamal Rule, Tikey Hayes, and Connor Booth. Rule is a true freshman who will have to prove himself in fall camp, while Hayes, a Penn State transfer, only has three career carries. All three carries came against Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl, but all three were pretty impressive as he gained some important first downs and 18 yards that helped PSU close out the win. Booth may find it harder to see the field after only three carries for six yards in the 2025 season, but he shouldn't be counted out.

With Emmett Johnson off to the NFL, these ball carriers will have a better chance at proving themselves than they did a year ago. Unless there's an insane emergence, most of these running backs will have a chance to get a lot of playing time. There isn't going to be a starter coming into the season. The Huskers may really try to mix things up, especially in the first three games, which will come against Ohio, Bowling Green, and North Dakota.

A Returning Husker Pushing for Right Tackle?

Many may have assumed that Tree Babalade, a South Carolina transfer and junior who performed well in 2025, would be the starting right tackle. If that were to happen, four of the five starting offensive linemen would be transfers. However, Gunnar Gottula isn't going to allow Babalade to just take the position. “He did all the stuff this summer and he’s out there full speed. I mean, he’s competing to be the starting right tackle. He’s competing for it," Rhule said Saturday.

Gottula played in seven games as a sophomore last year before going down with a season-ending injury. He made four starts at left tackle before moving to right tackle, and in his first game at that spot, he was named to the Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week. Gottula played only two more games at the position before his injury.

Babalade himself began the 2025 season as a backup but became the starting right tackle after injuries hit the Gamecocks' O-line. According to PFF, Babalade allowed only one sack on 225 pass-block snaps, which is notable in a season that saw South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers get sacked 42 times. In other words, Babalade isn't going to make it easy for Gottula either. This position battle will be among the most interesting to watch.

Defensive Line Only Has One Guaranteed Starter

The defensive line has one player who appears guaranteed to get a ton of playing time — Williams Nwaneri. A former five-star recruit, he will look to improve on his 2½ sacks as a redshirt freshman. But the other D-linemen will have to compete for more playing time. Some names are guaranteed to see the field more than others: Cam Lenhardt, Anthony Jones Jr. (UCLA transfer who adds size), Jahsear Whittington, Owen Stoudmire, Riley Van Poppel, and Kade Pietrzak.

Stoudmire, from Boston College, can help stop the run with his size (6-foot-1, 290 lbs). Whittington, another transfer (from Pitt), has been described as having "violent hands," and he could be a disruptive pass rusher.

Some of the returning names will be interesting to watch in camp, too. Lenhardt, a returning edge, showed great potential as a freshman in 2023 with three sacks and five tackles for loss. Since then, it has been a different story for Lenhardt.

In 2025, Lenhardt recorded only 2½ tackles for loss and 2 sacks. Nebraska will hope for a lot more from the senior in 2026, as his potential remains pretty high. The last returning edge that Nebraska really hopes to get some playing time in 2026 is Pietrzak, who as a true freshman managed to get seven tackles for loss and two sacks. Nwaneri and Pietrzak, two freshmen in 2025, are the future of the Husker sack attack.

On the interior defensive line, the last returning talent mentioned is junior Van Poppel, who adds significant size (6-foot-5, 295 lbs. ) as well as the experience of having played in 29 games. Van Poppel and Dylan Berymon, a blue-chip recruit who is a true freshman but could offer run-stopping with his own frame (6-foot-2, 330 lbs), could both be huge in the run game.

Also in the mix for playing time in the interior D-line are Dylan Parrott, Tyson Terry, David Hoffken, and Malcolm Simpson. The Huskers need to find ways to stop the run in 2026 after an abysmal 2025 in that category, so seeing a lot of different interior defensive linemen might make a lot of sense. The early games will be especially important to see how some of these guys perform.

The Huskers' switch from a 3-3-5 base defense to a 4-2-5 scheme should help stop the run. The Huskers likely aren't coming into 2026 with a four-man front already set. Fall camp will be important for this position group to determine who will see the field more.

Who Will Be the Other Cornerbacks?

Cornerback No. 1 is almost guaranteed to be Andrew Marshall, who helped Nebraska's secondary become one of the best in the nation last year. However, corner No. 2 or corner No. 3 is still undetermined. Donovan Jones will see the field a lot and is considered a cornerback, but the Huskers used Jones as a nickel in 2025, and Jones will likely be there again in 2026. Jones will be a valuable player on defense, but the Huskers will want a solid CB2.

CB1 is Marshall, but CB2 is still unknown. Victor Evans III, Jeremiah Charles, and Danny Odem III are all prime candidates. Evans transferred from FIU and is a senior, bringing extensive college experience. He had four passes defended and an interception for FIU in 2025. Evans was recently described by Matt Rhule as a "fast, fast, fast human, I mean, he's got Florida speed."

Meanwhile, Charles offers speed and athleticism himself, even winning a basketball dunk contest in 2024. “I am excited to see what Jeremiah does come the start of the season," Rhule said.

Odem is a true freshmen who arrived with blue-chiip credentials. He was ranked as the No. 2 cornerback coming out of high school and No. 19 overall player nationally (247Sports). Position coach Addison Williams has said Odem is learning the system quickly, so It wouldn't be surprising to see Odem make a early impact.

Only One Safety Is Guaranteed to Start

Only one safety for Nebraska appear guaranteed to start: San Diego State transfer Dwayne McDougle III. McDougle followed Aurich from Idaho to SDSU and then to Lincoln. In 2025 with the Aztecs, McDougle had three passes defended, one forced fumble, and four interceptions.

When it comes to safety No. 2, there is one likely name: Jamir Conn. Conn was heavily used on special teams in 2025, but so far, it seems Conn will be used primarily as the second safety.

Rex Guthrie could compete for that role, but he was mostly a box safety in 2025. Guthrie was used in short-yardage situations and rarely in pass coverage against wide receivers; it was more against tight ends, and Guthrie was brought in often to stop the run. Hence, Guthrie finished with 63 total tackles and only one pass breakup.

Guthrie didn't exactly look good at times in pass coverage, but there is hope he could develop into a more effective pass defender, since he was only a freshman in 2025.

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