Nebraska Football Wideout Wins Dunk Contest, Shows Impressive Athleticism

Even though Fred Hoiberg's squad suffered its second loss of the season Sunday to No. 9 Illinois, one Nebraska student-athlete wearing a Husker basketball jersey left the home court victorious.

In the third annual Husker Football Dunk Contest, wide receiver Quinn Clark was the star of the show. The two dunks he chose to perform not only proved how athletic he is but also gave reason for serious optimism for what he can do on the field next fall as a sophomore.

Having shown flashes of what he can do when given the opportunity in 2025, here's a recap of what Clark has done so far in his career, and how he left the court Sunday as a champion.

WR Quinn Clark won the @HuskerFootball dunk contest championship with this 🔥 dunk 🤩 pic.twitter.com/MCemHBc8P7
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 1, 2026

In round one of the dunk contest, Clark didn't take his time in setting the pace. After watching his teammate Jeremiah Charles default to a standard dunk after failing three times on his between-the-legs attempts, the wide receiver took it upon himself to give the crowd a show.

He did just that. Calling strength and conditioning Corey Campbell over from off the court, Clark decided to use him as a prop. In his best impression of Blake Griffin, though it wasn't a Kia the wideout vaulted over, Clark managed to slam it home.

It wasn't as clean as it could've been, but for a collegiate football player, it did the job. The crowd erupted in cheer, and after a few more dunks from other teammates, Clark advanced to the second round. Joining him was Connor Shutt.

🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/mbQBY8vxCh
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) February 1, 2026

With Charles and fellow wide receiver Keelan Smith eliminated, Clark had one teammate left to beat. In order to do so, he put his athleticism on full display once again. Having stolen the show in round one, his first dunk was going to be hard to beat. However, with the crowd's favor in hand, all he had to do was not allow himself to slip up.

Clark elected to go to a dunk contest favorite, the 360. This time, for a football player, it was about as clean as one could get. Shutt, his lone competitor, had some serious catching up to do, and despite a dunk in which he bounced the ball off the hardwood, then off the backboard, caught it, then dunked, he would still find himself taking home second place.

After two rounds of athleticism on display, the winner of the third annual Husker Football Dunk Contest would prove to be Clark. He joins Heinrich Haarberg (2025) and Jeremiah Charles (2024) as victors.

Apart from his bragging rights earned on the court, Clark has the opportunity to earn respect on the football field this fall as well. In the 2025 season, as a redshirt freshman, the Montana native was a trusted member of the wide receiver room. However, now he enters 2026 with the potential to be featured in a bigger role.

Having caught five passes for 132 total yards last season, Clark also managed to score the first touchdown of his career. It came on a short pass in which the young wideout avoided several defenders to find the end zone on a 37-yard reception.

Now, he appears to be fighting for starting reps. The Huskers added Kwazi Gilmer, formerly of UCLA, and return a pair of junior wideouts who started games last fall, but Clark's 6-foot-5 frame gives him a chance to involve himself in the discussion, at the very least.

Regardless of where he shakes out on the depth chart, it's clear Clark will factor into the rotation. Now entering his third year in college, he should be ready to make an impact right away.

While the likes of Gilmer, Jacory Barney, and Nyziah Hunter offer significantly more production to this point in time, Clark's height and ability to win contested catches could separate him from the rest of his position group.

Having the NFL pedigree in his bloodline is something else that doesn't hurt. Clark's father, Ken, was an I-back for Nebraska from 1985 to 1989 before spending three seasons in the league. He left campus as the program's No. 2 all-time leading rusher, and now his son is making plays for the Huskers nearly 40 years later.

However you stack it, Nebraska's wide receiver room appears to be in good hands. What position coach Dakiel Shorts has accomplished in two offseasons is promising, and the Huskers appear set to be dynamic through the air in 2026.

Behind Shorts' group of proven starters are Clark and a number of other younger players with promising play-making abilities. In year four of the Rhule era, it's time for underclassmen to step up. Clark appears set for a prime opportunity to do just that.

Do not be surprised if he's a name talked about highly during the offseason. With spring practices starting in less than a month, Clark trains with urgency in hopes of breaking through on the field next fall.

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