Nebraska's Biggest Offensive Problem Might Be the Tight End Room

The group hasn't exactly been showered with praise by the Huskers' coaching staff.

Nebraska tight end Carter Nelson runs through a block during a drill. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Coming into 2026, Huskers fans might have been more concerned about the inexperienced running back room than anything else on the offense.

Surprisingly, though, the tight end room may be one of the offense's biggest question marks, given the criticism it has drawn.

The Tight End Room May Not Be as Good As Some Might Think

Earlier on Monday, Jake Bartecki of NCN-TV had some interesting notes about the Huskers offense at practice:

Rainy morning here at #Huskers practice.

Early observations:

-Colandrea’s got some zip on his fastball
-Satterfield has not been thrilled with the TE’s
-OL seems a little more in sync than week 1 of practice. pic.twitter.com/m0jsYvqgU9

— Jake Bartecki NCN-TV (@bartecki_jake) August 18, 2026

Two of the three notes were good, but he pointed out something that may be somewhat concerning. Former offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield is apparently "not thrilled" with the tight ends. Those words shouldn't make fans panic, but this isn't the first instance of criticism of the tight end room.

Dana Holgorsen, in a recent press conference, criticized how the tight end room performed in the summer: "I was pretty disappointed with them in June and July, and they've been challenged. We're doing some different personnel groupings that's taken them off the field and they're not happy about it."

The tight end room will probably be good in the blocking game, but questions remain about their ability in the passing game. Tight ends become especially important in the late part of the season, when Nebraska has struggled in recent seasons (starting 5-1 and ending 7-6 in back-to-back seasons).

Bartecki's observation may also suggest the room hasn't improved since fall camp began, which is a bit concerning.

Nebraska Needs to See a Major Emergence From Someone In the Tight End Room

The emergence of an all-around great tight end could be the answer to this potential problem. The Huskers' starting tight end, Luke Lindenmeyer, is considered a good tight end coming into 2026. But concerns remain about his consistency after his late-season 2025 performance.

In the final five games of the 2025 season, Lindenmeyer totaled six receptions for only 64 yards. Some other great tight ends might have such numbers in one game. Lindenmeyer isn't going to be asked to put up insane numbers, but 29 receptions for 312 yards and two touchdowns is a little underwhelming for what he can do.

Luke Lindenmeyer picks up five yards against Cincinnati in a 20-17 win in 2025. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

2025 was Lindenmeyer's first year starting, so better numbers are expected in 2026. Lindenmeyer is good in the pass block, but Nebraska needs more from him as a receiver.

The Huskers have some other interesting names in the room, but Carter Nelson is a big part of why the ceiling is so high. Nelson has had some issues staying healthy so far in his career, but the junior is finally fully healthy coming into this season.

Nelson was ranked as the No. 3 TE in the 2024 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. The Huskers won a big recruiting battle with Notre Dame to keep the Ainsworth native in Nebraska, but Nelson hasn't lived up to expectations yet. In 2024, as a true freshman, Nelson caught 10 passes for 86 yards. In 2025, though, Nelson only caught two passes for 11 yards.

Nelson has also struggled to get playing time because of his pass blocking. He possesses a solid frame at 6'5'', 240, but he hasn't developed into a reliable pass blocker. As much as Nebraska would love to have the threat of a player like Nelson, he will struggle to get a lot of playing time unless he becomes a better all-around tight end.

If Nelson breaks out, there could be a reason to call Nebraska's tight end room great. But if he can't, Lindenmeyer will be under heavy pressure to carry that load. Another interesting player in the room could be true freshman Luke Sorensen, who received some impressive offers coming out of high school.

Sorensen, a four-star recruit, received offers from Texas, Miami, Notre Dame, Alabama, LSU, Michigan, USC, Texas A&M, UCLA, Oregon State, Auburn, Florida, UNLV, Arizona State, Arizona, Ole Miss, Missouri, Michigan State, Boston College, California, and finally Nebraska. Some really good teams are on that long list (half of the AP Top 10).

If Sorensen was good enough for those offers, then Nebraska might just have a great talent on their hands. A breakout as a true freshman in a tight end room with other, more experienced guys like Lindenmeyer and Nelson seems unlikely, but it isn't impossible.

Could This Be Fuel for the Room?

Nebraska has done well developing tight end talent lately. Thomas Fidone was selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Nate Boerkircher, a Nebraska walk-on who transferred to Texas A&M, was drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft.

So there's hope the room can break out and become one of the better rooms in the country. The fact that the tight ends aren't happy about the offense using different personnel groupings may be a good thing. They need to fuel themselves to improve.

Nebraska's offense can be great in 2026. The receiving corps is both deep and elite; the new QB, Anthony Colandrea, has looked great so far in fall camp; the offensive line should be good; and the running back room, which was supposed to be a bigger concern, hasn't disappointed. This leaves the tight end room as potentially the biggest concern.

Nebraska tight end Carter Nelson heads for a 24-yard touchdown reception during the first quarter against Northern Iowa. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Nebraska fans shouldn't expect this room to fail as blockers, with Lindenmeyer, Cayden Echternach, Danny King, and Eric Ingwerson all capable in the blocking game. However, a good tight end in the passing game adds a whole other safety blanket to the offense.

As Nebraska looks to build on back-to-back 7-6 seasons, they would love to see a much more consistent offense next season. The tight end position will be critical to taking the offense to another level. There is still time to improve with about two weeks left before the opening kickoff.

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