Since NIL was implemented, an old saying has taken on new meaning. I can’t say I’ve heard Matt Rhule say it, but I know he is aware of it and has at times suggested it’s something that needs to happen with his team.
“Get old and stay old.”
Meaning, you reach a point where your starters are fourth- and fifth-year guys sprinkled with third-year guys. Your depth is your two-year guys, and your freshmen are in development. If the core of your starters are second- and third-year guys, sprinkled with freshmen then you’re fielding a young team. Which translates to underdeveloped, inexperienced, and mistake prone.
For the record, Nebraska has been young under Rhule. Something he has attempted to change with the transfer portal. However, even then he’ll be the first to tell you when he dips into the portal he tries to find guys that can give him at least two years.
Part of getting old and staying old comes from retention. An example of Nebraska not being able to do that is Princewell Umanmielen. The Huskers had him for two years before he transferred to Ole Miss. He showed promise in his first year but dropped off the radar in his second. In his third year at Ole Miss he recorded 44 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, 9 sacks, and 1 interception. That’s a ton of lost production for Nebraska, especially when you didn’t have anyone on your team last season with more than 3 sacks.
The key is developing talent and then retaining it. The two biggest factors in doing that are – coaching and winning. If guys don’t feel like they are getting coached up and getting 1% better every day and aren’t part of a winning program, they’ll be moving on, and who can blame them. I believe Rhule finally realized that development wasn’t happening and it’s why he hired the staff he has now. Adding Rob Aurich, Roy Manning, Corey Brown, Tyler Yelk, Geep Wade, and Lonnie Teasley will do more for developing and retaining talent than anything Rhule has done in his first three years in Lincoln.
And it’s obvious to me adding the new talent with the talent he already had in Dana Holgorsen, Glenn Thomas, Daikiel Shorts, EJ Barthel, Marcus Satterfield, Rob Dvoracek, Addison Willimas, Brett Maher, Nick Humphrey, Ron Brown and Andrew Verboys equates to the best coaching staff Nebraska has had since the Osborne era.
I know, part of the improvement is due to sheer numbers alone. I just rattled off the names of 17 coaches. There isn’t a single position that doesn’t have its own coach, and that bodes well for developing young talent and adding depth to a roster that desperately needs it.
Even with the transfer portal additions, Nebraska in 2026 will still be a young team, the red shirt freshmen and the sophomores must step up and produce if this team is going to have success. Almost every position has a couple of guys that must be difference makers this season. This is how I see it.
Defensive Line Interior
Coaches: Corey Brown & Dave Tollefson
Starters: Riley Van Poppel, 6’5” 295-pound Junior & Sua Lefotu, 6’3”, 300-pound Junior.
Difference Makers: Jahsear Whittington, 6’0”, 270-pound Sophomore & Tyson Terry, 6’2”, 310-pound Red Shirt Freshman.
In the Rotation: Gabe Moore, 6’5”, 300-pound Junior & Owen Stoudmire, 6’1” 292-pound Senior.
Surprise Contributors: Malcolm Simpson, 6’3”, 285-pound Sophomore & Dylan Berymon, 6’2”, 320-pound Freshman.
Outlook: This position group was the focus of Husker fans last season and now going into 2026. The talent and size is there, it now comes down to coaching and developing confidence. Brown and Tollefson are the right guys to make that happen. Maybe not the best position group in 2026 but improved to the point of stopping the negative chatter.
Defensive Line Edge
Coaches: Roy Manning & Phil Simpson
Starters: Anthony Jones, 6’5”, 265-pound Senior & Cam Lenhardt, 6’3”, 270-pound Senior
Difference Makers: Williams Nwaneri, 6’7”, 265-pound Sophomore & Kade Pietrzak, 6’5”, 265-pound Sophomore
In the Rotation: Willis McGahee IV, 6’1”, 240-pound Sophomore & Jordan Ochoa, 6’4”, 240-pound Sophomore
Surprise Contributors: Mac Markway, 6’4”, 250-pound Junior
Outlook: This position took a step backward last season, and the lack of development was evident. It’s hard to fault Phil Simpson, as a first-year division one coach and paired with Terry Bradden, he was dealt a bad hand. That will change under Roy Manning. He comes in with experience and is the perfect mentor for Simpson. The difference seen from Nwaneri and Pietrzak alone will be noticeable.
Linebackers
Coaches: Rob Aurich & Rob Dvoracek
Starters: Owen Chambliss, 6’3”, 230-pound Junior & Vincent Shavers Jr, 6’1”, 225-pound Junior
Difference Makers: Dexter Foster, 6’3”, 236-pound Junior & Dawson Merritt, 6’3”, 225-pound Sophomore
In the Rotation: Will Hawthorne, 6’2”, 220-pound Red Shirt Freshman, Pierce Mooberry, 6’3”, 225-pound Red Shirt Freshman
Surprise Contributors: Christian Jones 6’2”, 235-pound Red Shirt Freshman & Dylan Rogers 6’3”, 240-pound Junior
Outlook: There has been a shift in thinking with the addition of Rob Aurich. We’ve already seen what Aurich wants by his portal additions. Chambliss and Foster are both big linebackers focusing more on the running game and letting the back five worry about the pass.
Cornerbacks
Coach: Addison Williams
Starters: Andrew Marshall, 6’0”, 190-pound Senior & Jeremiah Charles, 6’0” 175-pound Junior
Difference Makers: Donavan Jones, 6’1” 200-pound Sophomore & Danny Odem, 6’0”, 190-pound Freshmen & Kahmir Prescott, 6’1”, 195-pound Sophomore
In the Rotation: Victor Evans III, 6’1”, 180-pound Senior
Surprise Contributors: Blye Hill, 6’4”, 195-pound Junior & Amare Sanders, 6’1”, 190-pound Sophomore
Outlook: This may have been the hardest group to sort. There is some good young talent here and they have been under development. Williams is one of the top defensive back coaches in the country and someone Rhule would not part with. Marshall has played in Aurich’s scheme before and paired with the right guy the defensive backfield could be the strongest part of the Black Shirt Defense.
Safety
Coach: Tyler Yelk
Starters: Dwayne McDougle, 5’11”, 208-pound Senior & Jamir Conn, 5’11”, 180-pound Senior & Jasin Shiggs, 6’1” 175-pound Junior
Difference Makers: Caleb Benning, 5’11”, 200-pound Sophomore & Rex Guthrie, 6’1”, 200-pound Sophomore
In the Rotation: Justyn Rhett, 6’1”, 200-pound Junior
Surprise Contributor: Tanner Terch, 6’0”, 190-pound Red Shirt Freshman
Outlook: Yelk was brought in because he knows Rob Aurich’s defense. The ‘Nickel Safety’ plays a large role in that defense and Dwayne McDougle is at Nebraska for that purpose. Yelk’s job will be to get the player behind McDougle up to speed and for the other two starters to play in unison with the centerpiece of the Black Shirts, the Nickel.
Defensively, I named 11 staters which consist of 5 Seniors and 6 Juniors. I’ve also listed what I’m calling 11 difference makers which are 1 Junior, 8 Sophomores, 1 Red Shirt Freshman, and 1 Freshman. When I say difference maker, I’m not talking about making game changing plays, I’m talking about playing at a level good enough to push for starting time. Someone who shows up on the stat sheet. It should be no surprise to see names like Jahsear Whittington, Williams Nwaneri, Kade Pietrzak, Dawson Merritt and Donavan Jones listed as some of those players. They all need to take their game up another notch.
How I see the offense.
Quarterback
Coach: Glenn Thomas
Starter: Anthony Colandrea 6’0”, 205-pound Senior
Difference Maker: Danny Kaelin, 6’3”, 218-pound Red Shirt Sophomore
In the Rotation: TJ Lateef, 6’1”, 200-pound Sophomore
Surprise Contributor: Bode Soukup, 6’1”, 205-pound Red Shirt Sophomore
Outlook: While the job is Colandrea’s to lose, this is the closest thing to a quarterback competition Nebraska has seen in a while. Lateef will go in if needed, but I’m looking for Kaelin to make some noise. He may not be the runner that Colandrea and Lateef are, but he’s shown he has wheels when needed. At 6’3” and 220, he is the biggest of the quarterbacks and maybe the most accurate passer. He didn’t come back to Nebraska to ride the bench and be third string.
Running Back
Coaches: EJ Barthel & Ron Brown
Starter: Mekhi Nelson, 6’1”, 195-pound Sophomore
Difference Makers: Isaiah Mozee, 6’0”, 210-pound Sophomore & Jamal Rule, 6’0”, 205-pound Freshman
In the Rotation: Kwinten Ives, 6’3”, 215-pound Junior
Surprise Contributor: Coner Booth, 6’0”, 215-pound Red Shirt Freshman
Outlook: The running backs have something to prove. This staff stuck with the young guys while the fan base screamed for them to add depth through the portal. Nelson and Mozee have talent, now they need to show it on the field and why the coaches thought so much of them. True Freshman Jamal Rule will have fans talking by the end of the season.
Wide Receiver
Coaches: Daikiel Shorts Jr. & Andrew Verboys
Starters: Jacory Barney Jr, 6’0”, 170-pound Junior, Nyziah Hunter, 6’1”, 205-pound Junior, Kwazi Gilmer, 6’2”, 190-pound Junior
Difference Makers: Quinn Clark, 6’5”, 210-pound Sophomore & Cortez Mills Jr, 6’0”, 185-pound Sophomore & Jeremiah Jones, 6’4”, 225-pound Red Shirt Freshman
In the Rotation: Janiran Bonner, 6’2”, 225-pound Senior, & Larry Miles, 5’10” 170-pound Freshman
Surprise Contributors: Keelan Smith, 6’3”, 205-pound Sophomore & Nalin Scott, 6’2”, 200-pound Freshman
Outlook: This is by far the deepest room on the roster in 2026, which is puzzling considering QB play since Rhule’s arrival. The top three could be starting anywhere they choose to go. Clark and Mills have shown flashes and will push the top three. Young guys like Miles and Scott are just as talented. Personally, I’d like to see a consistent 6-to-8-man rotation from the receivers to keep opponent’s defensive backs guessing and rubber legged.
Tight End
Coach: Marcus Satterfield
Starters: Luke Lindenmeyer, 6’3”, 250-pound Senior & Eric Ingwerson, 6’7”, 255-pound Sophomore
Difference Makers: Carter Nelson, 6’5”, 240-pound Junior & Luke Soresen, 6’4”, 245-pound Freshman
In the Rotation: Cayden Echternach, 6’4”, 260-pound Junior
Surprise Contributor: Danny King, 6’4”, 245-pound Sophomore
Outlook: We’ve known all along Lindenmeyer would be the starter and from what we saw in the Spring Game, it looks like Ingwerson is the blocking tight end when running double sets. Carter Nelson, who has been slowed by the injury bug, has been unable to get on the field after a ton of hype coming out of high school. Nelson needs to set himself apart in the fall because if he doesn’t, he may be displaced by freshman Luke Soresen.
Offensive Line
Coaches: Geep Wade & Lonnie Teasley
Starters: Center – Justin Evans, 6’1”, 315-pound Senior, RG – Brendan Black, 6’4”, 320-pound Senior, RT – Tree Babalade, 6’7”, 330-pound Junior, LG – Paul Mubenga, 6’4”, 320-pound Junior, LT – Elijah Pritchett, 6’6”, 325-pound Senior
Difference Makers: Grant Brix, 6’6”, 310-pound Sophomore & Preston Taumua, 6’4”, 325-pound Sophomore & Gibson Pyle, 6’5”, 295-pound Sophomore
In the Rotation: Sam Sledge, 6’4”, 300-pound Junior, Tyler Knaak, 6’6”, 325-pound Senior, Gunnar Gottula, 6’6”, 305-pound Junior
Surprise Contributor: Claude Mpouma, 6’5”, 338-pound Freshman
Outlook: This will be Rhule’s most talented and experienced line since arriving in Lincoln. Now they need to establish chemistry and solid backups to rotate in when needed. Sledge, Knaak and Gottula fill the bill. Now it’s time for Brix, Tauma and Pyle to challenge them. It’s hard to read too much into the offensive line’s lack of success, development under Donavan Riola was minimal. We should see a big jump from all these guys under Wade and Teasley.
Offensively, the starters consist of 5 Seniors, 5 Juniors, and 1 Sophomore. I’ve named 1 Junior, 6 Sophomores, 1 Red Shirt Sophomore, 1 Red Shirt Freshman, and 2 Freshman as difference makers this season. Like the defense, these are names fans have been following and need to see elevate their game to the next level. They are names we are all familiar with, like Danny Kaelin, Mekhi Nelson, Isiah Mozee, Quinn Clark, Cortez Mills, Carter Nelson, Grant Brix, and Preston Taumua.
This team may be older and more experienced than last season, but they are young when it comes to depth. And that’s where you’ll see the Huskers make a jump this season because the new coaches are better at developing young talent. An example, you’ll see players like Claude Mopuma, Jamal Rule, Luke Soresen, Danny Odem, Pierce Mooberry, and Dylan Berymon in the game rather than being shelfed.
New season, new coaches, new approach, new team. It all equals improvement.
GO BIG RED!! SIMPLE, FAST, VIOLENT!!
~Lyle Harmon
Photo courtesy of the Falls City Journal Home – Falls City Journal – Falls City, NE
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