Although it Lacks Pizzazz, Nebraska's Nonconference Slate is a Vital Stretch

There are position battles to settle, schemes to master, an identity to be forged. Jeremy Pernell breaks down what the Huskers stand to gain from these three games.

It will be a surprise if any game on the Huskers' nonconference schedule plays out like the 2025 season opener did — a 60-minute dogfight against the Big 12's Cincinnati Bearcats. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

More and more, college football is becoming the "amateur" version of the NFL. Well, semi-pro is more accurate. Just look at how it's structured.

College teams have rosters built with 20, 30, even 40+ million dollar budgets. The transfer portal has taken on the role of free agency with high school recruiting mirroring the NFL Draft. Heck, even bowl season has been diluted to make way for a playoff system that seems destined to expand to 24 teams as early as next season.

There's no doubt the college system is broken and needs serious regulations. The hope is that when the Senate returns from recess on Sept. 14, it will move quickly to pass the Protect College Sports Act. The bipartisan Cruz-Cantwell bill would be a significant step in the right direction.

Along with that, the NCAA is moving separately toward a much more flexible football calendar that looks considerably more like an NFL-style offseason. The NCAA's FBS Oversight Committee approved the new football-calendar legislation on Aug. 28. It still needs approval from the Division I Cabinet in early October. If approved, the changes would begin Jan. 1, 2027, with some preseason changes applying to the 2027 football season.

I don't want to go too far into the weeds on what's likely coming on both fronts just quite yet. That's an article for another time. I just want to highlight that the shift in "amateur athletics" is philosophical as well as monetary.

Why no tougher tests early?

One more thing before I land the plane on the focus of this article.

Nebraska took some heat back in February 2025 after approaching Tennessee about postponing its upcoming home-and-home series, with some fans and media suggesting the Huskers were simply trying to avoid playing the Volunteers. Never mind it was Tennessee that first asked Nebraska to reschedule the series originally planned for 2016 and 2017 back in 2013 so the Volunteers could play Virginia Tech at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2016 instead.

While the college football fan in me would much rather see Nebraska play Tennessee, looking at the big picture from a coach's point of view, I agree with the move to play Bowling Green this year and Miami (Ohio) in 2027 instead.

With nine conference games, there's no incentive to play a team from a Power Four conference - let alone a top-25 caliber team from the SEC - during the nonconference.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule observes the action against Michigan last season. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Matt Rhule has his most talented Husker roster. He's poised to continue the program's upward trajectory and, if things break Nebraska's way, it could be a significant jump.

To do that, the Huskers need to use their nonconference schedule much like NFL teams treat the preseason.

Rhule and his staff need to forge an identity, generate confidence and become comfortable in the new defense and redesigned offense by the time they hit the road Sept. 26 to open Big Ten play against Michigan State.

Depth chart subject to change

On Monday, Nebraska released its first depth chart and, if recent history has proven anything, it will look a whole lot different by October.

There are several positions that won't be settled until we see separation from these guys when the lights are on.

Nebraska has a massive talent advantage over all three of its nonconference opponents and should be able to play most of its 2s and 3s midway through the third quarter of each game. It gives Nebraska a chance to answer some questions before the games start carrying considerably more weight.

The Huskers should be able to play relatively vanilla on both sides of the ball and come away with comfortable wins. There shouldn't be any reason to get exotic during the nonconference and put anything on tape for Big Ten opponents to prepare for.

This is about establishing a foundation, getting players comfortable in their assignments and figuring out which players can be trusted when the competition gets significantly tougher.

High hopes for Aurich

When Matt Rhule first arrived at Nebraska, not only was he was replacing an inept head coach who was given too long a leash, he was also taking over a team that had fired its defensive coordinator four games into the 2022 season. Despite a significant scheme change and having the majority of the same players, former defensive coordinator Tony White had the Blackshirts playing great defense out of the gate against Minnesota in 2023 on the road.

Rob Aurich needs to do the same.

Aurich filled out his staff with three assistants he's worked with before who already know his system, and he brought two super-productive players from his former team to fill key roles. If the communication is poor, coverages are blown or run fits aren't where they need to be against this level of competition, that's a huge red flag.

I don't expect that to happen.

I'm bullish on Aurich, and I wouldn't be surprised if this defense has a 2023-caliber Year 1 under his guidance.

So what stood out after the release of the depth chart?

Safety

At safety, Dwayne McDougle being co-listed as a starter with Rex Guthrie at boundary safety probably surprised some people. Maybe it shouldn't have. This staff really likes Guthrie, as did John Butler, who for all his faults as a coordinator is a very well-respected NFL defensive backs coach.

By early October last season, Guthrie had supplanted Marques Buford, a senior returning starter who had been voted a team captain and someone who had 30 career starts under his belt at the time. Guthrie battled through a shoulder injury late in the season that forced him to miss spring ball. He still finished with 63 tackles, becoming only the third Husker freshman with at least 60 tackles in a season since freshmen regained eligibility in 1972.

Guthrie is a better athlete than McDougle. Once he becomes completely comfortable in the defense - like McDougle - can he take the job outright? Can Caleb Benning or Justyn Rhett find a role in the rotation or in specific packages?

Jamir Conn appears to have a tight grip on the field safety spot, so Aurich and safeties coach Tyler Yelk should have plenty of options to experiment with different combinations during these first three games.

Linebacker

I think Nebraska has its best linebacker trio in a while. Owen Chambliss will play a lot and should lead the group in snaps. He's athletic, versatile, understands the system like a coach, and can play both linebacker spots, although he'll primarily work on the weak-side.

At Mike, Vincent Shavers and Dexter Foster are co-listed together as the starter. That doesn't come as a surprise and the question isn't whether all three will play - it's how the snaps get divided.

Will Foster or Shavers play their way into being the clear starter and get a 60-40 split in reps? I suspect a rotation will be used to keep all three fresh and occasionally be dependent on down-and-distance or the package Aurich wants to play.

The nonconference gives the staff time to figure that out.

Dawson Merritt assists on a tackle last season against Northwestern. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Dawson Merritt is another player worth watching. He played 106 snaps in eight games and made two starts as a true freshman before an unspecified lower-leg injury ended his season. He missed spring ball for the second time rehabbing that injury after missing 2025 spring camp while recovering from a partially torn labrum suffered during his senior season of high school.

Merritt needs to get stronger and more physically mature, but his ceiling is extremely high. The first three games should give him a runway to earn rotational snaps this season and put himself in position to take over for Chambliss next year.

Chambliss, by the way, is a guy I think will push for all-conference recognition if he stays healthy.

Cornerback

Cornerback is another position where Nebraska needs separation.

Jeremiah Charles secured the job opposite Andrew Marshall coming out of spring ball, but FIU transfer Victor Evans arguably had the better fall camp. At minimum, he's pulled even with Charles heading into Week 1.

You don't rotate corners. One of those two needs to assert himself and relegate the other to Dime or Cheetah packages.

Then there's five-star freshman Danny Odem, who has been somewhat under the radar, at least publicly, during his first offseason. Can he steal a role once he gets onto the field?

Defensive line

Not surprisingly, Cam Lenhardt, Anthony Jones, Williams Nwaneri and Kade Pietrzak will handle the bulk of the snaps at edge, with Jordan Ochoa on the come. I was a bit surprised, however, that we didn't see any co-listed starters at edge like we did at other closely contested positions like cornerback and safety.

That makes the rep distribution worth watching. Who gets the most snaps? Does it change based on down and distance? Does someone emerge from that group as a guy the defense has to keep on the field regardless of the package?

Riley Van Poppel battles with a Michigan offensive lineman last season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Three of the four Game 1 starters are offseason portal additions, which isn't surprising after Nebraska struggled to consistently pressure the quarterback and stop the run in 2025.

I was a bit surprised to see Owen Stoudmire listed ahead of Riley Van Poppel, though. I expect Stoudmire, Van Poppel and Jahsear Whittington to get the bulk of the snaps on the interior. Van Poppel can play both the 1- and 3-technique, and I think he'll end up playing more than Stoudmire.

Tyson Terry and Sua Lefotu are next in line and will likely complete the interior rotation once the team gets into Big Ten play. Malcolm Simpson and Dylan Berymon will try to push David Höffken for reps as the season progresses, but barring injury, I don't think you'll see the team go too far down the bench for reps. Berymon needs to get into better shape if he's going to contribute consistently beyond occasional goal-line or short-yardage situations.

No excuses for Holgorsen

What about the offense, you ask? Truthfully, I'm a bit concerned about the offense under Dana Holgorsen. Moreso than the defense at least.

Holgorsen has produced a number of prolific offenses throughout his career, but frankly, it's been a while since he orchestrated one that's put much fear into a defense. He's had circumstances work against him since arriving in Lincoln, but there aren't any excuses left.

He's got the reigning Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year running the show for him. Both backups are former four-star Elite 11 recruits with Power Four starting experience. TJ Lateef started four games last season and has a similar skill set to Anthony Colandrea. Knock-on-wood, if something happens to the starter like last season, the offense won't need to change anything with him taking the reins.

He's got a deep running back room to work with, the best wide receiver corps Nebraska has had since at least 2016, a tight end on the John Mackey Award watch list and the best offensive line the program has had since Bo Pelini was the head coach.

Elijah Pritchett and Justin Evans will be playing in the NFL next season, and I believe Paul Mubenga belongs in that conversation, too. This is one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country in terms of career starts and snaps.

If it doesn't happen this year, it's fair to wonder if it ever will under Holgorsen's watch.

Offensive line

The hype surrounding the offensive line has been palpable all offseason. We're going to see pretty quickly if it was warranted. There's no reason those guys shouldn't exert their will against these first three opponents and dominate while doing it. They'll use the nonconference to gel.

The biggest question right now is at right tackle. I think most people expected Tree Babalade (22 career games, 15 starts) to win the job over Gunnar Gottula (22 career games, 13 starts) based primarily on the fact that Lonnie Teasley coached him at South Carolina and targeted him in the portal this offseason after joining Nebraska's staff as run game coordinator.

Gottula missed the spring but had a very good fall camp and enters the season as the outright starter. Babalade missed time in fall camp dealing with an injury but enters the season healthy. He'll get his share of reps in these first three games. Could he take the job from Gottula?

By the time Nebraska gets to Michigan State, the staff needs to know whether Gottula or Babalade is the long-term answer on the right side and which one is going to be the swing tackle. My suspicion is that Gottula holds him off.

That isn't a bad thing for Nebraska. Babalade would be an excellent swing tackle. He made 10 starts on the left side across 2023 and 2024 before starting five games on the right side in 2025 for the Gamecocks. Gottula has experience playing both sides, too, in case Babalade does wrest that spot away.

Offensive line coach Geep Wade congratulates center Justin Evans after a play during preseason camp. | Nebraska Athletics via X

Gibson Pyle is another important piece. He's the top backup at both guard spots after missing all of last season after suffering a knee injury last August. He needs snaps to knock the rust off in case he's needed for extended duty this season.

So do backup center Sam Sledge and third-year lineman Preston Taumua. I'd like to see all three get at least 50 snaps during the nonconference schedule. All three could be competing for starting jobs next year.

Nebraska is three-deep at tackle, but after Pritchett, Gottula and Babalade, there are some serious concerns. Taumua is listed as a backup at both tackle spots, but I like him better on the interior.

Geep Wade and Lonnie Teasley are trying to rebuild a room where the recruiting and development - particularly at tackle - have been lacking going back multiple staffs. When those two got here in December, they quickly added three transfers and currently have five offensive line commitments in the 2027 class.

The fact Hayden Ainsworth is co-listed as the No. 2 left tackle let's you know guys like Grant Brix and Brock Knutson probably won't be here in 2027. Ainsworth is a promising prospect, no doubt, but he reclassified from the 2027 class, meaning he's only 17 years old and has been on campus for about three months.

Running back

The running back situation is another competition the nonconference should help settle. As expected, Isaiah Mozee, Mekhi Nelson and Jamal Rule are all co-listed at the top of the depth chart.

E.J. Barthel has said this is the most talented room he's had in his four years with the Huskers. That's a good problem to have, but someone still needs to become RB1. The first three games are the perfect opportunity for one of them to establish a rhythm and claim the job.

I believe freshman Jamal Rule is the best running back in the room, and I've been told the coaches feel the same way. But is he ready to carry the load?

Nebraska running back Jamal Rule waits to take a carry during the Red-White Spring Game. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Matt Rhule said at Big Ten Media Days, "The teams I've had, I've always had an RB1 that had like 20 carries, an RB2 that had like 12 carries, and RB3 be a situational guy."

If Rule is going to be that 20-carry guy during a brutal conference schedule, these first three games can give him the opportunity to iron out the wrinkles, particularly as a pass blocker. That's the hardest transition for a high school running back.

Having multiple backs who can play significant snaps, handle short-yardage work and contribute on third down sounds great. But when Nebraska is tied with Indiana in the fourth quarter, the staff needs to know exactly which back it trusts next to Anthony Colandrea.

Quarterback

Quarterback is another position where the first three games should provide both TJ Lateef and Daniel Kaelin the opportunity to get meaningful reps. I suspect Lateef is going to be the primary backup.

Nobody is more aware of the likelihood your starting quarterback will miss time because of an injury more than Husker fans. In 2014, Tommy Armstrong started all 13 games for Bo Pelini's final team. Since then, only Tanner Lee (2017) and Dylan Raiola (2024) can say the same.

Nebraska should be able to build leads early, get the starters out and give the backups meaningful snaps. They should be allowed to use these first three games to establish an identity, build confidence in a new defense, get Holgorsen's offense into a rhythm and settle as many personnel questions as possible before Big Ten play begins.

Nebraska will open conference play against two of the worst teams in the league, with Maryland picked 15th and Michigan State 16th in Cleveland.com's preseason Big Ten poll. The Huskers have a good shot to start 5-0 before showdowns against the defending national champion Hoosiers and preseason No. 2 Oregon Ducks in back-to-back weeks. Ouch.

I still have Nebraska finishing 8-4, but if Matt Rhule's program is going to get out of second gear, this feels like the team that can do it.

And it needs to start with a dominant three-game stretch to open the season. Get some confidence and momentum under your wings heading into conference play.

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