Heading into a football season brimming with uncertainty, Nebraska is building toward training camp. Spring heading into summer is the time for self-assurance and conviction.

Confidence is the coin of the realm in the offseason.

Here, in mid-June, let’s look at two reasons Huskers’ fans can feel confident about 2026, and two reasons for pessimism.

2 reasons for optimism

1. New quarterback

Excitement overflows about a new quarterback and what he can bring. The big arm; the mobility; the fearlessness to run the ball, to keep plays alive and pick up drive-sustaining first downs.

Anthony Colandrea brings impressive credentials to Lincoln after two seasons at Virginia, and last year when he was the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year at UNLV.

Colandrea’s strength is his accuracy while throwing on the run, on rollouts, on pass-run options, while under pressure. That style tends to reduce sacks, a problem last season when Dylan Raiola was sacked 30 times.

But, the caveat.

Isn’t this what they call a double-edged sword?

A new quarterback also could be a reason for concern. Despite Colandrea’s obvious confidence, no one knows how he will adjust to the Big Ten’s bigger stage. Colandrea will face Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon, among others, this season. 

He didn’t face anywhere near that level of competition last season.

You get the point.

After the Huskers’ first three games, it’s all Big Ten games the rest of the way. As Big Ten schedules go, Nebraska has a brutal one. This isn’t the Mountain West, son, a nice conference for sure, but, well.

Still, the Huskers hope Colandrea will be an upgrade from Raiola and that his athleticism will result in more points. It’s June and we’ll take the optimistic approach with Colandrea.

2. New coaches

Matt Rhule wasn’t happy with how the Huskers finished last season and he shouldn’t have been. Nebraska’s 5-1 start disintegrated into a 7-6 finish that included blowout losses in the last three games (to Penn State, Iowa and Utah).

Rhule, starting his fourth season in Lincoln, made changes in the offseason, moves believed to be necessary. Rhule went ahead and made sweeping changes on both sides of the ball.

New coaches include defensive coordinator Rob Aurich, who brings sterling credentials from San Diego State. Geep Wade (Georgia Tech) is now the offensive line coach. Roy Manning (San Diego State) coaches the edge rushers.

As with a new quarterback, you never know when there is drastic change. Doubts about chemistry and technique are natural. These three coaching changes — and there were others — were made to address obvious shortcomings in 2025.

These new coaches were brought in not just to fix the errors of the past but to make notable improvements in their area of expertise.

Questions remain about Rhule, who is 19-19 at Nebraska, but is armed with a long-term contract. Is Rhule the right guy? Is 19-19 good enough after three seasons? Has he shown the capacity to win — and win big — at Nebraska? Winning big is the expectation.

For now, let’s feel optimistic. It’s June, right?

2 reasons for concern

1. Running back room

After last season, offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen spoke with confidence about his 2026 running back room.

Holgorsen didn’t seem concerned that the Huskers hadn’t yet added a running back in the portal. He talked up the players in the building, especially Mekhi Nelson.

With Big Ten Running Back of the Year Emmett Johnson sitting out the Las Vegas Bowl against Utah to prepare for the NFL, Nelson gained 88 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown. Nelson also had three receptions for 43 yards.

Holgorsen also complimented Isaiah Mozee, Kwinten Ives, and true freshman Jamal Rule.

“He’s [Mozee] going to get better and better,” Holgorsen said at the news conference. “Kwinten Ives, everybody’s mad about our short-yardage run game including me. He was 4-for-4 on short-yardage third downs in the bowl game.

“He took a step in December. If he would’ve went the other way, we might have went out and got somebody but he showed promise.”

Promise and opportunity are admirable. Replacing Emmett Johnson is an enormous task. Johnson was the fourth-leading rusher in the nation with 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also led the Huskers’ with 46 receptions.

Johnson gained extra yards out of nothing. He broke tackles. His cutbacks were amazing to watch and they effectively gained yards. Another concern: The Huskers will be working with a rebuilt offensive line run by a new offensive line coach.

Add it all up: It’s a reason for pessimism.

2. Run defense

An improved run defense might be Nebraska’s top priority. A national publication said Aurich’s hiring was Nebraska’s best offseason move.

The Huskers need it.

Nebraska’s run defense was at its worst when it counted the most. Nebraska ranked 133rd in the nation in red-zone defense. On 38 trips to the red zone, opponents scored an astounding 37 times — 30 touchdowns and seven field goals. Twenty-four of the touchdowns were on the ground.

Nebraska ranked 98th nationally in rushing defense, allowing 175.4 yards per game.

Until proven otherwise, Nebraska’s run defense is a major cause of pessimism.

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

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The Kansas City pipeline continues to produce for the Big Red.

On Saturday afternoon, three-star wide receiver Justyn Lindsay of Blue Springs High School in Blue Springs, Mo., announced his commitment to the Huskers. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound pass-catcher chose Nebraska over five other Division I schools.

Here’s the latest on the newest addition to NU’s 2027 recruiting class.

Other Schools in the Race

Surprisingly, Lindsay flew under the radar for much of his recruitment. In fact, Nebraska became the first program to offer him after a standout performance on the camp circuit last summer. Since then, Lindsay had made four unofficial visits to Lincoln, more than any other school.

The Missouri native returned to Nebraska to camp over the weekend of June 5, earning an invitation to officially visit campus the following week. After making yet another trip to Lincoln, the 6-foot-3 rising senior ultimately pledged to the Big Red.

Lindsay was also scheduled to officially visit Kent State on June 19, though that trip will likely no longer take place. For the Huskers, the pledge provides a second addition to the wide receiver room in the 2027 class. For Lindsay, it presents an opportunity to continue proving himself at the highest level of college football.

A Weird Turn at Wideout

Following the commitment flip of three-star pass-catcher Kaden Howard, Nebraska appeared to have his replacement lined up in the form of four-star wide receiver Matthew Gregory of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. However, in a surprising turn of events, Gregory this week announced his commitment to UCLA.

That left the Big Red in an unusual position, especially considering they hold a commitment from five-star quarterback Trae Taylor. Even with perhaps the nation’s best signal-caller in the fold, NU continued to see several of its top wide receiver targets come off the board.

In Lindsay, the Huskers appear to have steadied the ship. With 18 wide receivers already on the roster, Nebraska did not necessarily need to land the highest-rated prospect available. Instead, the Big Red had the flexibility to take a chance on a player they clearly believe has significant upside. Given Lindsay’s athletic profile and familiarity with the program, that appears to be exactly what they did.

2027 Wide Receiver Class

Before Lindsay’s decision, Antayvious Ellis was the Huskers’ only verbal pledge at wideout for 2027. The three-star pass-catcher, originally from Crowley, Texas, announced his decision to transfer to Millard South (NE) ahead of his senior year.

Listed at 6-foot, 175 pounds, Ellis is definately on the smaller side, but has the athleticism needed to player bigger than his frame suggests. Still, NU wanted to pair him with another option within the class.

Ellis will finish his prep career as a teammate with Taylor. Together, the two will look to bring another NSAA Class A state championship to the Patriots before joining the Big Red in the spring of 2027.

Huskers Wide Receiver Outlook Following 2026

Nebraska’s wide receiver room in 2026 is one of the deepest (apparent) position groups on the team. Eighteen players are listed on scholarship ahead of this fall, with only two of them expected to exhaust their eligibility this season.

The Huskers’ junior pass-catcher class headlines the room. Returning starters Jacory Barney Jr. and Nyziah Hunter are expected to be joined by UCLA transfer Kwazi Gilmer as the top group. Others expected to factor in include Janiran Bonner, Cortez Mills, and Quinn Clark, but the room could see as many as double-digit players take snaps in the fall.

Four receiver signed with Nebraska in the 2026 recruiting class: Nalin Scott, Larry Miles, Maurice Purify II, and Jamari Brown. Each of the four was regarded as a three-star recruit in the final 247Sports rankings.

Wide Receivers on Roster:

1. Sr: Janiran Bonner
2. Sr: Roman Mangini
3. Jr: Jacory Barney Jr. 
4. Jr: Nyziah Hunter
5. Jr: Kwazi Gilmer
6. Jr: Demetrius Bell
7. So: Quinn Clark
8. So: Cortez Mills
9. So: Keelan Smith
10. So: Connor Schutt
11. So: Hayes Miller
12. So: DJ Singleton Jr. 
13. RFr: Jackson Carpenter
14. RFr: Jeremiah Jones
15. Fr: Larry Miles
16. Fr: Nalin Scott
17. Fr: Maurice Purify II
18. Fr: Jamari Brown

What Lindsay’s Commitment Means

Even though the Huskers have had one of the top signal-callers in the 2027 recruiting class committed for over a year, NU has struggled convincing pass-catchers to join him in Lincoln. With Lindsay, that is no longer the case.

Lindsay’s commitment won’t make national headlines, but he’s performed well enough to impress the Husker staff. More importantly, they’ve now seen him perform with their own eyes multiple times.

Upon the Missouri native’s decision, he became the 17th addition to the Big Red’s 2027 recruiting class. When everything is said and done, NU will likely have north of 20 prospects added to its ranks. The future in Lincoln is bright. The continued success on the recruiting trail only argues that further. Carrying that momentum over to the defensive side of the ball will be the Huskers’ staff’s next task.

Let’s see if it can be done.

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.