Riley Van Poppel
Riley Van Poppel
Limited signal — not enough coverage for a story yet.
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Matt Rhule.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 9 · 2025
W 28–21
vs Northwestern
3 TOT · 3 SOLO
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 7 at home.
How he plays
Play style
Wins his gap play after play.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Nebraska
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Nebraska
Returning around him
- 59% of 2024 offensive production back (Solid continuity)
- 1 Nebraska player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -2 net (17 in / 19 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Nebraska · Last season: 7-6 (AP #25) · Talent rank #20 · 2026 recruiting class #87
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tavion Gadson’s 2025 season.
Matches Tavion on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Lucas Conti's junior season at UNLV (2025).
Matches Lucas on
Differs from Lucas on
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2025
Peak #9559
Peaked at #9559 this season.