Nebraska Center Named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List

Nebraska comes into 2026 with potentially one of the best centers in the nation. That should bode well for an offensive line with much to improve on from last season.

Justin Evans started all 13 games at center last season for the Huskers. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Nebraska's offense appears to have the pieces to take a significant step forward in 2026, and it starts up front.


The offensive line is massive and experienced, anchored by its senior center, Justin Evans. A former two-star recruit, Evans has developed into a legitimate NFL prospect and was named this week to the 40-man preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy. The award, named after Husker legend and College Football Hall-of-Famer Dave Rimington, goes to the top center in Division I football.

Evans Earns High Grades From PFF

It's no accident that Evans made the list, as Pro Football Focus rates him as the highest-graded returning center in college football with an overall mark of 78.6. After moving from guard to center before the 2025 season, the New Jersey native didn't skip a beat, surrendering just one sack last year in 443 pass-blocking snaps while also earning a 75.0 run-blocking grade, ranking 12th nationally.

Highest Graded Returning Center in College Football:

🌽 Justin Evans, Nebraska@HuskerFootball pic.twitter.com/0xNZ4PGacb

— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 10, 2026

The O-line will be crucial to the success of new quarterback Anthony Colandrea and an inexperienced running back room. Evans, however, can't make it happen by himself, and he will have plenty of help around him.

Nebraska also returns senior left tackle Elijah Pritchett, a former five-star recruit. After an inconsistent start following his transfer from Alabama, Pritchett finished the 2025 season playing some of his best football. Like Evans, he enters 2026 as a potential NFL Draft pick.

The Offensive Line Can Be Elite

With Evans and Pritchett as a nice base to build around, the Huskers went shopping last winter in the transfer portal.

Brendan Black arrives after starring at Iowa State, where he established himself as one of the Big 12 Conference's top interior linemen. Tree Babalade brings substantial starting experience after holding his own on a South Carolina offense that often struggled around him. Paul Mubenga adds experience and size, with an impressive track record at LSU before transferring.

Those additions give Nebraska a projected starting five of Evans, Pritchett, Black, Babalade and Mubenga. Providing depth behind them is a quality group that includes Grant Brix, Tyler Knaak, Preston Taumua, Gunner Gottula and Clade Mpuoma. Making it all click will be Geep Wade, who takes over as offensive line coach after successful stops that included Georgia Tech.

Nebraska struggled mightily to protect the quarterback last year, surrendering 33 sacks — tied for 115th nationally. It's a new season with a more mobile quarterback in Colandrea, but he and the green group of running backs would surely benefit from an elite offensive line. With potentially one of the top centers in college football and the talented linemen alongside him, Nebraska's offense in 2026 has the potential to truly deliver in the trenches.

The Rimington Trophy Watch List

• Brady Small, Army
• Cole Best, Auburn
• Bruce Mitchell, BYU
• Steven Demboski, Delaware
• Matt Craycraft, Duke
• Nicholas Gallegos, Eastern Michigan
• Vincent Fiacable, FAU
• Harrison Moore, Florida
• Drew Bobo, Georgia
• Anthony Boswell, Houston
• Jake Renfro, Illinois
• Bray Lynch, Indiana
• Kade Pieper, Iowa
• Coleton Price, Kentucky
• Aaron Fenimore, Liberty
• Braelin Moore, LSU
• Michael Hershey, Maryland
• Jake Guarnera, Michigan
• Ashton Beers, Minnesota
• Canon Boone, Mississippi State
• Dominick Giudice, Missouri
• Cam Nichols, Navy
• Justin Evans, Nebraska
• Jackson Carsello, Northwestern
• Ashton Craig, Notre Dame
• Carson Hinzman, Ohio State
• Jake Maikkula, Oklahoma
• Iapani Laloulu, Oregon
• Brock Riker, Penn State
• Ryan Carretta, Pittsburgh
• Joshua Bates, SMU
• Connor Robertson, Texas
• Mark Nabou Jr., Texas A&M
• Sheridan Wilson, Texas Tech
• Adam Lepkowski, UAB
• Killian O’Connor, USC
• Jimmy Liston, Utah State
• Lyndon Cooper, Vanderbilt
• Landen Hatchett, Washington
• Landen Livingston, West Virginia

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