Six Nebraska Position Rooms, Six Breakout Candidates to Watch

If any or all of these players rise up, so will the Huskers' chances of exceeding expectations in 2026.

Wide receiver Quinn Clark. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Hovering in the .500 zone doesn't cut it for a program like Nebraska. After back-to-back 7-6 seasons, the Huskers could use some breakout players in 2026.

Here is one player from each of six position groups who could be that guy.

WR Room: Quinn Clark

In perhaps Nebraska's strongest room, Quinn Clark could be an X-factor. The Huskers must be happy with their top three wideouts being Nyziah Hunter, Kwazi Gilmer, and Jacory Barney Jr. This already makes the group potent, but the depth provided by Cortez Mills Jr., Demitrius Bell, and Clark makes it even better. That doesn't mean they couldn't use another great wideout, though.

At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, Clark provides a bigger target for quarterback Anthony Colandrea. Clark said after a practice earlier this month: "I definitely feel faster... I definitely feel like I can get to the spot faster." Speed might have been a concern for Clark, but he might be putting those worries to bed.

One-handed snag Quinn Clark for the TD 🤯 pic.twitter.com/9lL7lCHKB1

— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) March 28, 2026

Clark brings an element the others lack: size. The room's better wideouts aren't exactly small, but none have Clark's frame. Inside the red zone in 2025, Nebraska scored TDs on just 30 of 53 drives, which was 95th nationally.

That weakness hurt a lot. In a three-point loss to Michigan, Nebraska scored 0 points on a drive that reached the red zone and on another drive that reached the Michigan 26-yard line. Later in the season, two red-zone possessions ended in field goals in a 24-6 loss at Minnesota. In the first half against Iowa, Nebraska reached the red zone four times but scored just one TD.

Clark can help Nebraska address that issue. The Huskers have the ability to hit Clark in a one-on-one, hoping he can use his size and physicality to come down with the catch.

Expect the receiving corps to thrive, even without a breakout from Clark, Mills, or others. But Clark seems like one player whom Nebraska can't help but use a lot in certain situations.

RB Room: Jamal Rule

Really, any running back doing well might be considered a breakout. That's because nobody in the room in 2026 had more than 150 rushing yards in 2025. But the one player who could change Nebraska's offense and help solidify the backfield is true freshman Jamal Rule.

A couple of weeks ago, offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen had this to say about Rule: "He doesn't look like a freshman to me... He's 6-2, 210, runs fast, has breakaway speed... He's going to play. We'll see it in a few weeks."

Those words don't guarantee Rule a major share of the carries or give him the RB2 role, but it's clear he'll be given a chance to make an impact as a true freshman.

Jamal Rule | Nebraska Athletics

Rule wasn't highly touted coming out of high school; the three-star out of Charlotte, North Carolina, was ranked the 88th-best running back in the 2026 recruiting class by 247Sports. But in spring, summer, and fall, Rule has shown he can be a big factor for the Husker offense.

Running backs coach E.J. Barthel said after practice Tuesday that it's "the most talented room I’ve had" despite the lack of experience. "The competition part of it has been paramount as far as guys getting better at what they need to get better at. There’s not much room for error… so the urgency of attacking each rep is very important.”

The room is tasked with replacing Emmett Johnson, but Barthel hopes players like Rule, Mekhi Nelson, and Isaiah Mozee can emerge like last year's All-American did. It's hard to tell how big an impact Rule will have, but it feels like he can emerge and become a cornerstone of the offense.

TE Room: Carter Nelson

It's probably safe to assume the starting QB doesn't need an emergence, and the O-line has six solid linemen. But the one remaining area on the offense that might be the most concerning, the tight end room, could use someone to emerge.

There are some other candidates, but the one player who could easily shift the Husker offense in the right direction is Carter Nelson. Nelson has struggled to stay healthy and has yet to establish himself as a good pass blocker.

Nelson was ranked as the No. 3 TE in the 2024 recruiting class by 247Sports. The Ainsworth, Nebraska native was also the top-ranked recruit in the state. So far, the junior has compiled only 12 receptions for 97 yards, numbers that are far below what Husker fans expected from Nelson.

Carter Nelson is entering his third season as a Husker. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

To see the field more, Nelson needs to get better at blocking, especially with senior Luke Lindenmeyer as the starter. Nebraska would probably like to see Lindenmeyer become a more dangerous receiver, but they can't sacrifice one thing for another.

Nelson's ceiling is high. If he can put things together, the tight end room could push the offense to another level.

D-line Room: Williams Nwaneri

On the defensive line, it's easy to pick the breakout candidate: Williams Nwaneri.

In the 3-3-5 scheme last season, the Huskers struggled mightily to generate pressure and stop the run. Nebraska finished with only 22 sacks, and freshman Nwaneri led the unit with only 2½.

Nwaneri was the No. 2 defensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting class and spent his freshman year at Missouri. After transferring to Nebraska, Nwaneri didn't have the impact in 2025 that some had expected.

Williams Nwaneri picks up a Houston Christian fumble and returns it 29 yards for a touchdown. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

However, he will be critical as Nebraska switches to the 4-2-5 scheme with new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich. A breakout by the 6-foot-7, 265-pound edge player could put all worries to bed about the defensive line. Nwaneri, much like Nelson, has a high ceiling. As he enters his second season with Nebraska, he has the ability to provide 8+ sacks.

Nebraska didn't have that kind of disruption in 2025. The hope for Aurich, edges coach Roy Manning, line coach Corey Brown and the defense as a whole is that this new scheme will help the Huskers stop the run, generate pressure, and get someone like Nwaneri more sacks. After all, there's nothing like a sack to take the steam out of an opponent's drive.

LB Room: Dawson Merritt

Similar to the QB and O-line rooms, the linebacker room doesn't exactly need a breakout candidate. In the new scheme, the Huskers need two solid linebackers, and they have that in Owen Chambliss and Vincent Shavers Jr.

However, depth is also essential during the grind of a game and the season as a whole. The room is among the deepest on the team, with plenty of options for a potential breakout candidate. However, Dawson Merritt is the player most similar to Nelson and Nwaneri in terms of having untapped potential.

Dawson Merritt assists on a tackle against Northwestern last season. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker was the No. 7 LB in the 2025 recruiting class. Merritt appeared in eight games as a true freshman in 2025 with two starts before being injured and missing the final five games. He finished with just eight total tackles, but Nebraska knows Merritt's potential is still high.

If Nebraska faces injury issues or needs another good LB for whatever reason, then Merritt could be the next LB in line. He could be much more important than some would've thought at first coming into 2026.

DB Room: Danny Odem III

Nebraska still has some defensive back positions to be determined. Those include cornerback No. 2, a battle that is coming down to Victor Evans III, Jeremiah Charles, and true freshman Danny Odem III.

Picking Charles here might've made more sense, but Odem's potential is extremely high. The No. 2 CB in the 2026 recruiting class and the 19th-ranked overall player, Odem was named this week to the watch list for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award.

Defensive back Danny Odem III | Nebraska Athletics

The battle for that spot is intense and will be hard for any of the three to win, especially Odem, since coaches have praised both Charles and Evans for their speed.

If Odem starts or takes a major role in the pass defense, it might not be surprising to see teams test him and say, "Welcome to the Big Ten," if you will, but that could be good for Odem.

Odem can meet such a challenge. And, much like Merritt's situation, it will be important for him to perform well to provide depth for whatever reason.

There is no shortage of names to watch in the secondary, but the name that could change the whole dynamic is Odem. He has the tools to be a lockdown CB and help the Huskers fix other areas of their defense instead of worrying about a regression in the secondary.

As the season begins, Nebraska has several established stars. But if the Huskers really want to put together a memorable season, they need players to emerge. These players could be the key to the Huskers' success.

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