Nebraska Quarterbacks Coach Glenn Thomas Goes In-Depth on Race for Starting Role

With the spring practice period in full-swing, Nebraska's offensive coaching staff isn't guessing what it has anymore.

Instead, they're seeing it live as the quarterback battle shakes itself out in real time. For Husker quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas, who met with the media earlier this week, he took time to dive into his reconfigured room as a whole, not skipping over any players expected to contribute this fall. From the unique level of experience the group has to how the offense scheme can shift, here's everything you need to know about what Nebraska signal-callers will bring to the table in 2026.

Unless you've been living under a rock, the odds are high that you're well-versed on the fact that NU heads into the upcoming fall with three quarterbacks who have started Power Four games. And while it might be the biggest reason for optimism from the group, Thomas suggested each player offers a unique bag of tricks they can use to find success under offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen's guidance. Still, Thomas noted a few things that are non-negotiable for whichever player is on the field at any given time.

“We always talked about educated decisions,” he said. “You want to keep it as black and white as a quarterback as you can. Within that context, we always talk about purpose. Every play has a purpose. You can’t figure out what you’re going to do after the fact. So, as we react to what is happening, we’ve got to react with a purpose and an educated decision”.

While the goal of the Huskers' staff during the offseason was to shore up the offensive line, in an attempt to help its quarterbacks make better decisions, there will undoubtedly be a time when something unplanned happens. For Thomas and the rest of the offensive staff, preparing their signal-callers to face that adversity and still make winning plays despite the odds is of the utmost importance this spring.

That task begins with Anthony Colandrea, who joined Nebraska's roster via the transfer portal back in January. After being named the Mountain West Player of the Year in 2025, the former UNLV Rebel appears to be on the fast track towards becoming the Huskers' QB1. Six practices into his lone season in Lincoln, Thomas views the will-be senior as a player who can identify exactly what he wants to do early on in the play.

“He’s a quick processor,” said Thomas. “He makes decisions, and to his credit, he’s convinced with those decisions. The last thing you want to do is get out there and second-guess what you’re doing.” Nebraska's quarterback coach also shed light on the personality traits Colandrea has and how the team has taken a liking to him early on.

“He definitely has an energy about him that is contagious,” Thomas said. “He’s got a confidence about him that you need as a leader. People have taken to that, and I think that [will be] a big part of his role moving forward”. While Thomas seemed to suggest things were getting started on the right foot, he made it clear the starting job would be far from handed to him.

We've seen what TJ Lateef can do at a high level, and that also means that Colandrea will have to beat him out for the starting job. And even though Thomas suggested the players in the room are each other's biggest supporters, he couldn't speak highly enough of the character the rising sophomore brings to the table. Rather than sulking that his coaching staff brought in a player to take his role, the California native is looking to make his game at UCLA the new norm in practice and eventually again on the field in 2026.

“He’s embraced [the competition]”, Thomas said. “He’s as much of a competitor as we have on the team. He’s invited that and pushed those guys to be better, and that has raised his game. I’m excited about what he’s doing.” With that in mind, it's encouraging enough to see that Lateef didn't run. Now, with seemingly every opportunity in the world to become the true starting signal-caller for Nebraska in game one, the 2025 backup is focused on earning his role.

Even with Lateef and Colandrea likely the No. 1 and No. 2 on the depth chart next fall, Thomas suggested the return of Daniel Kaelin has been something noteworthy as well. After a lone season at Virginia in which he earned playing time in seven games with one start, the sophomore's personal development has not gone unnoticed.

“He’s just more and more confident,” Thomas said. “It’s a reasonable expectation that he’s better now than he was two years ago. So, he’s more assertive as far as his personality is concerned. Everybody on the team loves Danny. [I’m} excited about where he’s at, and how he’s impacting the team”.

It's high praise for a player who left the program and then returned, but it appears as if Thomas is more than happy to have Kaelin back in the fold. Watching his new room compete at practice this spring just might be one of the biggest storylines before the fall, and after hearing his comments directly, it appears the NU is in a good spot at the most important position in football before the start of the 2026 season.

Even though each signal-caller might offer something a little different than one another, the element of a quarterback run game will be featured this fall. For Colandrea, who has totaled more than 1,100 rushing yards in his career, it'd be silly not to capitalize on his talents as much as possible in 2026. Still, Thomas knows the offensive scheme cannot become reliant on it. Instead, they'll look to be decisive about when they make the calls, knowing the natural flow of the game will allow their quarterbacks to find yards on scrambles as well.

“I think the movement piece is going to be organic,” he said. “I think you have to be somewhat smart about that. But some will happen naturally, [and] there will be a handful of built-in runs. He can do that. It’ll definitely be strategic, and we need it.”

After seeing the offense surrender 33 sacks in 13 games last fall, Thomas is right. With three transfer portal linemen added to Geep Wade's room, and a significantly more mobile quarterback expected to lead the offense this season, the Big Red have an opportunity to not just take fewer sacks but put pressure on opposing defenses with their quarterback's legs. With that, it adds another wrinkle to the offensive scheme that could lead to more stable performances from game to game.

Nebraska quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas | Nebraska Athletics

Overall, Thomas's time at the mic was well-thought-out and extremely telling. He didn't shy away from the competition his group has, but it also appears every player in the room knew that before joining the program. That means he doesn't have to walk on eggshells. Instead, he, like his players, is embracing the best-man-wins mentality, which is going to need to improve ahead of the upcoming fall.

The capability for Nebraska's signal-caller to play off-schedule is going to be huge, and it allows the offense and the coordinator who calls their plays to do so with more confidence that the group can get it done. In just six practices to this point in the spring, it is clear that there's a belief in what the room has. Now, the challenge will be showing it consistently against a defense other than the one they see at practice every day.

There's still plenty of time to improve, and that's a good thing for the Huskers right now. Welcoming in 16 transfer portal additions and a dozen high school recruits, this program has overseen some major changes since last fall. Still, they're hoping it comes together quickly in an attempt to keep the trajectory this staff has built pointed upward in 2026. Whichever quarterback wins the job is sure to have a large say in whether that happens or not. For now, every rep, every day, and every practice matter for Thomas' group. And it won't be long until fans can see it on the field during the Spring Game on March 28.