Nebraska All-American running back Emmett Johnson is waiting for the NFL Draft next month. In his wake, his legacy in Lincoln influences the Huskers’ running back room.

The current guys wouldn’t mind being like Emmett.

And why not?

Johnson ran for 1,451 yards in 2025, and is expected to be drafted. Johnson played four years at Nebraska and his development across that time became a textbook for younger players to follow.

“It’s interesting,” Huskers running backs coach E.J. Barthel told reporters after practice Wednesday. “It’s one thing to talk about development and one thing as a coach you want to say here’s what we believe and here’s the opportunities that are on the horizon if you do this, do that. All the kids watched him {Emmett] do it. It makes my job a lot easier.

“Emmett’s just been an example … talking about where he needs to improve to the next spring [practice] and he’s continued to battle and fight and compete. Emmett’s second year as a full-time player he had to compete with Rahmir [Johnson] and Dante [Dowdell] … 

“That turned him into the player you saw last season. Learning to compete brings out the best out of everybody … And then for Emmett to compete with him [Rahmir] in camp and throughout the season, that’s going to make you the player you’re going to be.

“That’s what’s most impressive about Emmett, that the ability to compete and want to compete. If you look at him at the [NFL] Combine, I think he’s one of the only running backs to do all the drills. I think it’s been told to me by some NFL people that they’re impressed that he’s not afraid of competition. I think that makes you a great player.”

The next generation

Barthel, who is in his fourth season at Nebraska, has enormous numbers on the stat sheet to fill without Johnson. His running back room is well stocked but inexperienced. The Huskers are coming off back-to-back 7-6 seasons.

Kwinten Ives, Isaiah Mozee and Mekhi Nelson each have limited experience. Each wants to be the main ball carrier in 2026. Combined, these three carried the ball 73 times for 295 yards. Johnson had 251 carries last season

“The one thing we pride ourselves here is honesty and transparency with our players,” Barthel said about Ives, a junior from Beverly, N.J. “And letting guys know exactly where they stand. And we challenge Kwinten.

“He’s going to have to maximize his role and show myself, show himself, show the staff that there’s a void here. And can you fill that void?

“That’s the reality. Not only did he do it in practice, he stepped up and he did it in the game [34 yards vs. Akron; 85 yards vs. Houston Christian; 14 yards on four carries in the Las Vegas Bowl].

“That’s a huge jump for him. His question had never been about ability. Last year it was the soft tissue injuries. So, he’s going to be challenged this spring to continue to focus on his body, keeping himself healthy, but he’s accelerating.

“He’s having his best spring that I’ve seen since I’ve been here.”

Barthel on Mekhi Nelson

“Off the field, he’s really maturing,” Barthel said about the sophomore from Wilkes-Barre, Pa. “When we’re on the road recruiting this cycle, he did a great job of getting the group together, making sure guys were meeting on their own voluntarily and coordinating all the things that we talk about during the season, as far as what we should be covering during their workouts.

“He did a great job as far as being a leader of that group in that sense. Right now, the challenge for him is going to see if he can take his body to the next level just like Emmett had to do.

“There’s no doubt he has breakaway speed and he has a competitive edge when he plays. The big challenge for him is focusing on his body. That’s going to be the big factor for him.

“As far as his skill set, as far as route efficiency, as far as his protection, as far as his rush skills, his ability to outrun the defense, his toughness, he’s very impressive.

“He’s going to continue to climb that ladder.”

Nelson was the Huskers’ second-leading rusher with 147 yards on 27 carries. He had 88 yards on 12 carries in the Las Vegas Bowl loss to Utah.

Barthel on Isaiah Mozee

“I look at him now as a real running back,” Barthel said about Mozee, a sophomore from Kansas City. “Last year, he was really transitioning and now his movements pre-snap, how he gets aligned, his eyes, all those things, he’s really truly bought into the position.

“The big thing for him right now will continue to be staying on that path and running the ball inside. That’s going to be the thing he needs to do to really grasp. Everyone knows what he can do in space. We know what he can do on the perimeter. 

“His focus this spring is running behind his weight and becoming a really dynamic inside runner.”

The wild card freshman

The unknown factor is true freshman Jamal Rule from Salisbury, N.C. Rule was considered a three-star player who Barthel said was not recruited out of Charlotte Christian High.

“One of the reasons why we loved Jamal coming out of high school was because of his physicality and competitive edge, the way he ran the football in high school,” Barthel said. “It was evident in tape. It was evident when I went to go watch him play.

“The kid has a chip on his shoulder. He was the leading rusher at North Carolina his junior year … and then to run over 200 yards against Providence Day [School] in a championship game and to really not get recruited was a slap in the face to that kid. And so an opportunity for us to believe in him and everyone on the staff, everyone on our team seeing why we believed in him …

“That’s part of his attitude. Right now he needs to learn football. It’s one thing he’s got to transition from being a high school football player to really learning the cycle of the snap, development of his eyes in the run game and in the protection game.

“Those are the big things for him right now is just the details of football, is what he needs to learn.

“I think you could probably spot-play a young freshman, as far as their ability, but in order for us to rely on him, he’s got to be really diving into the details. And so that just takes repetition and experience … He’s going to gradually grow and so it’s really the meeting rooms, it’s the quizzing, it’s all the things off the field that are going to help him mentally play faster.”

Barthel has a challenging job this offseason — as do all of the Huskers. 

“I’ve been their coach. I know where they need to improve,” Barthel said about his running back room.

With Emmett Johnson gone, there is a void to be filled, an opportunity for someone to step up.

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They say all roads lead home, and for Daniel Kaelin, that remains true as he returns to Lincoln after a year away from the program in 2025.

The former four-star Belleview West (NE) star heads into his sophomore season in his second stint as a Husker, ready to compete for an impactful role. Though he’ll likely be on the outside looking in, in terms of earning the starting job, after gaining starting experience at his previous school, he won’t go down without a fight.

Now, after roughly a week and a half of spring football practices in the books, Kaelin met with the media Wednesday. During his time at the mic, the Nebraska native touched on a variety of topics, including his decision to come home, an ego-less quarterback room in Lincoln, and much more.

It didn’t take long for the will-be sophomore to get asked about his decision to return to Nebraska. After explaining the values he got out of his time away, Kaelin described it as something he’s as excited about as he is thankful for.

“It’s been really good,” said Kaelin. “Nebraska’s my home, and there are so many people on this team that I have a good relationship with. So, the transition has been really smooth. I’ve been enjoying being back, for sure”. 

Leaving after the end of the 2024 season, Kaelin’s path towards competing for a starting job appeared to be full of obstacles. But a little over a year after he transferred to Virginia, the situation has changed dramatically. Back in the scarlet and cream, a year older and with more experience, the soon-to-be third-year player is enjoying his return, to say the least.

In his time as a Cavalier, the then-redshirt freshman saw action in seven games. Despite a sparing role, he still managed to throw for the first 339 yards of his career, while also scoring his first collegiate touchdown. Kaelin also proved to be a threat on the ground, with 12 carries for 72 yards.

In total, he amassed 400 all-purpose yards at Virginia and comes to Nebraska more battle-tested than before. Here, the 6-foot-3, 218-pounder will look to grow even more, but was asked to reflect on what he gained during his stay on the East Coast.

“It was my first time being away from home,” he said. “I think that year- doing things on my own- was probably big for me becoming an adult. I think I learned a lot about myself that way”. 

Between personal development and his time on the field, Kaelin’s lone season at Virginia was not for nothing. Instead, a more mature version of the young quarterback is what the Huskers are getting back amongst their ranks. He also provides them with the third quarterback to have started a Power Four game in their career.

After discussing what he gained in his time away, Kaelin was then asked to explain how he landed back in Lincoln ahead of the 2026 season. To somewhat of a surprise, the Nebraska native suggested it wasn’t initially planned. Rather, the opportunity presented itself, and both sides agreed.

“I didn’t really even expect to be leaving the last school I was at,” Kaelin said. “Things kind of happened pretty quickly. When I got in the portal, I was able to get in touch with Coach Rhule, and when I knew that this was a possibility, it just made a lot of sense for me. It is really comfortable for me coming back home and being around people that I know”.

Using his past relationships with coaches and players such as Carter Nelson and Bode Soukup, the former in-state signal-caller is what you’d call back home. Confident, comfortable, and with a lot more to prove, he’ll look to make an impact on the field for the first time as a Husker this fall.

Kaelin was then asked to shed light on the dynamic within the quarterbacks’ room, and his response sounded similar to that of quarterback coach Glenn Thomas earlier in the day. Instead of pushing each other away due to competition, the position group is looking to help each other grow. In fact, Kaelin suggested it may be the most unified position group he’s ever been a part of, and something he views as a positive change.

“There’s egos,” he said. There’s money involved. I think that can create some tension or problems sometimes. There haven’t been any type of issues like that with the room that we have right now; it’s been great.” 

While some suggest that his comment may be a back-handed dig at former signal-callers within the room, it’s clear that the Huskers no longer have an issue with competition in 2026. Instead, the group is pushing eachother to improve. And when spring ball and fall camp come to a close, the best man for the job will emerge with the others’ full support.

A big change since Kaelin was on campus in 2024 is NU’s retooled wide receiver room. After welcoming in a new position coach, the Huskers have been able to recruit, retain, and add several high-level players to the unit. When asked to offer his thoughts on the room, the will-be sophomore didn’t hold back his early praise.

“A big thing that we’ve noticed so far is we have guys that make plays,” Kaelin said. “We’ve been challenging them to- when the ball is in the air, it has got to be theirs. We don’t want 50/50 balls. They’ve got to go make plays. And so far, they’ve definitely been doing that. It’s been really impressive to watch”. 

Not only are the Big Red’s pass catchers bigger, deeper, and faster than before, but it’s beginning to pay off for the offense this spring. There’s still plenty of time for the quarterbacks and wideouts to develop chemistry, but early reports suggest the relationship has started well.

For Kaelin, it was positive to see the metaphorical boy return as a man. Not only has he gained experience and found success on the field, but he’s also come back with a deeper understanding of what it takes to lead a team. By all accounts, it appears his teammates have taken a liking to him, so don’t be surprised if he sees the field in some role this upcoming fall.

Again, he’s far from guaranteed the starting job here in Lincoln and will have to beat out two players with more experience than he has. Still, it is more than likely that he will take his first snaps as a Husker at some point in 2026. Were he to take meaningful reps, the third-year sophomore has already been tested before, and that gives Nebraska reason for optimism about the room.

Overall, he sounded as if he was preparing to be more than ready when his opportunity comes. Returning home did not come without a price, but don’t expect Kaelin to remain silent his second time around. The Huskers are looking for a player who can reliably make plays, and it’s hard to argue that there would be another player in his position group who cares more about the program than he does.

Still, he’ll have to prove his skill is worthy of deserving that chance. Spring should tell a lot about where he stands.