Why Anthony Colandrea is Nebraska Football's Most Important Player in 2026

We've been talking about Anthony Colandrea all offseason on the Common Fan Podcast. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say he might be the most important player on the roster for Nebraska football this season.

That's not to suggest the Huskers don't have talent elsewhere. The skill position talent might be as good as we've seen in years – certainly for the entire Rhule era. There are plenty of questions heading into 2026, but also legitimate reasons for optimism across the roster.

But if Nebraska is going to make a jump from where they’ve been the last few years, it almost certainly begins with No. 10.

As the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year in 2025, Colandrea was best known for his mobility. Husker fans love a quarterback who can move; all of our best signal callers since the beginning of time could run. It’s enough to make Big Red hearts go pitter patter.

Beyond that, I found it interesting that Offensive Coordinator Dana Holgorsen commented this week about Colandrea’s ability to process and his arm talent. “He’s checking all those boxes right now,” according to Holgorsen, “and we’re very excited about where he’s at.”

I must admit, it’s difficult to think about this conversation without the context of the last two seasons. Yes, I’m talking about Dylan Raiola.

I don’t want to go down a Raiola rabbit hole. His annoying recent comments out of Eugene notwithstanding, the Raiola era was…fine. I believe he gave it his all. He tried to be the face of the program; he faced the music after losses, and represented the program with class. And he helped lead Nebraska back to bowl games, which is not nothing. After years of flailing, the program at least found some stability.

But it's also fair to wonder whether the spotlight became too bright and too narrow. For two seasons, everything revolved around one player. The offense was built around him. Every national storyline centered on him. Every Saturday became a referendum on him. Whether it was intentional on Rhule’s part or not, Nebraska often felt like "The Dylan Raiola Show." So much so that I sometimes wonder if it stunted the growth of the program overall under Rhule.

Enter Colandrea – or Tony C, as we like to call him on the podcast (does he go by Tony? Has he ever? I have no idea. But we like the sound of it).

Unlike Raiola, Colandrea arrives without the weight of growing up in the shadow of Memorial Stadium. There are no family expectations to fulfill. No fairy tale to complete. No pressure to become the face of an entire generation of Nebraska football.

He's just here to play quarterback. And maybe that's exactly what Nebraska needs.

Colandrea also brings something Nebraska's offense has desperately lacked for much of the Rhule era: unpredictability.

He can beat defenses with his arm, but he can also extend plays, escape pressure, and turn a broken play into twenty yards. Defensive coordinators will have to account for him every snap. That changes everything for an offense.

The résumé speaks for itself. He has more than 30 career starts, over 7,500 passing yards and 1,100 rushing yards, and has accounted for 61 total touchdowns. National analysts have placed him on preseason award watch lists. More importantly, his teammates are talking about his leadership, his competitiveness, and the energy he brings to the offense.

Of course, there are still questions.

Can he protect the football against Big Ten defenses? Can he eliminate the occasional risky throw that's followed him throughout his career? Can Nebraska's newly upgraded offensive line (or his own legs) give him enough time to take advantage of the weapons around him?

The answer to those questions will go a long way toward determining whether the Huskers break out in 2026, or continue to feel stuck in neutral. That’s the Tony C Factor. That's the difference one quarterback can make.

Nebraska doesn't need Anthony Colandrea to be a superhero. But it does need him to elevate the offense into something it hasn’t been since Matt Rhule arrived. Explosive. Unpredictable. Actually able to score when it matters.

For the first three years of the Rhule era, more often than not it felt like the defense was carrying the team, and the offense wasn’t holding up its end of the bargain. Hopefully the defense takes a step forward under first year coordinator Rob Aurich, but even if it does, it’s time for the offense to be good enough to go win this team some games.

And that starts with Tony C.

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