Nebraska
Live Updates: #1 Penn State vs #6 Nebraska – FloWrestling
The Nebraska Cornhuskers, last year’s NCAA runner-up, is in State College to take on the unstoppable juggernaut that is the #1 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions.
Penn State has won the last four NCAA titles and is currently on an 82 dual meet winning streak, the most in NCAA history. Can the Huskers even slow the Lions down, let alone stop them? We’ll find out soon!
You can watch this dual on the Big Ten Network today, January 30th, starting at 8:00PM ET, if you subscribe to a cable bundle that carries the network. Or you can just follow along with this live blog for free. You can even do both if you so desire, the choice is yours!
Probable Lineups
125: #1 Luke Lilledahl, Penn State vs Alan Koehler/Kael Lauridsen, Nebraska
133: #6 Marcus Blaze, Penn State vs #10 Jacob Van Dee, Nebraska
141: #13 Braeden Davis, Penn State vs #3 Brock Hardy, Nebraska
149: #1 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State vs #13 Chance Lamer, Nebraska
157: #2 PJ Duke, Penn State vs #5 Antrell Taylor, Nebraska
165: #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State vs #7 LJ Araujo, Nebraska
174: #1 Levi Haines, Penn State vs #4 Christopher Minto, Nebraska
184: #1 Rocco Welsh, Penn State vs #6 Silas Allred, Nebraska
197: #1 Josh Barr, Penn State vs #10 Camden McDanel, Nebraska
285: #4 AJ Ferrari or Cade Ziola, Nebraska vs #9 Cole Mirasola, Penn State
Ziola was the only alternate listed in the Nebraska preview. There were no alternates listed in the Penn State preview. You can also read the preview written by our very own Jon Kozak right here, also for free.
Now that I’ve turned on BTN and seen the Big Ten Conference map commerical, I’m ready to start live blogging!
The great Shane Sparks and Jim Gibbons on the mic for the call. Startling lineup suggests were going to have 9 ranked matchups and 7 top ten matchups.
125: #1 Luke Lilledahl, Penn State vs Alan Koehler, Nebraska
1st period: It’s Koehler for Nebraska (pronounced KAY-lor). Lilledahl in on a shot off the whistle, he’s fighting through a whizzer and he scores in under 30 seconds. We’re in the Bryce Jordan Center so we’ve got the raised stage and rotating spotlight logos in the corners of the mat. Plus a big cat growl sound affect after the takedown. Quick escape. Koehler stops a go behind after a snap down and we get a stalemate. 3-1 Lilledahl. Soon after is another single leg and quick finish, 6-1. Escape for Koehler but a quick ankle pick and it’s 9-2 now in short time of the first. RT already over a minute. We’ll go to the second after no change in position.
2nd period: Koehler gets a free escape to start the second. Lilledahl right back in on an attack. Hard finish and Lilledahl has a 12-3 lead. Luke working on the right leg, trying to turn with a bow and arrow. Lilledahl flips Koehler but then Koehler gets off his back and might have a reversal. Lilledahl gets to his feet, never technically relinquishes control and gets back on top eventually. 14-3 as the period expires and Lilledahl has riding time locked up.
3rd period: Koehler goes nuetral, and Lilledah; has a takedown in the first 15 seconds of the period. Quick release but Koehler is recaught and it’s a 20-4 tech-fall to start the duall for the Nittany Lions!
Luke Lilledahl, Penn State tech-falls Alan Koehler, Nebraska, 20-4
Penn State 5, Nebraska 0
133: #6 Marcus Blaze, Penn State vs #10 Jacob Van Dee, Nebraska
1st period: Van Dee from Pennsylvania and Blaze from Ohio. Solid stance as always for Blaze. Van Dee with a few fakes. Not much action half way through the period. Front head lock for Blaze but Van Dee wrestles out of it. Blaze attacks with about 45 seconds left but Van Dee defends. Another attack from Blaze and the fireman’s carry nets Blaze three points. Quick rideout and the period ends.
2nd period: Van Dee goes underneath. He’s out with little difficulty. Still 3-1 halfway through the period. Riding time is art 25 seconds for Blaze. And Van Dee gets dinged for hands to the face. I believe we heard the referree say on the broadcast that he was already warned so that’s an extra point for Blaze. Period ends in neutral, 4-1 in Blaze’s favorite.
3rd period: Blaze takes bottom. His first and second stand attempts are thwarted but he’s free on the third. 5-1, riding time down to just 3 seconds. Van Dee needs more than a takedown, though. Blaze keeping like Gibraltar in the center of the mat. Van Dee needs to score but he can’t find an opening. Blaze drops on a leg in short time and the match ends while they’re still in a scramble. Regular decision for Blaze!
Marcus Blaze, Penn State decisions Jacob Van Dee, Nebraska, 5-1
Penn State 8, Nebraska 0
141: #13 Braeden Davis, Penn State vs #3 Brock Hardy, Nebraska
1st period: Can Hardy stop the bleeding? It’s one of the few bouts where the Huskers will be favored. Davis coming right after Hardy off the whistle. Might have Hardy in trouble! Hardy bellies out and Davis gets the first takedown. Big mat return sets the crowd off. 3-0 after an out of bounds restart and just 30 seconds of wrestling. Another mat return but then Hardy is up and out. Davis with a good head fake and he’s back on a leg. Extended scramble and Davis has his second takedown. Hardy gets mat returned again but then stands and escapes. 6-2 with a little less than a minute left in the period. The crowd is loving the action, and of course they do, they’re wrestling fans! Period ends same score, 1:09 of RT for Davis.
2nd period: Davis takes bottom and Hardy quickly breaks him down flat. Davis builds up, sits and escapes, 7-2, 1:30 left in the period. Hardy gets hit with stalling. Both wrestlers working hard on their setups right now. Hardy changes levels, he’s in deep, he’s got a body lock but Davis has nearly recovered. Hardy keeps driving and they go out of bounds, inducing a stall call on Davis. They’ve each got a warning now. Blood time for Davis. On the restart, knee pick for Hardy, Davis counters, nearly comes around, more scrambling. Then Hardy gets a badly needed takedown and ride out to make it 7-5 going into the third.
3rd period. Quick escape for Hardy makes it 7-6. A little more than a minute to go. Riding time not a factor. Shot by Davis, he’s got a leg but he’s extended. Hardy sits the corner, he locks up a cradle, and Davis is on his back. It’ll be big points for Hardy, and a pin! Huge fall for Brother Brock! Some extra ciriculars after the pin. Hardy taps Davis’ belly, Davis takes exception and steps to Hardy but it’s all diffused. In any event, Huskers get on the board in a big way!
And it turns out Penn State lost a team point due to Davis’ reaction. He did kind of kick Hardy a little so yeah, don’t kick even if you get some unwanted belly pats I guess.
Brock Hardy, Nebraska pins Braeden Davis, Penn State
Penn State 7, Nebraska 6
149: #1 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State vs #13 Chance Lamer, Nebraska
1st period: Lamer gets the first takedown, but that can be dangerous on a wrestler like Van Ness, who loves a good comeback. Quick escape makes it 3-1. Blood time with 1:47 left in the first. Van Ness always attacking but Lamer’s counters could make that strategy tricky. Van Ness keeps the pressure on for the final minute of the period but no scores, no stall calls. 3-1 Lamer leads.
2nd period: Lamer takes bottom, sits, turns and is out to make it 4-1. Van Ness clears the head and hands and he’s in deep. Powerful mat return and it’s tied 4-4. Van Ness has the bottom leg in a shallow turk and he’s looking for nearfall but Lamer bellies out. Van Ness keeps Lamer flat long enough to induce the stall call on Lamer, his first. Deep tight waist keeps Lamer from doing much and the ride out keeps it 4-4 at the break.
3rd period: Van Ness chooses bottom. Lamer runs riding time down to 46 seconds before Van Ness escapes. Shayne leads 5-4. Van Ness moving Lamer around the mat, and then pounces on a well timed double leg. he drives Lamer to the mat and it’s 8-4. RT over a minute with less than 60 seconds to go. Escape for Lamer and now Chance in on a shot, defended by Van Ness. Beautiful level change and fast finish gives Van Ness another takedown to make it 11-5 in short time. Rideout and the RT point but it’s still a 12-5 regular decision, though also another ranked win for SVN!
Shayne Van Ness, Penn State decisions Chance Lamer, Nebraska, 12-5
Penn State 10, Nebraska 6
157: #2 PJ Duke, Penn State vs #5 Antrell Taylor, Nebraska
1st period: The marquee matchup of the evening! The true frosh phenom vs the reigning national champion! Each wrestler trades attacks, fierce handfighting right off the bat. Nice flurry as Taylor shoots, Duke drags for the go behind but Taylor pivots and defends and they’re back to neutral. Duke in deep, he’s got Taylor on one foot. Front trip nearly has the takedown but somehow Taylor defends. They continue the world class scramble until the go out of bounds. Taylor hit with a stall call and coach Manning does not like it. The crowd responds to Manning’s demonstrative arguing with a shower of boos. And now a late brick from the Penn State corner saying they saw a takedown on the replay. We’ll see what the refs see when they get another go at it. The call is confirmed, eliciting another boo shower from the crowd. The period ends 0-0.
2nd period:
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.
Carson Jasa pitched a strong game, earning his second complete-game of the season. Nebraska’s offense started fast and kept rolling, leading to a 12-2 run-rule win over No. 12 USC in seven innings on Saturday at Hawks Field. This marked head coach Will Bolt’s 200th career win at Nebraska.
A season-high crowd of 7,602 fans filled the ballpark, making for one of the most exciting games of the year. This attendance is the 25th largest in Hawks Field history and the second biggest since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, just behind the 7,650 fans at a 2021 doubleheader against Michigan. The fans saw Nebraska play a complete game, improving to 30-9 overall and 14-3 in the conference. USC fell to 30-10 and 13-7 in Big Ten play.
Nebraska’s offense scored 12 runs on 12 hits and made only one error. USC scored just two runs on five hits and had two defensive mistakes. Drew Grego led the way, going 3-for-4 and missing the cycle by only a triple. He hit a home run, a double, and drove in four runs. Dylan Carey also went 3-for-4 with a home run and scored three times. Case Sanderson went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs, and Jett Buck added a double and scored three runs. Mac Moyer, Joshua Overbeek, and Trey Fikes each had a hit.
Jasa took control on the mound right from the start. He pitched all seven innings, giving up just two runs, only one earned, on five hits. He struck out seven and walked only two, moving his record to 7-1 this season.
The Huskers started strong, taking an early lead in the first inning. Nebraska sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs right away. Sanderson brought in the first run with a groundout that scored Moyer. Buck hit a double to bring home Carey, Grego added an RBI double to score Buck, and Overbeek finished the inning with a single that made it 4-0.
Nebraska added to its lead in the third inning with three solo home runs.. Sanderson and Carey hit back-to-back homers, and Grego followed by sending the first pitch he saw over the left field wall. That made it 7-0 and put the game out of reach.
The Huskers continued to add on in the fifth inning, capitalizing on aggressive baserunning. Carey and Buck each stole. The Huskers kept building their lead in the fifth inning by taking advantage of aggressive baserunning. Carey and Buck both stole bases to get into scoring position, and Grego singled to left field to drive them both in, making it 9-0.
USC rallied briefly in the top of the seventh, scoring two runs on three hits and a Nebraska error. A solo home run gave the Trojans their first run, and a mix of hits and a defensive mistake brought in another, making it 10-2. Stokes drew walks to put runners on base, and Trey Fikes delivered an RBI single to left field. A USC fielding error on the play allowed both Buck and Stokes to score, ending the game at 12-2 and clinching the series for the Huskers.
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On the 12th day of the 2026 transfer portal cycle, Nebrasketball picked up its fourth commitment.
Boden Kapke, a 6-foot-11 forward/center out of Boston College, has committed to the Huskers. He has one season of eligibility remaining.
Kapke announced his commitment on social media, captioning his post, “🔴⚪️GBR🌽”
Kapke began his college career at Butler. As a true freshman, he played in 22 games, averaging 7.0 minutes of action per contest. In limited run during his first season of collegiate action, he shot 48% from the field and made seven of his 17 attempts (41%) from three-point range.
As a sophomore, Kapke made 16 starts while appearing in 34 of the team’s 35 games. In just 13.4 minutes per game, he averaged 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds. He shot 40% from the field and 27% (18-for-66) from deep.
Kapke transferred to Boston College for his junior season. In his lone year with the Eagles, his numbers jumped to 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds over 26.7 minutes a game. He made 17 starts in 31 appearances on the year. He shot 47% from the field and 33% on three-pointers.
Out of Victoria, Minnesota, Kapke was a finalist for his state’s 2023 Mr. Basketball. As a senior, he averaged 23 points and 13 rebounds a game, helping Holy Family Catholic to a 29-3 record and the Class AA State Tournament semifinals.
Kapke finished his prep career with 1,796 career points and 1,062 rebounds.
Nebraska lost nearly all of its frontcourt production from a 28-7 campaign that ended in the Sweet 16. Starter Rienk Mast and backup Jared Garcia have both exhausted their eligibility, while starter Berke Büyüktuncel entered the transfer portal last week.
The Huskers do have a returning frontcourt player in Leo Curtis. The 7-foot-2 native of Iceland appeared in 17 games as a true freshman.
Nebraska also picked up a likely starting four man from Belmont in Sam Orme. The full-time starter as a redshirt sophomore this past season, Orme averaged 12.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 25.8 minutes per game.
Still up in the air is the status of Central Michigan transfer Ugnius Jaruševičius. The Lithuanian big man played in just one game in 2025-26 with Nebraska and is seeking a medical waiver for an additional year of eligibility. With his back issues and a waiver being needed from the NCAA, the coaching staff can’t be certain that he’ll be available next season.
As of this commitment, Kapke would slide into the starting five spot. Kapke is nearly identical to Mast in terms of size, bringing one more inch of height and five more pounds of weight. His offensive play style, however, would be more similar to what Husker fans saw from Büyüktuncel.
A final decision is still to be announced from Boise State forward/center Drew Fielder. The former Georgetown big averaged 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists this past season with the Broncos, shooting 40.9.% on three-pointers and 60.6% inside the arc. Fielder has visited Nebraska and Washington and is visiting Alabama this weekend.
On Friday, Nebraska picked up a starting ball handler in Utah Valley’s Trevan Leonhardt. This past season, he started all 35 games, averaging 11.8 points, 6.0 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per contest. He earned first-team All-WAC and All-Defensive team honors.
Nebraska’s starting lineup right now projects to be Leonhardt, Sandfort, Frager, Orme, and Kapke. That gives the Huskers a starting lineup height of 6-foot-5, 6-foot-7, 6-foot-7, 6-foot-9, and 6-foot-11. As for three-point shooting, that group had averages in 2025-26 of 37%, 41.6%, 35.2%, 40.4%, and 33%.
Multiple pieces from last year have confirmed they will be returning.
First-team All-Big Ten selection Pryce Sandfort will be back for his senior season. Coach Fred Hoiberg confirmed earlier this month that the first-team All-Big Ten selection had been battling a sports hernia injury. Sandfort underwent surgery after the season ended and will be rehabbing for several weeks, diminishing the potential of him leaving early for the NBA draft.
Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year Braden Frager re-signed with Nebraska. He will slide into one of the starting spots vacated by Sam Hoiberg and Jamarques Lawrence. In his redshirt freshman season, Frager hit the 20-point scoring mark six times on his way to averaging 11.8 points a game off the bench.
Curtis and main rotation piece Cale Jacobsen have also had their returns confirmed. In 2025-26, Jacobsen played in all 35 contests, averaging 4.6 points on 52 percent shooting, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game with a 2.1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Along with Jaruševičius, sharpshooter Connor Essegian is also seeking a medical waiver for an additional year of eligibility. However, he did get an official return post on social media. In the seven games he was on the floor this season, he averaged 5.4 points per game, making eight three-pointers.
Other players on the roster to be confirmed returning are Henry Burt and Will Cooper.
The Huskers are also adding a pair of high school signees. Colin Rice and Jacob Lanier are both four-star forward prospects and could see the floor earlier in their collegiate careers.
Besides 61-game starter Büyüktuncel, Nebraska has also seen Quentin Rhymes and Justin Bolis leave via the transfer portal.
Nebraska now has two open spots remaining on the roster. The portal remains open through April 21.
Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to kalebhenry.huskermax@gmail.com.
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