2offseason
Nebraska's SP+ rise signals Big Ten resurgence.
Nebraska enters 2026 — the 7-6 record and #20 talent rank suggest momentum, yet the 25-year national title drought looms as the unspoken challenge for Matt Rhule's third season.
Nebraska7-6AP #25Latest
No consensus around Nebraska right now — the fanbase is genuinely divided.
belief cooled ↓ 6.3vs prior week
Fanbase belief
Mixed
52/100 · 822 mentions
~ our readGrounding
about average
8% cite a stat · 7% typical ✓ counted
~ our readVolatility
Reactive
σ 16 pts
~ our readThe model
#73
CFB Zeitgeist · +0.3
✓ measured2Hope-Doping·Offseason
Nebraska is the most loyal sad fanbase in America — still selling out for a program that hasn't mattered in October since the '90s — and just watched the quarterback it built its future around leave for Oregon.
AP Top 25#25 AP
The take that Nebraska is a museum — a great history and a hollow present, coasting on a sellout streak and 1990s highlights. The fanbase answers with the streak itself: still there, still full, still…
offseason · quiet
Roster Reload - Nebraska
2026 snapshot - 2026-08-06Returning Production59%Moderate continuity
Talent Composite#20 nationally247 composite 821.4
Portal Additions17Primary repair: LB
Portal Losses19Primary pressure: S
Draft Loss1NFL Draft departures (1) — 1 with a next man up identified below
Recruiting Reload#88Depth class
Sin 2 - Dwayne McDougleout 5 - Malcolm HartzogStarter Risk
LBin 3 - Owen Chamblissout 1 - Roger GradneyNeed Filled
current room: 228 lbs avg (2025 roster)
DLin 2 - Jahsear Whittingtonout 2 - Keona DavisEven
current room: 285 lbs avg (2025 roster)
QBin 2 - Anthony Colandreaout 2 - Dylan RaiolaEven
current room: 218 lbs avg (2025 roster)
IOLin 2 - Brendan Blackout 2 - Houston Ka'aha'aina-TorresEven
current room: 308 lbs avg (2025 roster)
RBin 1 - Tikey Hayesout 2 - Kenneth WilliamsEven
current room: 204 lbs avg (2025 roster)
Next man up
Belief EKG
WinLoss · hover for scorePrior seasonsStory arc
Approaching
30 days
until kickoff · vs Ohio · Sat Sep 5 · 16:00 UTC
The experience
Nebraska is the program with three national titles, a 25-year drought, and the most patient fanbase in college football.
Offense: SolidTempo: Methodical, ball-controlDefense: Soft
Nebraska faces moderate continuity challenges but has balanced portal churn
The team returns 59% of its roster, with a recruiting rank of #88 and a balanced transfer profile. Key positions like S and LB show mixed stability.
- Roster reloadNebraska returns 59% of its roster, with a moderate continuity label and a balanced portal churn profile.
- RecruitingThe team holds a recruiting rank of #88, with a recruiting score of 182.28.
- Transfer portalThe team has 17 transfers in and 19 transfers out, showing a balanced portal churn profile.
Data as of 2026-08-03
·
Validated against program evidence
Herbie Husker keeps the lights on.
Nebraska · the story right now
10 storylines developing
What Nebraska's coordinator hires is really about
the open questiondo the new coordinators fit the roster?
coordinatorsthis cycle~readnew
Matt Rhule begins his third season with a 7-6 record and a fanbase uneasy about sustaining the #25 AP finish amid coordinator changes and a middle-tier program's uncertain trajectory.
what happenedNebraska: coordinator change reshaping a unit. ✓ fact
narrative tension · our read
recruitingthis cycle~readnew
Cortez Mills Jr., Nebraska's top recruit at WR, arrives as Matt Rhule secures a third straight top-25 class amid 59% returning production and a 7-6 season.
what happenedNebraska signed a top-22 recruiting class. ✓ fact
the contextthird consecutive top-25 recruiting class
narrative tension · our read
program_outlookthis cycle~readnew
Nebraska enters 2026 — the 7-6 record and #20 talent rank suggest momentum, yet the 25-year national title drought looms as the unspoken challenge for Matt Rhule's third season.
what happenedNebraska enters 2026 rated No. 46 in 2025 SP+ (+6.2). ✓ fact
narrative tension · our read
money downthis cycle✓ factnew
Dane Key is a legitimate money-down target -- his 3rd-down conversion rate ranks among the position's best, and his per-target value holds up in that spot too.
narrative tension · our read
money downthis cycle✓ factnew
Jacory Barney Jr. is a legitimate money-down target -- his 3rd-down conversion rate ranks among the position's best, and his per-target value holds up in that spot too.
narrative tension · our read
underdogthis cycle✓ factnew
Jacory Barney Jr. produces at a notably LOWER rate when his team is an underdog than when favored -- he fades when the pressure is on, and his per-target value drops too.
narrative tension · our read
garbage timethis cycle~attributednew
Emmett Johnson: a garbage time merchant signal screened this season.
narrative tension · our read
deep threatthis cycle~attributednew
Jacory Barney Jr. is a real deep-ball threat -- a high share of his targets come on throws past the sticks.
narrative tension · our read
deep threatthis cycle~attributednew
Nyziah Hunter is used almost exclusively underneath -- a low share of his targets are downfield shots.
narrative tension · our read
coordinatorsthis cycle✓ factnew
Nebraska: coordinator change reshaping a unit.
narrative tension · our read
How past storylines here turned out
ReplacedNebraska's defensive coordinator spot turned over again the following season. See who's next →
Died downNebraska's offensive coordinator change has died down — no clear next chapter yet.
Active arcs
The Offseason Ledger · Nebraska
6 verified updates · portal · recruiting · staff · news- Portal
RB Tikey Hayes transfer commits from Penn State
Penn State's depth chart didn't have room for him — Nebraska's RB room lost Kenneth Williams and has been running on fumes since; Hayes walks into a starting conversation before spring ball ends.
- News
Part of Frost lawsuit dismissed
Frost lawsuit noise fading out is low-key important — Rhule doesn't need a legal circus eating oxygen while he's trying to sell Lincoln on a Big Ten resurgence that SP+ is starting to believe.
- News
Nebraska RB competition wide open
One NFL departure at RB and no clear successor on the depth chart — Rhule's got a real competition brewing, and whoever wins the room earns carries in a Big Ten schedule that won't wait for a committee.
- Portal
Nebraska adds transfer RB Tikey Hayes
Aliquippa kid who couldn't crack Penn State's backfield — Rhule's staff saw enough tape to bet he runs harder than his depth chart suggested.
- Recruiting
Khalil Taylor commits to Nebraska
One NFL Draft departure at safety plus real position pressure — Taylor lands in a top-22 class that needed a name at the back end, not just bodies.
- News
Win total (line at 6.5) still unmoved 13d after "Part of Frost lawsuit dismissed"
The market hasn't budged since "Part of Frost lawsuit dismissed" broke on 2026-07-24 — either the books see it as already priced in, or this one's genuinely slipped past them.
Transfer portal snapshot
+1.2 net portal points
(raw ledger: -1.7 — unweighted, no position adjustment)S-7.8
starter risk
LB+7.3
need not filled
CB+3.5
low confidence
RB-3.5
K-3.5
low confidence
LS+3.3
low confidence
EDGE-3.1
DL+1.8
QB-0.9
IOL+0.9
WR+0.2
OT+0.1
Top 3 commits
2026 class
★★★★☆
Danny Odem
#51 national
★★★★☆
Claude Mpouma
#168 national
★★★★☆
Dylan Berymon
#238 national
Projects: Nose Anchor — 18 of his 25 closest recruiting profiles since 2018 shared the Nose Anchor archetype.~our read · projection from recruiting profile — no college snaps yet
→
Fan confidence in a typical range for this program right now
37th percentile among FBS programs
Fan vs. market≈
37th
Fan percentile
(FBS mood rank)
(FBS mood rank)
6.5
Vegas O/U wins
(41st among FBS)
(41st among FBS)
Fan mood aligned with market consensus
Win total consensus · 3 books
Market outlook
Season expectations
Win total3 booksO/U 6.5
CFP championship#36 in field+20000
Big Ten title#10 in market+10000
Sportsbook consensus · best odds across multiple books · 2026-08-06
Nebraska · Next-Season Outcome Band
Nebraska · Next-Season Outcome BandFloor / Base / Ceiling
Floor 5-7
Base 8-5
Ceiling 10-3
floor5-7No postseason.
base8-5Bowl game.
ceiling10-3Bowl game.
Final-season-aware projection: floor / base / ceiling include conference title and CFP games where the model supports them, so a ceiling can exceed a 12-game regular season.
How the room reacted
Following now · Nebraska · Developing Confidence
Nebraska: coordinator change reshaping a unit.
Nebraska: coordinator change reshaping a unit.
near-unanimous belief
where the takes land · dot = how loud
DOUBTBELIEF
Believers4 bull takes
🎪 drama: simmering💬 fans: 13% volume · negative overall
Developing5 new this week
todayWin total (line at 6.5) still unmoved 13d after "Part of Frost lawsuit dismissed"
yesterdayWin total (line at 6.5) still unmoved 12d after "Part of Frost lawsuit dismissed"
2 days agoWin total (line at 6.5) still unmoved 11d after "Part of Frost lawsuit dismissed"
3 days agoWin total (line at 6.5) still unmoved 10d after "Part of Frost lawsuit dismissed"
4 days agoWin total (line at 6.5) — no reprice yet on "Part of Frost lawsuit dismissed"
CFB Zeitgeist Read · our take
Matt Rhule begins his third season with a 7-6 record and a fanbase uneasy about sustaining the #25 AP finish amid coordinator changes and a middle-tier program's uncertain trajectory.
Source of record: Nebraska: coordinator change reshaping a unit.
How each room is reacting — tap to expand
🎪The circus“How Anthony Colandrea’s Chaos Gene Could Fix Nebraska’s Offense ” — the saga that won't quit.›
The off-field storyline driving the noise right now. Not analysis — the soap opera, and that's the point.
“How Anthony Colandrea’s Chaos Gene Could Fix Nebraska’s Offense in 2026”
Athlon Sports · 2026-08-05 · read ↗
“Elite LSU commit Ahmad Hudson dives in-depth on Nebraska pursuit”
On3 · 2026-08-05 · read ↗
📣Believers4 bullish items -- the case it's working.›
The optimistic read: momentum, and the 'this is real' takes.
“Dylan Raiola and Nebraska Seem to Be Throwing Insults at Each Other — But Raiola May Have Gone Too Far”
Sports Illustrated · 2026-08-05 · read ↗
“No. 3 Ranked Nebraska Special Teams Gets a Makeover for 2026”
Sports Illustrated · 2026-08-05 · read ↗
“'Grittiest offseason' could be key to Nebraska's bona fide 2026 turnaround”
Husker Corner · 2026-08-05 · read ↗
🧐SkepticsNo prominent dissent — the coverage runs one way.›
The analytical counter: rankings, results, and 'the hype is ahead of the tape' takes.
Nothing in our corpus yet — this door stays open for when there is.
💬The boards13% of recent board volume — the fanbase is locked in. Board mood this week: negative overall · anger notable (59%).›
This event was in 258 of 2063 board posts (13%) over the last 60 days — a fanbase consumed by it. Fan text shown verbatim, attributed to the community not the individual poster.
"As always will open game one prediction thread the first day of Fall Camp. Game #1 As a reminder of the rules for the contest: You must follow the same format that I post. No excep"
HuskerMax · HuskerBoard ~ fan take
"The Nebraska media, which can’t ask a hard question of anyone, won’t touch this topic and ask any difficult questions."
r/Huskers ~ fan take
Board health this week (575 posts): 13% positive · 59% neutral · 28% negative. Team-level weekly mood — not specific to this event. The boards ≠ the fanbase: a self-selected vocal slice.
Following now · Nebraska · Recruiting Confidence
Nebraska signed the top-22 class. Talent in the door isn't the same as talent on the field.
Nebraska signed a top-22 recruiting class. It is third consecutive top-25 recruiting class. A class in the top 25 means the program competed nationally. Attrition and development are the next story. National coverage is split on what the ranking actually signals for this program.
bullish — but with real dissent
where the takes land · dot = how loud
DOUBTBELIEF
Skeptics1 doubt take
Believers18 bull takes
🎪 drama: simmering💬 fans: 8% volume · negative overall
Developing8 new this week
todayWin total (line at 6.5) still unmoved 13d after "Part of Frost lawsuit dismissed"
todaySeahawks Waive Former All-Big Ten Pass Rusher 1 Day After Signing — Yahoo Sports
yesterdayWin total (line at 6.5) still unmoved 12d after "Part of Frost lawsuit dismissed"
yesterdayElite LSU commit Ahmad Hudson dives in-depth on Nebraska pursuit — On3
yesterdayThree & Out: Expanding the Offensive Tackle Recruiting Board, Breaking Down the Recruiting Calendar, and Nebraska's 2028 QB Picture — On3
The cast who's driving the story · latest headline on each, attributed
Rex Skeleton Recruit
“Corn Flakes: Football Recruiting, World Cup Champion and T-Rex Skeleton” — Corn Nation · 2026-07-20
Trae Taylor Recruit
“Nebraska football quarterback commit Trae Taylor excited about future” — Yahoo Sports · 2026-08-04
CFB Zeitgeist Read · our take
Cortez Mills Jr., Nebraska's top recruit at WR, arrives as Matt Rhule secures a third straight top-25 class amid 59% returning production and a 7-6 season.
Next · what to watch
The obvious read is 'more talent.' The non-obvious one: a big class intensifies the depth-chart squeeze, which is itself a portal pressure the signing-day headline never mentions. Watch attrition and portal balance once camp opens — early enrollees and portal departures will tell you which of these names actually stick. The boards are already there — one thread raises exactly this.
Source of record: Nebraska signed a top-22 recruiting class — third consecutive top-25 recruiting class.
How each room is reacting — tap to expand
🎪The circus“Elite LSU commit Ahmad Hudson dives in-depth on Nebraska pursuit” — the saga that won't quit.›
The off-field storyline driving the noise right now. Not analysis — the soap opera, and that's the point.
“Elite LSU commit Ahmad Hudson dives in-depth on Nebraska pursuit”
On3 · 2026-08-05 · read ↗
📣Believers18 bullish/recruiting items -- the case it's working.›
The optimistic read: the class is real, the program is a destination again.
“Three & Out: Expanding the Offensive Tackle Recruiting Board, Breaking Down the Recruiting Calendar, and Nebraska's 2028 QB Picture”
On3 · 2026-08-05 · read ↗
“Nebraska football quarterback commit Trae Taylor excited about future”
Yahoo Sports · 2026-08-04 · read ↗
“Getting to Know 1.0: Bryce Williams Has a Strong Connection to Nebraska Coaches and Commits”
On3 CFB · 2026-08-04 · read ↗
🧐Skeptics“A trip to the DMV: Recruiting that hotbed has always been tough ” — the real counter.›
The 'rankings don't tell the whole story' counter -- development gaps, position holes still open.
“A trip to the DMV: Recruiting that hotbed has always been tough and it's getting tougher”
On3 · 2026-07-31 · read ↗
💬The boards8% of recent board volume — quieter than the headlines. Board mood this week: negative overall · anger notable (59%).›
This event was in 167 of 2063 board posts (8%) over the last 60 days — engaged but not consumed. Fan text shown verbatim, attributed to the community not the individual poster.
"He'll have an uphill slog to make even the practice squad due to the depth of Seattle's roster but that NFL dream continues for the time being. He did beat out 2 other DE/OLB broug"
r/Huskers ~ fan take
"" Indiana coach Curt Cignetti secured the highest-rated commit in program history Friday with a pledge from five-star wi"
HuskerMax · HuskerBoard ~ fan take
Board health this week (575 posts): 13% positive · 59% neutral · 28% negative. Team-level weekly mood — not specific to this event. The boards ≠ the fanbase: a self-selected vocal slice.
Recent Form · last 10 games
Cold
One of five. The film room is busy this week.
Streak L3Last 5 · 1-4Last 10 · 4-6
The forecast
Opens Sep 5
vs Ohio · at home
Season line6.5 winsover +110
SolidMethodical, ball-controlSoft
✓ fact on line · ~ our read on style
Rival pulse
Wisconsin
Mixed-2
Freedom Trophy
Iowa
Mixed-3
Heroes Game
Fan mood index · most recent r/cfb data
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
11
FL · 2NE · 2AZ · 1CA · 1GA · 1IL · 1LA · 1MS · 1+1 more
FL leads the 2026 class with 2 commits. National footprint reaching 9 states.
Where they recruit · 2023-2026
101 signees across 28 states, 2023-2026. NE leads the pull.
Recruiting & portal buzz
2026 4* DL Dylan Berymon commits to Nebraska
2027 3* WR Kaden Howard commits to Nebraska
Top r/cfb community posts · last 12 months
National spotlight
13 games with TV coverage: 6 national broadcast, 2 ESPN, 3 cable, 2 conference network
Kickoff windows: 3 noon, 4 afternoon, 6 primetime
Fumble luck
67% recovery rate on their own fumbles — well above the ~51% league baseline.
8 of 12 own fumbles recovered themselves; 7 of 11 forced fumbles recovered, 2025 only.
Takeaway conversion
19% of tipped/broken-up passes have turned into picks — about the ~19% league average.
6 interceptions of 32 disrupted passes (26 deflected, 6 intercepted), 2025 only.
Penalty battle
60 penalties committed, 62 drawn on opponents — a near-even trade all season.
565 penalty yards committed vs. 542 drawn on opponents, 2025 season total.
The Pulse on Nebraska
52
Δ -6.3 vs last wk
822
mentions this week · conversation velocity
What moved it — fall camp · last 14 days
Camp
Fall camp open — install + scrimmage cycle
ongoing
Kickoff
Season opener in 16 days
kickoff
"Go Big Red"
— Nebraska fanbase · recurring line
Fanbase Signals
Cohort Divergence3 pctSpread between sub-fanbase cohorts in the Pulse window.
The Fever Year
Position = mood · width = volume · color = the kind of feeling
Inside the fanbase — all 12 corners
Cr/CFB
GGoogle News
LLocked On
CCorn Nation
CCampus paper
HHuskerMax
BBluesky
YYouTube
The split, staged
Warmest corner+0.00
Boomers & Gen X
least sour cohort our read
vs
Coldest corner−0.00
Bettors
most skeptical cohort our read
How Nebraska fans actually talk real · top-upvoted
Rr/CFBthe room
Indiana played the same number of "A4" games as Missouri did last year btw
▲ 973 ▼open ↗
The crowd’s loudest take by upvotes — read for mood, not as a side. The cohort read is the measured part.
Loudest in the room this week real · by engagement
All 12 corners of the fanbase
skeptical
buying in
Boomers & Gen X−0.03
Bettors−0.11
Cohort sentiment is a source-weighted model read — never a quote pinned to a person.
What this fanbase keeps coming back to our read · topic model
Topics are model-labeled from Reddit — a rough signal of what this fanbase is circling right now.
906 mentions · 8 sources · week 2026-01. Counts, sources and the divergence rank are measured (fact). Cohort labels and sentiment are a source-weighted model read (our read) — never a quote attributed to a person.
Fan reads
What's in the air
The new uniforms feature updates inspired by classic Husker football design elements, which could impact fan engagement…
How will fans react to the design elements in the new uniforms?
Well, now at least our uniforms will match our play. Look like shit and play like shit.r/CFB
If you're that pissed off about a football uniform....good lord.r/Huskers
The induction highlights the program's legacy and honors its most accomplished figures.
Who are the six student-athletes and one head coach being inducted?
I’m guessing Nebraska will never be on a list again that mentions winning lolYouTube · Josh Pate's College Football Show
Don’t tell Alabama, Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State or Texas players that. I get that winning cures all but Nebraska is headed towards a strong recruiting class for 27 without these unis.r/Huskers
Hill's commitment adds a top prospect to Nebraska's defensive backfield, addressing a key position for the Huskers.
How will Hill's addition impact Nebraska's secondary in the future?
The fact that one of them has no specific connection to Nebraska and is just a pure recruiting win is pretty awesome. With Dylan, people could always say, "yeah, but he's a legacy". If Taylor sticks it out, there's not really anything to say except…r/Huskers
Belief checkmiddle of the pack
~ our readNebraska fans are down on the program, and they're backing it with about as much hard evidence as anyone.
backed by facts
the mood
✓ counted We read 575 posts from Nebraska fans this week.
What fans are saying
Fan claims · every quote verified verbatim
player performanceWidely held among fans that season
fans believe Colandrea is a breakout transfer QB with elite potential
Are we ready for the fact that Colandrea may very well be the next G6 to P4 phenom? Think Diego Pavia. Jalen Daniels. Guys like that.
Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Jul 19, 2026 · via Huskers
job securityWidely held among fans
fans believe Matt Rhule is not a high-level coach and may not remain Nebraska's head coach long-term
I think this year will say a lot about if Rhule will be a long time Nebraska HC or not
Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Jul 17, 2026 · via Huskers
player performanceLimited signal that season
fans believe the team struggles to score touchdowns inside the 20-yard line
Soooooooo are we gonna talk about how atrocious our red zone offense has been?
Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Sep 7, 2025 · via CFB
position battleLimited signal that season
fans think Nebraska's playbook lacks other viable running threats
I wish we could afford to do that against Akron tomorrow…..but we need to find out who the hell can play running back besides Emmett Johnson
Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Sep 6, 2025 · via CFB
recruiting resultLimited signal that season
fans think key recruits are committing to the program
4-Star CB Bryce Williams Has Committed to Nebraska Decommitted from Florida State in December IG Post submitted by /u/MJdeuce [link] [comments]
Based on 1 comment across 1 thread · Jun 6, 2026 · via Huskers
Show all 6
program directionEarly signal — few voices
fans believe Matt Rhule is not building a strong program at Nebraska
That seems like a long time for Matt Rhule based on the current football product and the schedules we're going to face. It seems obvious that this class is mostly not going to have a long term impact at Nebraska based on the trajectory of the team.
Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Jul 10, 2026 · via Huskers
Season storylines
Week 9
“I don’t think Frost won a single game coming off a bye at Nebraska. I think that’s what he means.”— r/CFB
Week 10
“TV networks love Nebraska. We never put the game away, so viewers can never change channels or turn the game off early.”— r/CFB
Week 2
“Avery's regression should be a required study of all QB coaches. Klien was FANTASTIC. I don't know what the fuck we're doing now but Avery would be better if he didnt have a coach at all.”— r/CFB
Week 8
“For the first time in 21 games, there was a hold call that went in Nebraskas favor. ….No really, there hadn’t been a hold call that went our way in 21 games.”— r/CFB
Week 4
“I thought SD Mines - Fort Lewis would be a Sickos, but that game somehow became a great game. Interesting how things can turn.”— r/CFB
Five Lenses
What people are saying right now
Radio, beat writers & editorial13 posts
Diehard fan boards14 posts
The broader fanbase7 posts
News & campus coverage12 posts
CFB analyst takes5 posts
Bluesky · @mattbrown.bsky.social
22h ago
Rent free · r/cfb fan posts, last season
Nebraska fans this offseason 47% of posts bring up another team▼1pp quieter#4 of 43 saltiest · mostly about Iowa
Who Nebraska fans can’t stop bringing up
- Iowa8%
- Ohio State6%
- Maryland5%
- Florida5%
- Oregon5%
share of Nebraska’s football posts that mention each team
Fanbase Health Index · Nebraska · high confidence
Fanbase Health Index · Nebraska · high confidenceGrowing (64)
DecliningStableGrowingSurging
On-Field — 7-6 (54% win rate)60
Volume — 2373 effective signal-N98
Cohort Engagement — Divergence 0.03 — quiet35
From the booth
The Lexicon
293 posts and articles vs the field · 2026 season
Word of the Weekcolandrea×213.8wk 1
rhule
×45.3 the field
Signature — ≥10× the rest of college football
rhule×45.3n=17
hayes×36.9n=13
tikey×46.7n=10
tikey hayes×46.7n=10
Characteristic — 3–10×
ten×4.0n=22
matt×7.8n=10
big ten×3.7n=19
Mild — <3×
fall×2.2n=43
fall camp×2.2n=39
camp×2.0n=44
“Matt Rhule acknowledges expectations:“I didn’t come to Nebraska to go 7-6, we came to compete for this” (gestures to the CFP Trophy)”
bluesky_curated · fan post, verbatim
Fans using RHULE (8 examples)
I see all the videos of Coach Rhule and Players talking to the Big 10 Hosts but I have not seen any videos of the Hosts
Rhule’s 1st two years in Lincoln, Nebraska’s RZTD rate was just 49.3% (7th-best in P4
Go big red love you coach rhule you are my coach
Rhule Cornhuskers definitely look tougher. Whether that translates to wins in November
Matt Rhule takes us to an exciting 9-3 record with losses to Oregon, Ohio State and Indiana
I wasn’t sold on Matt Rhule but everyone kept saying year 3 is always the magical year where the team makes
Rhule will move on like he always does after we have one season of contention for the
Rhule can get there, but right now that looks to be an extremely remote possibility.
Fanbase Voice
689 fan mentions
Doomers
vs the 28 highest-volume fanbases - 2026 season
Your Vocabulary Clustercamp / fall camp / fall
campfall campfall
with 19 other fanbasesKey stats — 2025 — FBS rank
Points/game#55 / 138 · 61st pct28.7
Pts allowed/game#62 / 138 · 56th pct24.6
Total yards/gm#71 / 136 · 49th pct372.5
Rush yards/gm#77 / 136 · 44th pct147.8
Pass yards/gm#68 / 136 · 51st pct224.6
Yards allowed/gm#37 / 136 · 74th pct331.0
Rush yds allowed/gm#111 / 136 · 19th pct176.9
Sacks#89 / 136 · 35th pct22
Interceptions#105 / 136 · 24th pct6
3rd-down conv#27 / 136 · 81st pct45.7%
All 98 stats
Offense / Defense
Total yards
Team4842372.5/gm5.88/play#71 / 136 · 49th pct#41 / 69 · 42nd pct#9 / 18 · 56th pct#7 / 12 · 50th pct
Opp4303331.0/gm5.50/play#37 / 136 · 74th pct#27 / 69 · 62nd pct#10 / 18 · 50th pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct
Rush yards
Team1922147.8/gm2.34/play#77 / 136 · 44th pct#40 / 69 · 43rd pct#10 / 18 · 50th pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct
Opp2300176.9/gm2.94/play#111 / 136 · 19th pct#62 / 69 · 12th pct#17 / 18 · 11th pct#9 / 12 · 33rd pct
Rush carries
Team44534.2/gm#72 / 136 · 48th pct#33 / 69 · 54th pct#11 / 18 · 44th pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct
Opp46836.0/gm#87 / 136 · 37th pct#52 / 69 · 26th pct#16 / 18 · 17th pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct
Rush TDs
Team201.5/gm#68 / 136 · 51st pct#39 / 69 · 45th pct#10 / 18 · 50th pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct
Opp302.3/gm#126 / 136 · 8th pct#68 / 69 · 3rd pct#18 / 18 · 6th pct#11 / 12 · 17th pct
Net pass yards
Team2920224.6/gm3.55/play#68 / 136 · 51st pct#40 / 69 · 43rd pct#9 / 18 · 56th pct#6 / 12 · 58th pct
Opp2003154.1/gm2.56/play#3 / 136 · 99th pct#2 / 69 · 99th pct#2 / 18 · 94th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct
Pass attempts
Team37829.1/gm#82 / 136 · 40th pct#41 / 69 · 42nd pct#8 / 18 · 61st pct#6 / 12 · 58th pct
Opp31424.2/gm#7 / 136 · 96th pct#3 / 69 · 97th pct#3 / 18 · 89th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct
Completions
Team26020.0/gm#52 / 136 · 62nd pct#29 / 69 · 59th pct#6 / 18 · 72nd pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct
Opp18314.1/gm#4 / 136 · 98th pct#2 / 69 · 99th pct#1 / 18 · 100th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct
Pass TDs
Team231.8/gm#42 / 136 · 70th pct#27 / 69 · 62nd pct#6 / 18 · 72nd pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct
Opp90.7/gm#2 / 136 · 99th pct#2 / 69 · 99th pct#2 / 18 · 94th pct#1 / 12 · 100th pct
Passer rating
Team150.6150.6#22 / 136 · 85th pct#16 / 69 · 78th pct#7 / 18 · 67th pct#1 / 12 · 100th pct
Opp116.9116.9#21 / 136 · 85th pct#13 / 69 · 83rd pct#4 / 18 · 83rd pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct
Interceptions thrown
Team70.5/gm#97 / 136 · 29th pct#47 / 69 · 33rd pct#11 / 18 · 44th pct#12 / 12 · 8th pct
Opp60.5/gm#21 / 136 · 85th pct#14 / 69 · 81st pct#6 / 18 · 72nd pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct
Sacks (def)
Team221.7/gm#89 / 136 · 35th pct#51 / 69 · 28th pct#15 / 18 · 22nd pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct
Opp332.5/gm#114 / 136 · 17th pct#57 / 69 · 19th pct#15 / 18 · 22nd pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct
Tackles for loss
Team655.0/gm#78 / 136 · 43rd pct#42 / 69 · 41st pct#8 / 18 · 61st pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct
Opp624.8/gm#44 / 136 · 68th pct#24 / 69 · 67th pct#9 / 18 · 56th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct
First downs
Team26420.3/gm#65 / 136 · 53rd pct#36 / 69 · 49th pct#8 / 18 · 61st pct#6 / 12 · 58th pct
Opp23217.8/gm#34 / 136 · 76th pct#23 / 69 · 68th pct#9 / 18 · 56th pct#6 / 12 · 58th pct
3rd-down conv
Team745.7/gm#47 / 136 · 66th pct#22 / 69 · 70th pct#7 / 18 · 67th pct#6 / 12 · 58th pct
Opp665.1/gm#53 / 136 · 62nd pct#32 / 69 · 55th pct#10 / 18 · 50th pct#7 / 12 · 50th pct
3rd-down att
Team16212.5/gm#105 / 136 · 24th pct#46 / 69 · 35th pct#8 / 18 · 61st pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct
Opp16812.9/gm#42 / 136 · 70th pct#19 / 69 · 74th pct#10 / 18 · 50th pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct
4th-down conv
Team100.8/gm#100 / 136 · 27th pct#54 / 69 · 23rd pct#14 / 18 · 28th pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct
Opp161.2/gm#93 / 136 · 32nd pct#46 / 69 · 35th pct#13 / 18 · 33rd pct#12 / 12 · 8th pct
4th-down att
Team282.2/gm#50 / 136 · 64th pct#26 / 69 · 64th pct#6 / 18 · 72nd pct#1 / 12 · 100th pct
Opp241.8/gm#57 / 136 · 59th pct#27 / 69 · 62nd pct#9 / 18 · 56th pct#9 / 12 · 33rd pct
Time of possession
Team397:3530:35/gm#44 / 136 · 68th pct#23 / 69 · 68th pct#7 / 18 · 67th pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct
Opp382:2529:25/gm#71 / 136 · 49th pct#37 / 69 · 48th pct#9 / 18 · 56th pct#9 / 12 · 33rd pct
Kicking & Punting
Field goals#30 / 135 · 79th pct16/19 (84.2%)
Extra points45/45
Punting#133 / 136 · 3rd pct39.4 avg · 37 punts
Turnovers & special teams
Turnovers
Team110.8/gm#121 / 136 · 12th pct#59 / 69 · 16th pct#12 / 18 · 39th pct#12 / 12 · 8th pct
Opp131.0/gm#32 / 136 · 77th pct#18 / 69 · 75th pct#6 / 18 · 72nd pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct
Fumbles lost
Team40.3/gm#112 / 136 · 18th pct#53 / 69 · 25th pct#12 / 18 · 39th pct#11 / 12 · 17th pct
Opp70.5/gm#71 / 136 · 49th pct#41 / 69 · 42nd pct#13 / 18 · 33rd pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct
INT return TDs
Team00.0/gm#76 / 135 · 44th pct#39 / 69 · 45th pct#9 / 18 · 56th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct
Opp10.1/gm#61 / 136 · 56th pct#30 / 69 · 58th pct#11 / 18 · 44th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct
INT return yards
Team211.6/gm#125 / 136 · 9th pct#63 / 69 · 10th pct#15 / 18 · 22nd pct#11 / 12 · 17th pct
Opp786.0/gm#43 / 136 · 69th pct#22 / 69 · 70th pct#11 / 18 · 44th pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct
Punt ret yds
Team34126.2/gm#9 / 136 · 94th pct#7 / 69 · 91st pct#4 / 18 · 83rd pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct
Opp231.8/gm#7 / 136 · 96th pct#5 / 69 · 94th pct#2 / 18 · 94th pct#1 / 12 · 100th pct
Punt ret TDs
Team10.1/gm#14 / 135 · 90th pct#11 / 69 · 86th pct#5 / 18 · 78th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct
Opp00.0/gm#1 / 135 · 100th pct#1 / 69 · 100th pct#1 / 18 · 100th pct#1 / 9 · 100th pct
Kick ret yds
Team78060.0/gm#4 / 136 · 98th pct#1 / 69 · 100th pct#1 / 18 · 100th pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct
Opp44334.1/gm#80 / 136 · 42nd pct#48 / 69 · 32nd pct#12 / 18 · 39th pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct
Kick ret TDs
Team10.1/gm#7 / 136 · 96th pct#3 / 69 · 97th pct#1 / 18 · 100th pct#1 / 9 · 100th pct
Opp00.0/gm#1 / 135 · 100th pct#1 / 69 · 100th pct#1 / 18 · 100th pct#1 / 9 · 100th pct
Penalty yards
Team56543.5/gm#106 / 136 · 23rd pct#49 / 69 · 30th pct#6 / 18 · 72nd pct#7 / 12 · 50th pct
Opp54241.7/gm#23 / 136 · 84th pct#14 / 69 · 81st pct#9 / 18 · 56th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct
Other
Punt ret (opp)#6 / 136 · 96th pct#5 / 69 · 94th pct#3 / 18 · 89th pct#1 / 12 · 100th pct60.5/gm
Punt returns#11 / 136 · 93rd pct#8 / 69 · 90th pct#3 / 18 · 89th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct251.9/gm
Fumbles rec (def)#13 / 136 · 91st pct#9 / 69 · 88th pct#5 / 18 · 78th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct40.3/gm
Kick returns#15 / 136 · 90th pct#3 / 69 · 97th pct#1 / 18 · 100th pct#6 / 12 · 58th pct312.4/gm
Penalties (opp)#20 / 136 · 86th pct#13 / 69 · 83rd pct#10 / 18 · 50th pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct624.8/gm
Recruiting rating#22 / 138 · 85th pct#22 / 69 · 70th pct#6 / 18 · 72nd pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct237.518.3/gm
Passes intercepted opponent#23 / 136 · 84th pct#11 / 69 · 86th pct#3 / 18 · 89th pct#1 / 12 · 100th pct70.5/gm
Red zone pass rate#28 / 154 · 82nd pct#9 / 69 · 88th pct#3 / 18 · 89th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct0.50.0/gm
Fumbles recovered#49 / 136 · 65th pct#19 / 69 · 74th pct#4 / 18 · 83rd pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct70.5/gm
H1 epa per play#51 / 162 · 69th pct#36 / 69 · 49th pct#8 / 18 · 61st pct0.20.0/gm
H1 epa per play opponent#79 / 167 · 53rd pct#41 / 69 · 42nd pct#10 / 18 · 50th pct0.20.0/gm
H2 epa per play#96 / 142 · 33rd pct#49 / 69 · 30th pct#15 / 18 · 22nd pct0.10.0/gm
Kick ret (opp)#100 / 136 · 27th pct#58 / 69 · 17th pct#14 / 18 · 28th pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct272.1/gm
Fourth down go rate#100 / 138 · 28th pct#49 / 69 · 30th pct#13 / 18 · 33rd pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct0.30.0/gm
Interceptions (def)#105 / 136 · 24th pct#49 / 69 · 30th pct#11 / 18 · 44th pct#11 / 12 · 17th pct60.5/gm
Penalties#114 / 136 · 17th pct#52 / 69 · 26th pct#7 / 18 · 67th pct#10 / 12 · 25th pct604.6/gm
H2 epa per play opponent#123 / 143 · 15th pct#60 / 69 · 14th pct#16 / 18 · 17th pct0.30.0/gm
First down pass rate#130 / 215 · 40th pct#47 / 69 · 33rd pct#14 / 18 · 28th pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct0.40.0/gm
Situational
3rd-down conversion
Off45.7%#27 / 136 · 81st pct#17 / 69 · 77th pct#6 / 18 · 72nd pct#1 / 12 · 100th pct
Def39.3%#66 / 136 · 52nd pct#37 / 69 · 48th pct#8 / 18 · 61st pct#7 / 12 · 50th pct
4th-down conversion
Off35.7%#128 / 136 · 7th pct#68 / 69 · 3rd pct#18 / 18 · 6th pct#12 / 12 · 8th pct
Def66.7%#120 / 136 · 12th pct#60 / 69 · 14th pct#17 / 18 · 11th pct#11 / 12 · 17th pct
Turnover margin#54 / 136 · 61st pct#31 / 69 · 57th pct#9 / 18 · 56th pct#2 / 12 · 92nd pct+0.15/gm
Sack rate (def)#54 / 136 · 61st pct#34 / 69 · 52nd pct#10 / 18 · 50th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct7.0%
Red Zone & Drive Efficiency (2014– , play-by-play derived)
Red zone trips
Team513.9/gm#37 / 167 · 78th pct#25 / 69 · 65th pct#6 / 18 · 72nd pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct
Opp312.4/gm#45 / 166 · 73rd pct#11 / 69 · 86th pct#4 / 18 · 83rd pct#1 / 12 · 100th pct
Red zone score %
Team78.4%78.4%#81 / 167 · 52nd pct#43 / 69 · 39th pct#12 / 18 · 39th pct#7 / 12 · 50th pct
Opp93.5%93.5%#158 / 166 · 5th pct#68 / 69 · 3rd pct#18 / 18 · 6th pct#12 / 12 · 8th pct
Points / drive
Team2.40.2/gm#38 / 167 · 78th pct#28 / 69 · 61st pct#9 / 18 · 56th pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct
Opp2.00.2/gm#84 / 166 · 50th pct#48 / 69 · 32nd pct#11 / 18 · 44th pct#7 / 12 · 50th pct
Yards / drive
Team41.83.2/gm#66 / 167 · 61st pct#38 / 69 · 46th pct#10 / 18 · 50th pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct
Opp38.93.0/gm#51 / 166 · 70th pct#28 / 69 · 61st pct#7 / 18 · 67th pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct
Plays / drive
Team6.60.5/gm#80 / 167 · 53rd pct#42 / 69 · 41st pct#13 / 18 · 33rd pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct
Opp6.50.5/gm#68 / 166 · 60th pct#27 / 69 · 62nd pct#8 / 18 · 61st pct#7 / 12 · 50th pct
Three-and-out rate
Team9.2%9.2%#35 / 167 · 80th pct#17 / 69 · 77th pct#6 / 18 · 72nd pct#11 / 12 · 17th pct
Opp13.4%13.4%#88 / 166 · 48th pct#45 / 69 · 36th pct#13 / 18 · 33rd pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct
Scheme Identity (2014– , play-by-play derived)
Rush rate over expected#70 / 145 · 52nd pct#29 / 69 · 59th pct#8 / 18 · 61st pct-1.1%-1.1%
Havoc rate
Team14.6%14.6%#91 / 140 · 36th pct#52 / 69 · 26th pct#11 / 18 · 44th pct
Opp13.0%13.0%#33 / 140 · 77th pct#16 / 69 · 78th pct#6 / 18 · 72nd pct
Standard-downs success
Team51.7%51.7%#33 / 154 · 79th pct#24 / 69 · 67th pct#7 / 18 · 67th pct
Opp46.7%46.7%#63 / 172 · 64th pct#32 / 69 · 55th pct#6 / 18 · 72nd pct
Passing-downs success
Team31.5%31.5%#73 / 153 · 53rd pct#41 / 69 · 42nd pct#13 / 18 · 33rd pct
Opp36.5%36.5%#135 / 149 · 10th pct#64 / 69 · 9th pct#14 / 18 · 28th pct
Line yards / carry
Team3.13.1#32 / 143 · 78th pct#18 / 69 · 75th pct#6 / 18 · 72nd pct
Opp3.23.2#123 / 155 · 21st pct#61 / 69 · 13th pct#14 / 18 · 28th pct
Stuff rate
Team14.8%14.8%#17 / 143 · 89th pct#9 / 69 · 88th pct#3 / 18 · 89th pct
Opp16.1%16.1%#116 / 155 · 26th pct#59 / 69 · 16th pct#15 / 18 · 22nd pct
Power success rate
Team73.5%73.5%#49 / 137 · 65th pct#27 / 69 · 62nd pct#6 / 18 · 72nd pct
Opp80.6%80.6%#127 / 141 · 11th pct#62 / 69 · 12th pct#17 / 18 · 11th pct
Efficiency
Completion %
Off68.8%#11 / 136 · 93rd pct#9 / 69 · 88th pct#5 / 18 · 78th pct#1 / 12 · 100th pct
Def58.3%#26 / 136 · 82nd pct#12 / 69 · 84th pct#3 / 18 · 89th pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct
Yards / attempt
Off7.7#43 / 136 · 69th pct#27 / 69 · 62nd pct#8 / 18 · 61st pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct
Def6.4#26 / 136 · 82nd pct#17 / 69 · 77th pct#6 / 18 · 72nd pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct
Yards / completion
Off11.2#81 / 136 · 41st pct#47 / 69 · 33rd pct#9 / 18 · 56th pct#10 / 12 · 25th pct
Def10.9#40 / 136 · 71st pct#29 / 69 · 59th pct#11 / 18 · 44th pct#3 / 12 · 83rd pct
Yards / carry#72 / 136 · 48th pct#38 / 69 · 46th pct#11 / 18 · 44th pct#8 / 12 · 42nd pct4.3
Yards / play#48 / 136 · 65th pct#32 / 69 · 55th pct#7 / 18 · 67th pct#5 / 12 · 67th pct5.88
Scoring margin#60 / 136 · 57th pct#40 / 69 · 43rd pct#10 / 18 · 50th pct#4 / 12 · 75th pct+4.1/gm
FBS rankings · 2025 season · all stats vs 136 FBS programs
Player stats — 2025 season
Quarterbacks
| Player | # | G | Cmp/Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | INT | Rate | QBR | Adj ANY/A | Sack% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocket Passer · +0.27 EPA/play | 15 | 9 | 181 / 250 | 72.4 | 2000 | 8 | 18 #49 FBS | 6 | 158.6 | 65.5 | 7.0 | 9.1 | |
Yards by week → Pocket Passer· Money-downBalanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile. saves his best for the money downs Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 97 of 183 QBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / attempt8.6 80th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Completion %74.2% 97th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Trait fingerprint Plays like View Dylan Raiola's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Pocket Passer · +0.01 EPA/play | 14 | 7 | 74 / 123 | 60.2 | 904 | 7.3 | 5 | 1 | 133.7 | 64.0 | 7.2 | 4.7 | |
Yards by week → Pocket PasserBalanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 97 of 183 QBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / attempt7.7 bottom 50th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts INT rate0.8% 93th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Trait fingerprint Plays like View TJ Lateef's full player page | |||||||||||||
Running Backs
| Player | # | G | Car | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | 3rd Dn Use | Pass Dn Use | Stuff% | 10+% | Tgt Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed Merchant · +0.19 EPA/play | 21 | 12 | 251 | 1451 #4 FBS | 5.8 | 12 #30 FBS | 70 | 35.6 | 28.7 | 8.5 | 14.1 | 17.1% (59/345) | |
Yards by week → Speed MerchantCuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line. All-American — named 1st team by at least one NCAA-recognized selector. 48 of 349 RBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / carry6.6 88th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Receiving share15.5% 72th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Trait fingerprint Plays like our readReinvented: changed shape entirely — Satellite Back to Speed Merchant, his CFB Index score went from the 72nd percentile among FBS RBs to the 100th | |||||||||||||
| +0.04 EPA/play | 35 | 10 | 27 | 147 | 5.4 | 2 | 38 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||||
| +0.67 EPA/play | 28 | 3 | 20 | 133 | 6.7 | 2 | 28 | 13.9 | 2.3 | — | — | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||||
| +0.11 EPA/play | 22 | 13 | 26 | 115 | 4.4 | 0 | 21 | 1.3 | 6.2 | — | — | 4.6% (16/345) | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||||
Receivers
| Player | # | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | 3rd Dn Use | Pass Dn Use | Tgt Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Possession Receiver · +0.51 EPA/play | 13 | 12 | 43 | 617 | 14.3 | 5 | 64 | 3 | 8 | 18.8% (65/345) | |
Yards by week → Possession ReceiverReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. The most common profile in its group this season — 332 of 558 classified this way. Played in 12 of 21 games this season · sophomore View Nyziah Hunter's full player page | |||||||||||
| Slot Technician · +0.43 EPA/play | 17 | 13 | 45 | 484 | 10.8 | 5 | 52 | 10.6 | 8.2 | 16.8% (58/345) | |
Yards by week → Slot Technician· Boom-or-bustRuns precise routes in tight quarters. Volume player who keeps chains moving. his yards come in chunks — feast or famine All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 97 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Reception volume45 71th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Yards / reception11.3 bottom 30th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Jacory Barney Jr.'s full player page | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.55 EPA/play | 18 | 11 | 39 | 452 | 11.6 | 5 | 40 | 9.4 | 11.7 | 18.0% (62/345) | |
Yards by week → Possession ReceiverReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. The most common profile in its group this season — 332 of 558 classified this way. Played in 11 of 21 games this season · senior View Dane Key's full player page | |||||||||||
| Complete TE · +0.54 EPA/play | 44 | 11 | 29 | 312 | 10.8 | 2 | 26 | 7.3 | 8.5 | 11.0% (38/345) | |
Yards by week → Complete TENo single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike. The most common profile in its group this season — 177 of 223 classified this way. Played in 11 of 21 games this season · junior View Luke Lindenmeyer's full player page | |||||||||||
| +1.06 EPA/play | 19 | 7 | 9 | 147 | 16.3 | 1 | 62 | 2.5 | 2.9 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
| +1.91 EPA/play | 89 | 5 | 5 | 132 | 26.4 | 1 | 43 | 0 | 1.1 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
| Complete TE · +0.23 EPA/play | 10 | 10 | 8 | 52 | 6.5 | 1 | 13 | 5.7 | 2.2 | — | |
Yards by week → Complete TENo single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike. 177 of 223 TEs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception7.5 bottom 11th percentile · FBS TEs, min. 8 receptions Reception volume8 bottom 12th percentile · FBS TEs, min. 8 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Heinrich Haarberg's full player page | |||||||||||
Defensive Line
| Player | # | G | Tot | Solo | TFL | Sack | Hur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two-Gap Base | 97 | 12 | 32 | 18 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 1 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 388 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate10.9% bottom 35th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like our readBreakout: his CFB Index score went from the 14th percentile among FBS IDLs to the 84th | |||||||
| 3-Tech Penetrator | 96 | 10 | 27 | 10 | 5 | 2.5 | 5 |
3-Tech PenetratorDisruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 269 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate18.5% 66th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Williams Nwaneri's full player page | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 11 | 10 | 23 | 11 | 2.5 | 2 | 3 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. The most common profile in its group this season — 388 of 809 classified this way. Played in 10 of 21 games this season · junior · 4-star, 2023 class our readAscending: his CFB Index score moved from the 14th to 43rd percentile among FBS IDLs | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 16 | 10 | 18 | 10 | 1.5 | 1 | 1 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. The most common profile in its group this season — 388 of 809 classified this way. Played in 10 of 21 games this season · senior our readAscending: his CFB Index score climbed from the 27th percentile to the 53rd among FBS IDLs | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 44 | 11 | 16 | 6 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 2 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. 388 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate15.6% 54th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Riley Van Poppel's full player page | |||||||
| 3-Tech Penetrator | 73 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
3-Tech PenetratorDisruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield. 269 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate37.5% 99th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Kade Pietrzak's full player page | |||||||
| 95 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
Linebackers
| Player | # | G | Tot | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sack | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage 'Backer | 33 | 12 | 86 | 39 | 47 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
Coverage 'BackerCarries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 99 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate4.7% 77th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Tackle volume86 90th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like our readUnranked recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile our readBounce-Back: his CFB Index score shows a real arc: 69th percentile among FBS LBs, fell to 22nd, now back up to 92nd | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 1 | 12 | 61 | 29 | 32 | 7.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. The most common profile in its group this season — 362 of 660 classified this way. Played in 12 of 21 games this season · sophomore · 3-star, 2024 class our readAscending: his CFB Index score climbed from the 7th percentile to the 51st among FBS LBs | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 26 | 11 | 39 | 15 | 24 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. 362 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume39 bottom 34th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles PD rate0.0% bottom 18th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like our readFading: his CFB Index score moved from the 80th to 35th percentile among FBS LBs | |||||||||
| Thumper | 22 | 11 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
ThumperDownhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. 97 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate23.8% 98th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Sack rate9.5% 91th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like our readBounce-Back: his CFB Index score shows a real arc: 31st percentile among FBS LBs, fell to 7th, now back up to 44th | |||||||||
| 52 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 43 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 54 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 51 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 42 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Defensive Backs
| Player | # | G | Tot | PD | INT | TFL | Sack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box Safety | 8 | 12 | 70 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
Box SafetyLives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 166 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume70 91th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like our readAscending: his CFB Index score went from the 66th percentile among FBS Ss to the 88th | |||||||
| Box Safety | 21 | 13 | 63 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Box SafetyLives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 166 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume63 84th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Rex Guthrie's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 37 | 13 | 59 | 5 | 1 | 1.5 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 419 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate8.5% 52th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Donovan Jones's full player page | |||||||
| Box Safety | 10 | 13 | 45 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
Box SafetyLives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 166 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume45 55th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Andrew Marshall's full player page | |||||||
| Centerfielder | 15 | 11 | 29 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0.5 |
CenterfielderSingle-high range who erases the deep middle of the field. 133 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate17.2% 89th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like our readFading: his CFB Index score climbed from the 84th percentile to the 32nd among FBS Ss | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 3 | 9 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. The most common profile in its group this season — 419 of 801 classified this way. Played in 9 of 21 games this season · senior · 3-star, 2021 class our readFading: his CFB Index score moved from the 50th to 3rd percentile among FBS Ss | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 28 | 6 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. 419 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate0.0% bottom 14th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Caleb Benning's full player page | |||||||
| 19 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | |
| 13 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | |
| 24 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 25 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Kicking
| Player | # | G | FG M/A | FG% | XP M/A | Pts | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steady | 91 | 13 | 16/19 | 84.2 | 45/45 | 93 | 52 |
Punting
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | Long | In20 | TB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steady | 83 | 11 | 37 | 1459 | 39.4 | 58 | 12 | 1 |
Net average is unavailable — CFBD's punting feed carries gross yards only, with no return-yardage or touchback deduction.
Kick Returns
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 8 | 12 | 395 | 32.9 | 1 | 95 | |
| Slot Technician · +0.43 EPA/play | 17 | 13 | 13 | 275 | 21.2 | 0 | 40 |
Punt Returns
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slot Technician · +0.43 EPA/play | 17 | 13 | 22 | 270 | 12.3 | 0 | 57 |
2025 stat leaders
final
2025 stat leaders
1.
Javin Wright
LB
86.0 tot (def)
2.
DeShon Singleton
DB
70.0 tot (def)
3.
Rex Guthrie
DB
63.0 tot (def)
4.
Vincent Shavers Jr.
LB
61.0 tot (def)
5.
Donovan Jones
DB
59.0 tot (def)
Roster
2025
22
players carry a qualified CFB Index Score this season.
Emmett Johnson
RB
#2 of 326
Javin Wright
LB
#53 of 583
DeShon Singleton
S
#63 of 544
Keona Davis
IDL
#73 of 330
Nyziah Hunter
WR
#141 of 485
Donovan Jones
S
#221 of 544
+16 more
Nebraska · 2025 schedule & results7-6Brutal slateAverage opponent win rate 51% · 5 AP top-25 opponents on the schedule.
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 29 | #42 | #54 | -6 | Cincinnati (N) | W 20–17 131 | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Sep 6 | #34 | #149 | -33.5 | Akron | W 68–0 132 | 2-0 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Sep 13 | #42 | #173 | -48.5 | Houston Christian | W 59–7 120 | 3-0 | 0-0 |
| 4 | Sep 20 | #35 | #13 | -1 | Michigan | L 27–30 126 | 3-1 | 0-1 |
| 6 | Oct 4 | #36 | #81 | -12.5 | Michigan State | W 38–27 118 | 4-1 | 1-1 |
| 7 | Oct 11 | #37 | #72 | -6.5 | @Maryland | W 34–31 125 | 5-1 | 2-1 |
| 8 | Oct 18 | #43 | #57 | -7 | @Minnesota | L 6–24 109 | 5-2 | 2-2 |
| 9 | Oct 25 | #48 | #50 | -7 | Northwestern | W 28–21 120 | 6-2 | 3-2 |
| 10 | Nov 1 | #45 | #17 | +4.5 | USC | L 17–21 123 | 6-3 | 3-3 |
| 11 | Nov 9 | #48 | #71 | +2.5 | @UCLA | W 28–21 118 | 7-3 | 4-3 |
| 13 | Nov 23 | #56 | #13 | +7 | @Penn State | L 10–37 120 | 7-4 | 4-4 |
| 14 | Nov 28 | #64 | #28 | +5.5 | Iowa | L 16–40 122 | 7-5 | 4-5 |
| Bowl Season | ||||||||
| 18 | Dec 31 | #72 | #17 | +13.5 | Utah (N) | L 22–44 | 7-6 | 4-5 |
Advanced box score (EPA, success rate, explosiveness)▼
| Date | Opp | Result | Yds | TO | TOP | EPA/play | Success% | Explosive% | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31 | Utah | L 22–44 | — | — | — | +0.153 | 39.4% | 125.4% | |
| Nov 28 | Iowa | L 16–40 | 300 | 1 | 26:40 | +0.063 | 43.5% | 64.9% | |
| Nov 23 | @Penn State | L 10–37 | 318 | 0 | 29:38 | +0.000 | 30.0% | 136.8% | Defense's roughest night |
| Nov 9 | @UCLA | W 28–21 | 361 | 0 | 30:00 | +0.250 | 59.6% | 114.5% | One-score win |
| Nov 1 | USC | L 17–21 | 286 | 1 | 32:58 | +0.089 | 44.6% | 94.1% | One-score loss |
| Oct 25 | Northwestern | W 28–21 | 296 | 2 | 30:16 | +0.167 | 50.0% | 88.6% | One-score win |
| Oct 18 | @Minnesota | L 6–24 | 213 | 0 | 28:01 | -0.064 | 35.8% | 94.8% | Season-low EPA/play |
| Oct 11 | @Maryland | W 34–31 | 454 | 3 | 28:33 | +0.146 | 50.0% | 128.8% | One-score win |
| Oct 4 | Michigan State | W 38–27 | 282 | 1 | 26:36 | +0.056 | 37.0% | 128.3% | |
| Sep 20 | Michigan | L 27–30 | 351 | 1 | 33:17 | +0.161 | 43.7% | 113.8% | One-score loss |
| Sep 13 | Houston Christian | W 59–7 | 554 | 0 | 30:17 | +0.482 | 61.6% | 110.4% | Best success rate |
| Sep 6 | Akron | W 68–0 | 728 | 1 | 30:10 | +0.583 | 61.1% | 140.2% | Season-high EPA/play |
| Aug 29 | Cincinnati | W 20–17 | 356 | 0 | 39:30 | +0.151 | 49.4% | 95.8% | One-score win |
| Season average (13 games) | 375 | 0.8 | +0.172 | 46.6% | 110.5% | ||||
How They Play · 2025
How They Play · 2025Nebraska fields a capable methodical, ball-control offense behind a leaky defense.
Opponent-adjusted percentiles vs all FBS. Bar = where this team ranks — right is better.
Team identity · competitive snaps only
How Nebraska actually scores
48th percentile quality, 57th percentile boom-dependency. Garbage time excluded from both axes — the same correction that changes the Q4 story below.
View all FBS teams as a table
| Team | Quality percentile | Boom-share percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 86th | 11th |
| Akron | 12th | 89th |
| Alabama | 58th | 17th |
| App State | 35th | 47th |
| Arizona | 64th | 37th |
| Arizona State | 41st | 62nd |
| Arkansas | 90th | 12th |
| Arkansas State | 17th | 66th |
| Army | 57th | 43rd |
| Auburn | 47th | 53rd |
| BYU | 78th | 19th |
| Baylor | 69th | 25th |
| Boise State | 66th | 20th |
| Boston College | 37th | 54th |
| Bowling Green | 2nd | 98th |
| Buffalo | 11th | 88th |
| California | 28th | 48th |
| Central Michigan | 52nd | 64th |
| Cincinnati | 89th | 16th |
| Clemson | 51st | 48th |
| Coastal Carolina | 17th | 83rd |
| Colorado | 18th | 84th |
| Colorado State | 16th | 83rd |
| Delaware | 38th | 58th |
| Duke | 80th | 14th |
| East Carolina | 63rd | 36th |
| Eastern Michigan | 49th | 42nd |
| Florida | 30th | 67th |
| Florida Atlantic | 62nd | 59th |
| Florida International | 42nd | 50th |
| Florida State | 83rd | 32nd |
| Fresno State | 26th | 73rd |
| Georgia | 81st | 3rd |
| Georgia Southern | 73rd | 21st |
| Georgia State | 36th | 70th |
| Georgia Tech | 84th | 5th |
| Hawai'i | 64th | 41st |
| Houston | 27th | 65th |
| Illinois | 75th | 26th |
| Indiana | 95th | 1st |
| Iowa | 44th | 40th |
| Iowa State | 68th | 22nd |
| Jacksonville State | 54th | 38th |
| James Madison | 65th | 44th |
| Kansas | 85th | 28th |
| Kansas State | 71st | 49th |
| Kennesaw State | 56th | 30th |
| Kent State | 21st | 86th |
| Kentucky | 15th | 85th |
| LSU | 14th | 81st |
| Liberty | 43rd | 56th |
| Louisiana | 19th | 73rd |
| Louisiana Tech | 39th | 61st |
| Louisville | 48th | 64th |
| Marshall | 55th | 39th |
| Maryland | 30th | 74th |
| Memphis | 80th | 24th |
| Miami | 76th | 5th |
| Miami (OH) | 34th | 67th |
| Michigan | 67th | 33rd |
| Michigan State | 27th | 75th |
| Middle Tennessee | 39th | 52nd |
| Minnesota | 29th | 77th |
| Mississippi State | 22nd | 77th |
| Missouri | 61st | 30th |
| Missouri State | 55th | 46th |
| NC State | 86th | 23rd |
| Navy | 94th | 17th |
| Nebraska | 48th | 57th |
| Nevada | 3rd | 97th |
| New Mexico | 58th | 60th |
| New Mexico State | 9th | 87th |
| North Carolina | 13th | 89th |
| North Texas | 98th | 7th |
| Northern Illinois | 8th | 92nd |
| Northwestern | 52nd | 36th |
| Notre Dame | 99th | 20th |
| Ohio | 67th | 18th |
| Ohio State | 93rd | 4th |
| Oklahoma | 20th | 80th |
| Oklahoma State | 5th | 95th |
| Old Dominion | 83rd | 45th |
| Ole Miss | 89th | 2nd |
| Oregon | 91st | 10th |
| Oregon State | 2nd | 98th |
| Penn State | 73rd | 33rd |
| Pittsburgh | 60th | 39th |
| Purdue | 25th | 78th |
| Rice | 6th | 94th |
| Rutgers | 70th | 27th |
| SMU | 74th | 42nd |
| Sam Houston | 4th | 96th |
| San Diego State | 24th | 76th |
| San José State | 45th | 69th |
| South Alabama | 36th | 58th |
| South Carolina | 23rd | 86th |
| South Florida | 87th | 23rd |
| Southern Miss | 40th | 55th |
| Stanford | 10th | 90th |
| Syracuse | 5th | 95th |
| TCU | 72nd | 35th |
| Temple | 70th | 34th |
| Tennessee | 96th | 11th |
| Texas | 45th | 55th |
| Texas A&M | 82nd | 14th |
| Texas State | 92nd | 8th |
| Texas Tech | 77th | 31st |
| Toledo | 50th | 61st |
| Troy | 14th | 80th |
| Tulane | 79th | 15th |
| Tulsa | 20th | 70th |
| UAB | 61st | 45th |
| UCF | 33rd | 82nd |
| UCLA | 23rd | 79th |
| UConn | 95th | 13th |
| UL Monroe | 11th | 92nd |
| UNLV | 88th | 9th |
| USC | 98th | 2nd |
| UTEP | 1st | 99th |
| UTSA | 77th | 51st |
| Utah | 97th | 6th |
| Utah State | 46th | 63rd |
| Vanderbilt | 100th | 0th |
| Virginia | 59th | 27th |
| Virginia Tech | 32nd | 71st |
| Wake Forest | 42nd | 72nd |
| Washington | 92nd | 8th |
| Washington State | 33rd | 52nd |
| West Virginia | 7th | 93rd |
| Western Kentucky | 53rd | 29th |
| Western Michigan | 31st | 68th |
| Wisconsin | 0th | 100th |
| Wyoming | 8th | 91st |
Fourth-quarter reliability, corrected
Nebraska's 4th-quarter offense, before and after garbage time
Raw Q4 EPA/play ranks 57th percentile in FBS. Strip out snaps taken with a blowout margin and it climbs to the 75th — the correction is the finding, not a footnote.
Standard downs vs. passing downs
Does Nebraska hold up once the down-and-distance turns against them?
78th percentile success on standard downs, 51st on passing downs — a 27-point gap between the two.
View all FBS teams as a table
| Team | Standard-downs percentile | Passing-downs percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 82nd | 69th |
| Akron | 20th | 36th |
| Alabama | 47th | 76th |
| App State | 41st | 80th |
| Arizona | 54th | 54th |
| Arizona State | 40th | 37th |
| Arkansas | 90th | 97th |
| Arkansas State | 51st | 40th |
| Army | 37th | 44th |
| Auburn | 73rd | 24th |
| Austin Peay | 56th | 13th |
| BYU | 91st | 46th |
| Ball State | 5th | 3rd |
| Baylor | 70th | 77th |
| Boise State | 42nd | 63rd |
| Boston College | 56th | 54th |
| Bowling Green | 10th | 17th |
| Bryant | 7th | 2nd |
| Buffalo | 29th | 20th |
| California | 25th | 66th |
| Central Michigan | 57th | 11th |
| Charlotte | 7th | 7th |
| Cincinnati | 89th | 65th |
| Clemson | 49th | 34th |
| Coastal Carolina | 16th | 22nd |
| Colorado | 8th | 48th |
| Colorado State | 29th | 35th |
| Delaware | 66th | 31st |
| Duke | 82nd | 63rd |
| East Carolina | 63rd | 91st |
| Eastern Michigan | 46th | 67th |
| Florida | 52nd | 45th |
| Florida Atlantic | 44th | 61st |
| Florida International | 50th | 26th |
| Florida State | 65th | 90th |
| Fresno State | 22nd | 71st |
| Georgia | 95th | 69th |
| Georgia Southern | 64th | 84th |
| Georgia State | 22nd | 75th |
| Georgia Tech | 92nd | 89th |
| Hawai'i | 33rd | 87th |
| Houston | 61st | 29th |
| Idaho | 30th | 78th |
| Idaho State | 93rd | 14th |
| Illinois | 79th | 95th |
| Indiana | 97th | 98th |
| Iowa | 74th | 19th |
| Iowa State | 80th | 58th |
| Jacksonville State | 59th | 56th |
| James Madison | 77th | 52nd |
| Kansas | 99th | 82nd |
| Kansas State | 37th | 59th |
| Kennesaw State | 44th | 67th |
| Kent State | 15th | 5th |
| Kentucky | 62nd | 29th |
| LSU | 18th | 52nd |
| Lafayette | 0th | 12th |
| Liberty | 65th | 53rd |
| Lindenwood | 4th | 1st |
| Long Island University | 24th | 78th |
| Louisiana | 24th | 23rd |
| Louisiana Tech | 41st | 24th |
| Louisville | 84th | 32nd |
| Maine | 3rd | 18th |
| Marshall | 71st | 62nd |
| Maryland | 11th | 86th |
| Massachusetts | 5th | 9th |
| Memphis | 75th | 68th |
| Merrimack | 1st | 83rd |
| Miami | 80th | 64th |
| Miami (OH) | 33rd | 39th |
| Michigan | 73rd | 74th |
| Michigan State | 48th | 39th |
| Middle Tennessee | 69th | 47th |
| Minnesota | 35th | 33rd |
| Mississippi State | 52nd | 35th |
| Missouri | 76th | 50th |
| Missouri State | 32nd | 50th |
| Murray State | 1st | 6th |
| NC State | 58th | 71st |
| Navy | 95th | 72nd |
| Nebraska | 78th | 51st |
| Nevada | 17th | 16th |
| New Mexico | 38th | 60th |
| New Mexico State | 16th | 33rd |
| North Carolina | 14th | 30th |
| North Texas | 100th | 97th |
| Northern Illinois | 9th | 5th |
| Northwestern | 48th | 88th |
| Notre Dame | 88th | 99th |
| Ohio | 69th | 76th |
| Ohio State | 99th | 99th |
| Oklahoma | 39th | 41st |
| Oklahoma State | 14th | 7th |
| Old Dominion | 72nd | 79th |
| Ole Miss | 83rd | 95th |
| Oregon | 93rd | 55th |
| Oregon State | 54th | 25th |
| Penn State | 76th | 73rd |
| Pittsburgh | 35th | 56th |
| Purdue | 46th | 88th |
| Rice | 20th | 0th |
| Rutgers | 71st | 84th |
| SMU | 50th | 57th |
| Sam Houston | 26th | 4th |
| San Diego State | 84th | 1st |
| San José State | 68th | 70th |
| South Alabama | 53rd | 28th |
| South Carolina | 31st | 8th |
| South Carolina State | 10th | 3rd |
| South Florida | 86th | 46th |
| Southern Miss | 27th | 38th |
| Stanford | 12th | 12th |
| Syracuse | 19th | 10th |
| TCU | 63rd | 82nd |
| Temple | 85th | 22nd |
| Tennessee | 97th | 81st |
| Texas | 27th | 61st |
| Texas A&M | 88th | 59th |
| Texas State | 60th | 93rd |
| Texas Tech | 45th | 65th |
| Toledo | 67th | 42nd |
| Troy | 18th | 27th |
| Tulane | 81st | 86th |
| Tulsa | 43rd | 43rd |
| UAB | 34th | 94th |
| UCF | 39th | 20th |
| UCLA | 28th | 48th |
| UConn | 96th | 37th |
| UL Monroe | 13th | 14th |
| UNLV | 78th | 85th |
| USC | 94th | 90th |
| UT Martin | 2nd | 41st |
| UTEP | 3rd | 10th |
| UTSA | 67th | 92nd |
| Utah | 87th | 96th |
| Utah State | 31st | 49th |
| Vanderbilt | 90th | 100th |
| Virginia | 36th | 73rd |
| Virginia Tech | 59th | 21st |
| Wake Forest | 21st | 31st |
| Washington | 98th | 93rd |
| Washington State | 61st | 44th |
| West Virginia | 12th | 18th |
| Western Kentucky | 55th | 80th |
| Western Michigan | 86th | 16th |
| Wisconsin | 6th | 27th |
| Wyoming | 23rd | 15th |
Halftime identity
Nebraska by half
1st-half offense ranks 69th percentile in FBS; 2nd-half, 33rd — competitive snaps only, garbage time excluded from both halves.
Schedule mirage
How much of Nebraska's number is the schedule?
Raw EPA/play through week 21 is 0.17; 56th percentile once opponent strength is stripped out, it's 0.04. The widest gap came in week 3: 0.41 raw vs. 0.09 adjusted.
Nebraska reads strongest in success rate (top 17%) and passing epa allowed (top 36%); the crux lives in rushing epa allowed, where Nebraska sits at the 1st percentile.
offense · strengths lead
defense · higher bar = harder to play against
hidden math · special situations
ELITE · 90+STRONG · 70+AVERAGE · 40-70CONCERN · 10-40BOTTOM · <10
Most Similar Programs · Nebraska
Most Similar Programs · NebraskaReads Like
Florida StateTier 2 · Prestige T4 · Similarly-sized rosters up frontBYUAdjacent tier · Prestige T4 · Similarly-sized rosters up frontMiamiAdjacent tier · Prestige T4 · Similarly-sized rosters up front
Static-attribute similarity across tier, archetype, conference, and voice. Not a prediction — a calibration.
Home-Field Advantage · Nebraska · 2018-present
Strong
50% home win rate vs 26% on the road. margin runs +12.7 better at home. Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE) seats 85,458, averaging 101% full (86,722 attendance, 28 games reported).
Home26-26Away10-28
Positional competition · RB room
The carries are split. The job isn’t.
Emmett Johnson and Mekhi Nelson split the carries (250/277 vs 27/277) -- but the job isn't split the same way.
Emmett JohnsonMekhi Nelson
Carries
the baseline -- every row below is tested against this split, not a flat 50/50
Inside the 5
shared -- dots touch, this room really is a committee here
Q4, leading (competitive)
shared -- dots touch, this room really is a committee here
Targets
shared -- dots touch, this room really is a committee here
Top-5-carry share
concentration alone -- EPA/carry doesn't corroborate, read with caution
Screened 4 claims, 0 survived, 4 falsified
Positional competition · WR/TE room
The targets are split. The job isn’t.
Nyziah Hunter (WR) and Luke Lindenmeyer (TE) split the targets (61/97 vs 36/97) -- but the job isn't split the same way. Luke Lindenmeyer is the one trusted on 3rd down.
Nyziah HunterLuke Lindenmeyer
Targets
the baseline -- every row below is tested against this split, not a flat 50/50
3rd-down targets
p = 0.041 -- real, not noise
Garbage-time share
shared -- dots touch, this room really is a committee here
Top-5-catch share
concentration alone -- EPA/target doesn't corroborate, read with caution
See it develop week by week
3rd-down target share, week by week (weeks both players actually played the role)
Screened 3 claims, 1 survived, 2 falsified
What changed
Nebraska’s play-calling, before and after the change
Offense: Marcus Satterfield (interim) / co-Glenn Thomas (2024) → Dana Holgorsen / co-Glenn Thomas (2025)
Play-calling barely moved on the change — every rate held within a few points.
1st-down pass rate
Red-zone pass rate
Defense: Tony White (2023–2024) → John Butler (2025)
The biggest shift: red-zone pass rate moved up 12 points. The rest held closer to steady.
1st-down pass rate
Red-zone pass rate
Defensive identity · pass zones
What this defense gives up, by zone.
On short passes, Nebraska’s defense allows a completion rate below the FBS mean (64.0% vs 65.9% league-wide, shrunk toward the mean for its 104-play sample) — mid-pack, 28 of 133 qualifying defenses.
We won’t show a deep-ball leaderboard here: at the defense level, most teams face well under 30 rich-feed deep targets all season — too thin to tell a real tendency from noise, so we won’t guess.
Screened 133 claims, 133 survived · 2025 only, in the 399 games with the detailed play-text feed; n=104 short-zone plays faced, raw rate 61.5%
Venue texture
63°F average kickoff temp; 6% of games had measurable precipitation; 11 mph average wind.
Based on 80 home games with weather data.
The CFP Era
12 seasons inside the CFP era, no bids yet — the era the program is still trying to break into.
TRAJECTORY · quality-score line · AP rank dotted · CFP bids marked · coach regimes ribboned
Program Quality
AP Rank (inverted)
CFP Appearance
Nebraska's 2014–2025 record is 66-79. The era is still being written; the CFP line is the one the program is arguing for.
All-Time Record
897-414-38
since 1892 · 128 seasons · .664 win rate
HOME
567-174-18
AWAY
300-207-20
NEUTRAL
30-33
1890s
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
The program, in full — read the essay
Dylan Raiola — the legacy recruit Nebraska built its entire 2025 narrative around — broke his leg in November, transferred to Oregon in January, and is now expected to sit a year behind Dante Moore before starting for the Ducks in 2027. The most loyal fanbase in America is back to starting over at quarterback.
The sellout streak at Memorial Stadium has run since 1962. Not a pause, not an asterisk — every game, since Lyndon Johnson was president, filled. Nebraska has been bowl-eligible in back-to-back years under Matt Rhule. Neither of those facts resolves the central tension of the program: three national titles in the 1990s, a 60-3 run from 1993 to 1997 under Tom Osborne, and then twenty-five years of conference-title drought while the Sea of Red kept showing up anyway. The sellout streak is not a brag. It is a record of what patience looks like measured in Saturdays.
Rhule has done something the five coaches before him couldn't fully manage — two straight bowl-eligible seasons, measurable progress on the roster, a staff that has stayed intact. Then the portal window opened and Raiola left. He was more than a quarterback; he was the proof-of-concept that Nebraska could sign the player who chose the program over everyone else and build a legitimate contender around him. His departure for Oregon is the newest entry in a long ledger of what almost meant something.
The 2026 season will be Rhule's third. The question he faces is not whether Nebraska is improving — by most measures it is — but whether improvement is what Lincoln means when it says it wants to matter again. Bowl eligibility is progress. A Big Ten title race is a different sentence. The Tunnel Walk fills with 90,000 people every fall who know the difference. The schedule in 2026 will offer a few early answers.
How they play
Rhule's Nebraska runs a physical, pro-style system that leans on the run and the walk-on pipeline that won three titles in the Osborne era. The Blackshirts tradition sets the defensive standard; the Tunnel Walk is among the most visceral pregame rituals in the sport. The program recruits its region first and uses the portal to fill gaps, building around durability and effort over flash — a deliberate counter-identity to the Nike-money arms race happening around it in the Big Ten.
Steady
Nebraska 2016–2025. Holding the line. The 10-year slope (+0.07 rungs / yr) doesn't tilt either way — the program lives at roughly Tier 2.
CFP Era · Nebraska
12 seasons on file
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
down middle peak CFP year
Season Standing · 2025 · 7-6 · AP #25
Season Standing · 2025 · 7-6 · AP #25Ranked (25-16)
Nebraska: Ranked in the AP/Coaches polls, 16-25. National relevance achieved.
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Big Ten Standing · 2025
10th in the Big Ten
Nebraska is 10th of 18 in the Big Ten at 4-5. The path to the title is steep — the focus is on bowl access and rivalry wins.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana | 11-0 |
| 2 | Ohio State | 9-1 |
| 3 | Oregon | 8-2 |
| 4 | Michigan | 7-2 |
| 5 | USC | 7-2 |
| 6 | Iowa | 6-3 |
| 7 | Illinois | 5-4 |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5-4 |
| 9 | Washington | 5-4 |
| 10 | Nebraska | 4-5 |
| 11 | Northwestern | 4-5 |
| 12 | Penn State | 3-6 |
| 13 | UCLA | 3-6 |
| 14 | Rutgers | 2-7 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 2-7 |
| 16 | Maryland | 1-8 |
| 17 | Michigan State | 1-8 |
| 18 | Purdue | 0-9 |
Coaching Era · Nebraska
Coaching Era · NebraskaMatt Rhule
Matt Rhule has held the program for 4 seasons — the era is established.
Era Matt Rhule · 2023–presentPrev: Mickey Joseph (2022)OC: Dana Holgorsen / co-Glenn ThomasPrev OC: Marcus Satterfield (interim) / co-Glenn Thomas (2024)DC: Rob AurichPrev DC: John Butler (2025)
4
years · era
Rituals
The rituals that anchor a Saturday in this program's world.
Sea of Red
since 1962
Memorial Stadium has sold out every game since November 1962 — the longest streak in college football. The 90,000+ red shirts visible from orbit became the program's defining image, surviving 9-loss seasons and coaching changes alike.
Tunnel Walk
since 1994
Players walk through a literal tunnel from locker room to field while AC/DC's 'Sirius' plays at scoreboard volume. The 1994 version, broadcast nationally, became the template every program now imitates. The original still hits hardest.
Throwing Balloons on First Down
since 1960s
Red helium balloons released by thousands of fans after the first home-game touchdown. Banned briefly for environmental reasons, fans pushed back hard enough that it returned in biodegradable form. Tradition wins.
Program memory
What this program never forgets
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
1971
Devaney's back-to-back
Bob Devaney took it in 1970 and again in 1971 with a 13-0 team — the foundation Osborne inherited
1995
The 1990s dynasty
Three titles in four years (1994, 1995, 1997) and a 60-3 run
2003
The fall
The post-Osborne decline that became a quarter-century of irrelevance
Wound
Moment of the Year · Nebraska · 2025
Moment of the Year · Nebraska · 2025Postseason · Lost 22-44 at Utah
Week 18 of 2025. The single game that defined the season's arc.
Bowl / Postseason Ledger
Bowl / Postseason LedgerRecent postseason (2014-2025): 2-3
Most recent: 2025 — loss 44-22 (away). Last 5 postseason: 2-3.
20252024201620152014
NFL Draft Pipeline
2022–2026
NFL Draft PipelineSteady
8 picks last 5 cycles. Reliable mid-tier pipeline.
8
picks · 0 R1
#51
Cameron Jurgens
Center · 2022 · Philadelphia
#60
Cam Taylor-Britt
Safety · 2022 · Cincinnati
#111
Ty Robinson
Defensive Tackle · 2025 · Philadelphia · #41/426 final season
#19 all-time · 31 first-round picksthe talent factory →
Unit lineage
Nebraska’s offense and defense, by coordinator
FBS-relative efficiency percentile per season (2014–2025), same population as the Coordinator Mirror board. Dashed vertical lines mark a coordinator change.
Offense2014–2025
2014 · Tim Beck2015–2017 · Danny Langsdorf2018–2019 · Troy Walters2020–2021 · Matt Lubick2022 · Mark Whipple2023 · Marcus Satterfield2024 · Marcus Satterfield (interim) / co-Glenn Thomas2025 (ongoing) · Dana Holgorsen / co-Glenn Thomas
Defense2014–2025
2014 · John Papuchis2015–2016 · Mark Banker2017 · Bob Diaco2018–2022 · Erik Chinander2023–2024 · Tony White2025 · John Butler
Hired for 2026: Rob Aurich — not yet reflected in on-field data.
Elite (≥70th pct)AveragePoor (≤30th pct)
Chronicle Visuals
Average 2025 continuity (59% back) — qb room anchors it, offense is the stress point.
The portal upgraded the LB room but opened a hole at S.
1 player drafted in 2026; the reload runs through the portal and recruiting.
Nebraska signs higher-rated classes than its draft yield delivers.
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