Nebraska Football Announces 2025 Senior Award Winners

Nebraska football announced its 2025 senior award winners on Monday, recognizing five players whose impact won't soon be forgotten.

The group will be formally honored at the Outland Trophy banquet in Omaha on Jan. 21, but their legacies inside the program are already well established.

The five recipients, DeShon Singleton, Ceyair Wright, Javin Wright, Heinrich Haarberg and Derek Branch, represent a wide range of paths through the Nebraska program. Some arrived as scholarship players, others as walk-ons. Some battled injuries, others position changes. What ties them together is longevity, development and buy-in during the most recent stretch of Nebraska football history.

Four of the five winners spent at least four years in the program, and all five earned their college degrees at the University of Nebraska. And though their regular season didn't end the way they would've wanted, these players will all be playing in their final game as Huskers on New Year's Eve. With under two weeks left in their collegiate careers, it's time to celebrate this impactful group.

Defensive backs DeShon Singleton and Ceyair Wright were named co-winners of the Guy Chamberlin Trophy, an award voted on by members of the media. The honor dates back to 1967 and is given annually to the senior who best embodies the qualities and dedication associated with Chamberlin and the Husker tradition.

Singleton has been a steady presence in the secondary for four seasons and anchored one of the nation's strongest defensive backfields in 2025. He finished the season second on the team with 70 tackles while adding two interceptions, four tackles for loss and a sack. Singleton earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten recognition and leaves the program having totaled 163 career tackles in 42 games.

Wright, meanwhile, showcased his versatility during his two seasons in Lincoln. Splitting time between cornerback and nickel, Wright recorded 25 tackles and five pass breakups in 2025. His ability to move around the secondary helped Nebraska consistently shut down opposing offenses through the air, and he also earned honorable-mention all-conference honors.

Together, Singleton and Wright represent every quality attached to the Blackshirt tradition. As the duo looks to try their luck in the NFL next fall, the Huskers will need to replace over 75 games' worth of experience in the secondary.

Seventh-year senior Javin Wright was selected as the winner of the Tom Novak Award, one of the program’s most meaningful honors. Established in 1950, the award recognizes the senior who best exemplifies courage and determination in the spirit of former Nebraska All-America center Tom Novak.

Wright’s career is a case study in perseverance. A seven-year member of the program, he battled injuries and medical challenges throughout his time in Lincoln, yet still emerged as a central figure on Nebraska’s defense. In 2025, Wright led the team with 83 tackles and added 7.5 tackles for loss, earning honorable-mention All-Big Ten recognition.

His collegiate career will finally come to an end in the Las Vegas Bowl, bringing his career total to 177 tackles. More important than the numbers, Wright’s presence has been felt in the way he’s consistently fought his way back to the field throughout his time as a Husker. Where many give up, quit, or elect for a fresh start, Wright knew he was always welcome in Lincoln and rewarded the Nebraska staff with his play this fall. Replacing him as a player will be hard enough; however, replacing what he meant to the locker room will be even harder.

Quarterback turned tight end Heinrich Haarberg was selected by the Nebraska coaching staff as the recipient of the Cletus Fischer Native Son Award, which recognizes a senior who best exemplifies work ethic, competitiveness, leadership and pride in Nebraska football.

A Kearney native, Haarberg spent five years in the program and took an unconventional path during his career. After serving as a quarterback for four seasons, including starting eight games in 2023 and leading Nebraska to a 5–3 record, Haarberg made the move to tight end in 2025.

The transition spoke volumes about his team-first mindset, when the option to stay at his position and leave for another school was definitely on the table. Haarberg finished his senior season with eight catches for 52 yards and a touchdown while providing valuable depth and leadership in his new role. He is also a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, further reinforcing why the coaching staff viewed him as a natural fit for the Native Son Award.

In today's era of college football, there aren't too many players with the level of character that Haarberg undoubtedly possesses. And while he, too, will try his luck in earning a shot at the NFL, Husker Nation won't soon forget the selflessness, leadership, and accountability that he has shown throughout his career in Lincoln.

Derek Branch, a Lincoln native, was selected for The Cornhusker Award, which is given to a player who began their Nebraska career as a walk-on and made a significant contribution in their final season of eligibility.

Branch spent five years in the program and became a key piece of Nebraska’s special teams units in 2025, helping them rank among the best in the nation. While his contributions didn’t always show up in box scores, his role was critical in the areas Nebraska emphasized most. His work ethic, buy-in, and determination to compete are something that showed up in his play on the field throughout his career. It serves as an example to every young player on the Huskers roster for years to come.

Branch is also a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and one of the program’s most active players in community outreach, making his recognition a fitting conclusion to a career built on commitment to making an impact in more ways than one.

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