Nebraska
Four Questions for Nebraska Football Heading Into Spring Ball
Spring football is upon us, Common Fans! Practice begins this coming week and will last until April 26. And while nothing can replace the actual football season in the fall, it always feels like an accomplishment to get to this point in the year. We’ve made it through the doldrums of January and February. The team is transitioning from winter conditioning to playing and practicing real, actual football. We’ll get some glimpses of some exciting newcomers, and see what kind of progress the veterans have made.
2025 is a huge year for Husker Head Coach Matt Rhule. This season has the potential to define his entire tenure at Nebraska–for good or bad. With that in mind, here are four questions to ponder as Nebraska heads into spring practice.
How much improvement will we see from Dylan Raiola in year 2?
Raiola had a solid true freshman season. He threw for 2,819 yards, completing more than 67% of his passes. He threw 13 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions. At times, he made some major “wow” plays, showcasing the talent that made him a highly coveted 5 star recruit. Other times, he made some freshman mistakes: things like holding the ball too long, missing open receivers at key moments, and sliding short of the first down marker. That type of thing is to be expected from a true freshman. I believe the upside for Raiola remains sky high. How much improvement can we expect to see in 2025? Having a full offseason with new(ish) Offensive Coordinator Dana Holgorsen should help. Holgorsen is considered one of the best offensive minds in the game, and hopefully he will be able to put Raiola–and by extension, the entire offense–in a position to succeed. The completely revamped wide receiver room, filled with multiple big name transfers and high profile recruits, should also help. Can Dylan cut down on some of the mistakes we saw in 2024? After two years of being carried by the defense, can Nebraska have the kind of offense that can win them some games? A lot rides on Dana Holgorsen’s brain and Dylan Raiola’s arm in 2025.
Can the offensive line go from good to dominant?
I found this post from Husker super fan Jim in MN to be particularly intriguing (note: the original post mentions Dominic Raiola as Nebraska’s offensive line coach. The correct name is Donovan Raiola, which Jim corrected in a follow-up post):
It’s yr 4 now for Dominic Raiola and Aaron Coeling coaching the Nebraska OL. They’ve stockpiled a ton of good highly rated talent and added in some million dollar transfers.
It’s time to be become a dominant OL. It just is.
— Jim in MN (@HuskersMN) March 15, 2025
How does the average Common Fan measure offensive line play? Nebraska had the 100th ranked rushing offense in the country in 2022. That jumped to 39th in 2023 (largely due to having rushing quarterback Heinrich Haarberg start the majority of games that season), then fell back to 96th in 2024. The Huskers gave up 72 tackles for loss (ranking 74th nationally) and allowed 28 sacks (ranked 78th) in 2024 alone. Do these stats tell the entire story of the offensive line? Of course not. That said, none of these numbers is suggestive of a dominant offensive line.
Husker fans of a certain age know good offensive line play when they see it. I would argue the Nebraska offensive line has shown tangible improvement in the Rhule era, but it would be hard to make the case that they have been dominant. As Jim’s post implies, the O line has been good, but not great. Can they take the next step under fourth year offensive line coach Donovan Raiola? Can we restore the pipeline of days gone by? Considering that possibility will have Husker Nation frothing at the mouth all spring.
Can the defense avoid a steep falloff?
The biggest bright spot of the Rhule era to date is undoubtedly the defense. Immediately upon his arrival in Lincoln, the defense got tougher, more physical, and tackled better. They passed the eye test, and the numbers back it up. After ranking 100th in the country in total defense in 2022, the Huskers jumped to 11th in that category in 2023 and 18th in 2024. Similarly, the Blackshirts went from 77th nationally in scoring defense in 2022 to 13th in 2023 and 17th in 2024. In virtually every category–rushing defense, passing defense, sacks, turnovers and more–the Nebraska defense showed drastic improvement as soon as Matt Rhule and (former) Defensive Coordinator Tony White showed up in Lincoln.
It’s been an offseason of major change for the Blackshirts. White left for the same job at Florida State, and took defensive line coach Terrance Knighton with him. The Huskers have new assistants coaching the defensive line, outside linebackers, and the secondary. Major, multi-year contributors on Nebraska’s defense–including Ty Robinson, Nash Hutmacher, Isaac Gifford, John Bullock, and Jimari Butler to name a few–either graduated or transferred. Enter new defensive coordinator John Butler, most recently Nebraska’s defensive backs coach, now serving in a coordinator role for the first time since he did it at Penn State more than a decade ago. Also new to the picture is Phil Snow, who served as Rhule’s Defensive Coordinator at every one of his previous head coaching stops, and is now Associate Head Coach. With all this change, can the defense continue the high level production we saw in Rhule’s first two years? Can they continue to be the backbone of this football team? If Nebraska is going to get where they want to go in year three under Rhule, they need the D to avoid a dropoff.
What record would constitute a successful season for Nebraska football in 2025?
Friend of the Common Fan Brandon Vogel had a fantastic article about this very topic at The Counter Read not too long ago (by the way, if you haven’t subscribed at www.counterread.com yet, I highly recommend it. Brandon puts out some of the best Husker content you can find, all year long). This is a really intriguing question for a proud fan base at a program with a boatload of historical success, but some really painful recent seasons. We had an extended discussion about it on the most recent Common Fan Podcast episode.
There are several factors at play here. Rhule’s teams took big leaps in his third year at both Temple and Baylor. The schedule lines up well for the Huskers this year (although recent experience has taught us that Nebraska shouldn’t be taking any teams for granted). Dylan Raiola has a full year under his belt. There are a lot of reasons for optimism going into the 2025 season. So, what would fans view as a success this season? I certainly don’t think 6-6 will cut it again. I tend to think 8-4 is the baseline, minimum expectation among Husker fans. Get to 8-4, and most fans will be happy with the improvement but not through the roof. Worse than 8-4? We’re looking at a long offseason. 9-3 or better? At that point, the boys in red are potentially on the periphery of the playoff conversation, and at the very least going to their best bowl game in more than a decade. 9-3 or better and most Common Fans are dancing in the streets in Lincoln.
What do you think, fellow Common Fan? Send us an email at commonfangbr@gmail.com to let us know your thoughts on what record would constitute success for Nebraska in 2025.
As always, GBR for LIFE.
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(InvestigateTV) — Sometimes sports are about more than the final score.
For Jack Burke, a high school football player in Nebraska, a medical diagnosis at birth has never stopped him from competing — and a touchdown catch in his first play back from open heart surgery proved it.
Born with a rare heart defect
Burke was born with Scimitar syndrome, a rare heart defect in which babies are born with an underdeveloped right lung and pulmonary artery. The condition also affects blood flow to the right lung. Treatment often includes surgery, and many adults with the condition go on to live healthy lives.
“As a kid, I never really understood,” Burke said. “It was always natural for me that I had to push myself harder to keep up.”
His mother, Bridget Burke, says the condition was not initially considered dangerous for sports participation.
“His Scimitar Syndrome never really came into play as being dangerous for him to play sports,” she said.
The decision to operate
That changed in the spring of 2025, when Burke’s family and doctors decided it was time for a surgery that had been anticipated for years.
“I’ve kind of known I’ve had to get surgery my whole life,” Burke said. “Once I knew I could get the surgery sooner, I was all in. I wanted to get it so I could get back to sports.”
His father, Ryan Burke, says the timing was deliberate.
“This will be done before school gets started, and still have a chance to do almost everything you want to do,” Ryan Burke said.
Jack Burke underwent open-heart surgery, leaving a visible reminder of what he went through.
“There’s a six-inch scar in the middle of his chest that represents a pretty big thing that happened,” Ryan Burke said.
For Bridget Burke, the moment her son was taken to the operating room was difficult.
“When the rubber hits the road and your kid is being wheeled back to the OR, it is scary and emotional,” she said.
The comeback
Burke eased back into football following his cardiologist’s recommended recovery timeline. His return came in week three of the season.
“Before the Schuyler game I talked to his dad and he’s like, ‘I think we might be ready,’” said coach Jay Landstrom.
Bridget Burke says the family approached the return with caution.
“I mean, I was nervous. We didn’t really know how much he would play. It was going to be some cautious situations,” she said.
Those concerns were set aside — at least for a moment — when Burke caught a touchdown pass on his very first play back.
“All the parents were high-fiving everybody and they were like, ‘Was that really Jack?’” Bridget Burke said.
Landstrom called it a special moment.
“It was just meant to be and that was really special,” he said.
For Burke, the touchdown meant something beyond the scoreboard.
“I just remember one of my teammates came up to me and said, ‘He’s back. He’s back,’” Burke said. “It kind of shows something that tried to stop me — I hurdled that obstacle.”
Burke says the surgery has given him a new sense of freedom.
“Now I can do whatever I want. Nothing can hold me back,” he said.
Copyright 2026 Gray Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on April 19.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
4-3-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from April 19 drawing
14-19-24-30-34
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from April 19 drawing
Red Balls: 01-02, White Balls: 09-26
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning MyDay numbers from April 19 drawing
Month: 08, Day: 16, Year: 61
Check MyDay payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing
32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05
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.
The New Orleans Saints made a big splash in free agency when they signed Travis Etienne Jr. to pair with Alvin Kamara in the backfield. Etienne’s addition probably means that the Saints won’t select a back with an early choice in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, don’t be surprised if the team adds another back with a later pick. If that’s the case, Emmett Johnson of the Nebraska Cornhuskers could be someone on their radar.
Etienne will likely be the featured back, but Kamara’s future beyond 2026 is in some doubt. Kamara turns 31 in July and is entering his 10th season with a big contract after already showing some possible decline. Behind them, Kendre Miller has proven he shouldn’t be relied on and 2025 sixth round choice Devin Neal has flashed potential but remains unproven. The Saints may be wise to add more talent to their backfield with a middle or later round pick.
Emmett Johnson bio
- Position: Running back
- College: Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Height: 5-feet, 10 inches
- Weight: 202 pounds
- 40-yard dash: 4.56 seconds
- 10-yard split: 1.59 seconds
- 3-cone drill: 7.32 seconds
- 20-yard shuttle: 4.29 seconds
- Vertical jump: 35.5″
- Broad jump: 10′
Recipient of the 2021 Minnesota Mr. Football award at Academy of Holy Angels High School, Johnson began with the Nebraska Cornhuskers as a three-star recruit. He’d take a redshirt in 2022 then rushed for 411 yards with 2 scores in 2023 as part of a backfield committee. In 2024, Johnson picked up 598 yards on the ground and caught 39 passes for 286 yards with 3 total scores.
By 2025, Johnson was the Cornhuskers featured weapon and exploded onto the national radar. Johnson’s 1,451 rushing yards and 251 carries both led the Big Ten and were among the NCAA leaders. He also caught a team-high 46 passes and scored 15 touchdowns, as his 1,821 yards from scrimmage were second across the NCAA. Those eye-popping numbers earned him 1st Team All-American honors as well as the 2025 Big Ten Running Back of the Year.
Strengths
- Hits rushing lanes with authority
- Makes sharp cuts at top speed
- Decisive north-south runner
- Good acceleration into the second level
- Legitimate receiving threat
Weaknesses
- Doesn’t have breakaway speed
- Has trouble creating yards when the hole isn’t there
- Must maintain balance better through contact
- Doesn’t break many tackles
- Only one year of high-level production
Emmett Johnson 2026 draft outlook
Johnson’s 2025 tape and production are worthy of a high pick, but teams looking for a featured back might be wary of his lack of power. Still, Johnson has a strong chance of being picked somewhere on the second day and shouldn’t last later than the fourth round. His decisive one-cut and go style and receiving ability gives him a strong chance to be an instant contributor with an incredibly high upside of a potential starter.
New Orleans has had success with late-round picks and undrafted players at running back. Emmett Johnson won’t last that long. But, if Johnson slips into Day 3, the Saints could be tempted to add him and bolster their backfield in multiple ways.
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