Nebraska
As spring practice begins, Nebraska football wants to dispel these 4 narratives
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska returned to the practice field this week. And despite the shifting winds in college football, it’s not cutting names this spring from an oversized roster.
Not yet, anyway.
“I think of these first few days as classroom instruction,” coach Matt Rhule said Tuesday after the Huskers’ second of 15 March and April workouts. “A ton of teaching, a ton of installation.”
Yes, when the Huskers open the 2025 season in five months, they must carry a roster of 105 players. That’s pending approval next month of terms in the House v. NCAA settlement, which is set to bring revenue sharing and changing roster limits to college sports.
For now, the Huskers are OK with 126 players in spring practice. Seven more incoming freshmen remain on track to join the group this summer.
The impending cutdown looms. But among the 26 defensive backs, discussion has stayed minimal on the subject of a reduced roster, senior safety Marques Buford said.
“Everybody’s coming in and working their butts off every day to prove that they belong here and prove that they should be on this team,” Buford said. “Every guy in our room has the potential to be on this team in the fall.
“And honestly, that sucks that we can’t bring everybody with us. But at the end of the day, that’s where the game of college football is going. We have to accept that.”
Rhule said he does not have a depth chart this early in spring.
“It’s not the coach’s job right now to figure out who’s going to play and who’s not going to play,” Rhule said. “It’s our job to figure out who can play.”
According to Ty Robinson, the defender whose eligibility expired in December, Rhule’s teaching attitude elevates the program. It helped convince Robinson to return in 2024 as a graduate student for his sixth season.
Robinson’s strong play earned him an invite to the NFL combine, at which he impressed scouts by running a 4.83-second 40-yard dash — fastest among defensive linemen — at 6-foot-5 and 288 pounds. He met with more NFL evaluators on Tuesday at Nebraska’s pro day.
“I represent Nebraska through and through,” Robinson said. “I’m proud to say that I played at Nebraska. All these scouts I’ve talked to, I’ve made them aware of how great Nebraska is – and how it’s honestly under the radar.”
2025 Nebraska Football Pro Day
Live from Lincoln, Nebraska https://t.co/2uK06Rmxvh
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) March 25, 2025
Robinson looks to lead a draft class at Nebraska in April that exceeds three players for the first time since 2016. It’s a myth, he said, that the Huskers’ talent is down.
“It’ll be a gold mine here pretty soon,” Robinson said.
In the spirit of spring narratives, here are four that the Huskers are aiming to dispel.
1. Nebraska needs a running back from the transfer portal. Not so, according to Rhule. “I have no concerns at running back,” he said.
Emmett Johnson, the junior who has rushed for 1,008 yards in the past two seasons, leads the group. But the backs feature no additional experience of note.
Rhule has long spoken highly of third-year sophomore Kwinten Ives. He scored his first career touchdown on a 2-yard run in the Pinstripe Bowl. Ives simply needs an opportunity, Rhule said.
Redshirt freshman Mekhi Nelson is “dynamically explosive,” according to Rhule, with an edge that the coach loves. Rhule also mentioned walk-on Kenneth Williams and said that the Huskers are eager to get a look this spring at early enrollees Conor Booth and Jamarion Parker. Parker has bulked up from 175 pounds to more than 190 since January.
The coaching staff will assess the running back lineup after spring practice, but Rhule anticipates standing pat.
“We’ve got guys that we know can play,” he said.
Coach Matt Rhule has “no concerns” with his running back room, which includes junior Emmett Johnson. (Dustin Satloff / Getty Images)
2. Dylan Raiola is out of shape. Commenting on the importance of adding an element of escapability to Raiola’s game, Rhule said two weeks ago that the sophomore “won’t be a great quarterback at 240 pounds” and that he was working on his body composition.
It caused a stir, leading to speculation that Raiola had gained weight above his listed 230 pounds. The coach clarified on Tuesday. “I said he knows he can’t be 240. I didn’t say he was 240.”
Raiola threw to the Nebraska wide receivers at pro day, looking fit and stronger than in his final appearance last season. He’s practiced well this week, Rhule said, and the QB has focused this offseason on maintaining a good weight.
“He’s done a really nice job with his body,” Rhule said.
3. Name, image and likeness and revenue-sharing payments are spinning out of control. You can believe that, Rhule said. But you might be wrong.
“The hardest thing right now is (that) I still don’t know the rules, the parameters,” Rhule said.
If approved, the House settlement would allow athletic departments to use up to $20.5 million in revenue sharing to pay athletes. As much as 70 percent of that figure could fund a salary pool for football players. But outside of revenue-share dollars, the future of NIL payments is uncertain.
The settlement includes language that would require third-party NIL deals above $600 to pass through an NCAA clearinghouse. It’s a stipulation that could significantly limit the earning power of football players beyond their revenue-sharing checks.
“You (could) no longer just stockpile players through money,” Rhule said.
An effective cap, even at roughly $14 million per team, would even the playing field among power programs.
“There’s a lot of schools that have benefited from unlimited bank accounts,” Rhule said. “If it’s limited, then it changes everything.”
4. Recruiting for 2026 has lost direction. Nebraska counts three commitments for the Class of 2026, ranking 40th nationally and 12th in the Big Ten, according to the On3 industry average.
The Huskers hosted a junior day on Feb. 1, but developments have been slow to get rolling among the next group of Nebraska recruits.
“We are probably just being very measured right now in trying to figure out how exactly this goes,” Rhule said.
Why? Again, follow the money.
“If you’re a coach who doesn’t care about saying something and then having to go back on it,” Rhule said, “it’s really a great time.”
For instance, Rhule said, he won’t allow himself to get in a situation where a player is promised $700,000 to come to Nebraska — but he shows up and gets $50,000 because rules didn’t permit the school to exceed that number.
“It’s a hard time to make a lot of promises,” the coach said.
Presumably, in April, more direction will arrive on revenue sharing, along with clarity on third-party NIL payments. For now, Rhule said, “it’s a time of great uncertainty.”
Nebraska won’t get left behind in this recruiting cycle, Rhule said. Its methods are by design.
“We’re prepared to have great June visits,” Rhule said. “And then we’re prepared to recruit all the way up until signing day — and be as aggressive as anybody in the country.”
(Top photo of Dylan Raiola: Dustin Satloff / Getty Images)
I recently read an article by Nate McHugh of SB Nation that stated the last two “sure things” to bring Nebraska football back failed. The first “thing” is back coaching at UCF, and the second “thing” is now wearing an Oregon uniform. Because these two “sure things” failed, McHugh points to them as reasons for Husker fan’s frustration. But did he miss the third reason? If I’m not mistaken, the hiring of Matt Rhule felt like one of those “sure things” as well. But after the ‘mythical’ year three and disappointment it became clear Rhule’s hiring was anything but a “sure thing” for success.
Because of that fans are torn how they feel about Rhule. I’m one of them. I catch myself saying Rhule is the right guy for Nebraska and then quickly point out that his overall record as a head coach is 66-62. Clearly mediocre compared to Kyle Whittingham (177-88) or James Franklin (104-45). But Rhule hasn’t stayed anywhere long enough to truly establish himself like Whittingham or Franklin either.
See what I mean, I’m quick to point out his shortcomings but still believe he can make the Huskers relevant again. Where Husker fans struggle is that Rhule has in fact taken us to back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 2015-2016 yet allowed his team to get curb stomped by Penn State, Iowa, and Utah to end the season.
So, fans are leery going into the 2026 season. What are we going to get considering the schedule? The Huskers get Indiana, Washington, and Ohio State at home, and Oregon, Illinois, and Iowa on the road. While no game is a sure win, if they can’t notch victories against Ohio, Bowling Green, North Dakota, Michigan State, Maryland and Rutgers, then we’ll once again question if Rhule is the right man. Simply put, the fan base will be disappointed with another 6-6 season. Personally, with the coaching changes and improvement in talent, my expectation is a record of 7-5 or 8-4 on the season.
Tim Verghese of ‘Inside Nebraska’ got my attention last week when talking about fans giving recruits a negative vibe and possibly influencing their decision to commit to a program. He used Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M as an example. The fanbase was so negative about Fisher that it made recruits question how secure he was at A&M. Obviously recruits had reason to be worried.
Does that affect how I approach what I write or talk about? It does, but then again, I don’t think so much of myself to think it matters. I see myself as your typical fan. I’m just someone who shares their thoughts about Husker football. And frankly, like 50% or more of the fans, I’m torn between being supportive and negativity. We’ve been burned too many times and haven’t seen the things that we need to see to convince us a turnaround is about to happen. Whether it’s offense, defense, or beating the teams they are supposed to beat (Minnesota & Iowa) there just hasn’t been any consistency from Rhule’s teams. As fans we need to see Rhule’s teams win the games they are supposed to, then win the close games, and finally beat the teams they aren’t supposed to. Until we see Rhule’s teams take those steps, there will be doubt and a level of negativity.
As far as recruits are concerned, I don’t see Rhule going anywhere. He’s safe due to his contract, the investment being made on the stadium, and Trae Taylor making it clear he’s all ‘N’ as long as Matt Rhule is the head man. He may just be a senior in high school, but don’t think QB Trae Taylor doesn’t play a role here. He does. And I’m good with that. Taylor has the same expectations as the fans.
And no, those expectations aren’t too high. I’ve been a fan for over fifty years. The standard at Nebraska was set a long time ago. That standard hasn’t changed. Nebraska fans may be up and down on how they feel about Rhule, but they are consistent on their expectations. The standard is the standard and always will be.
GO BIG RED!! SIMPLE, FAST, VIOLENT!!
Photo courtesy of the Falls City Journal Home – Falls City Journal – Falls City, NE
Stay on top of Husker football at CarrikerChronicles.com
The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Friday, May 8, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on May 8.
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing
37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 8 drawing
8-0-5
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from May 8 drawing
01-03-12-24-26
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from May 8 drawing
Red Balls: 02-20, White Balls: 09-11
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning MyDay numbers from May 8 drawing
Month: 01, Day: 16, Year: 17
Check MyDay payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing
14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Nebraska Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, 5: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- 2 By 2: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- MyDaY: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Nebraska Athletics announced Friday that the expansion of John Cook Arena is in full swing.
The Nebraska Athletics Capital Planning and Facilities Department posted to social media that the effort to modernize amenities and provide new seating options is well underway.
According to the athletic fund, the renovation will enhance Nebraska’s home-court advantage, modernize amenities and provide new premium and general seating options. This includes adding:
- New and improved seats with cup holders in each seat.
- A new centralized student section.
- New and improved courtside seating with both end court and side court locations available. The Courtside Lounge offers access pregame and during intermission and includes private restrooms, televisions and all-inclusive gourmet food, beverage and alcohol.
- New Loge Box seating with hospitality lounge with access pregame and during intermission, including access to private restrooms, televisions and all-inclusive gourmet food and beverage with a cash bar.
- Libero Club seating replaces the VIP seats. Located in the back row of the 100 level, seats include access to the Libero Club Lounge pregame and during intermission complete with televisions and all-inclusive gourmet food and soft drinks with a cash bar.
- Additional ADA seating with new vantage points and easier access from around the concourse.
The Husker Athletic Fund announced the first-ever reseating and parking process in October 2025. It is timed to coincide with the renovation of the arena to increase overall capacity to 10,000.
For more information about the reseating process, click here.
Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
-
Nebraska5 minutes agoWhere Are Nebraska Fan’s Heads – CarrikerChronicles.com
-
Nevada11 minutes agoBillionaire Tax Refugees Flock to Ritzy Nevada Lake Town
-
New Hampshire17 minutes agoNew Hampshire mothers’ labor force participation rate – Valley News
-
New Jersey23 minutes agoNJ ex-fireman ‘ready for war’ when he launched into violent rampage triggered by breakup: prosecutors
-
New Mexico29 minutes agoPhoebe Bridgers Debuts New Music at First Show in Three Years
-
North Carolina35 minutes agoNorth Carolina man found dead after falling overboard in East TN lake: TWRA
-
North Dakota40 minutes agoFederal judge agrees to toss $28M judgment related to Dakota Access Pipeline protests
-
Ohio47 minutes ago8th Annual Trumbull County Special Olympics Invitational held in Girard