There have been 25 seasons of Huskers making big plays on the outside.
Now, as HuskerMax looks to build the Nebraska All-Quarter-Century team, we must decide on the offensive linemen to represent the last 25 years of Cornhuskers. There are 20 players eligible.
All-Quarter-Century Team: Voting Schedule. All-Quarter-Century Team: Voting Schedule. dark. Next
The Nebraska All-Quarter-Century team will include five offensive lineman. The full team will be released on Aug. 1.
Vote for five players below. Continue scrolling for information on each of the players.
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Bryce Benhart is the youngest player on this list, finishing his career in 2024. That youth didn’t stop him from setting a number of records while playing in 20% of the eligible seasons for the All-Quarter-Century Team. Benhart holds the Husker record for career starts at 54 and career games played at 60. He also has the most starts for an offensive lineman or right tackle, with both at 54.
Nebraska Cornhuskers offensive lineman Bryce Benhart (54) blocks Michigan Wolverines linebacker Eyabi Okie (18) in 2022. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Mike Caputo started 27 games between the 2010 and 2011 seasons, earning second-team All-Big Ten as a senior. He was a semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, given to a standout college player who began their career as a walk-on.
Nebraska Cornhuskers center Mike Caputo in action against the Texas A&M Aggies in 2010. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Toniu Fonoti earned All-Big 12 honors twice in the early 2000s, including 2001 when he was a first-team All-American. A finalist for the Outland Trophy and semifinalist for the Lombardi, he helped lead Nebraska to the BCS National Championship. Along the way, Fonoti set records for single-game pancake blocks (32, Texas Tech), single-season pancakes (201), and career pancakes (379).
Toniu Fonoti / Nebraska Football Media Guide
John Garrison was the starting center for the Big Red during the 2001 season. The Huskers made the BCS National Championship while Garrison was snapping the ball to Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch.
Nick Gates earned All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore in 2016. From 2015-17, he started 35 games. His 25 straight starts at left tackle was the longest streak for a Husker since 2001.
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Nebraska Cornhuskers outside linebacker Nick Gates talks to a referee during the 2017 game against the Northwestern Wildcats. / Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images
Ricky Henry earned unanimous first-team All-Big 12 honors as a senior in 2010, making him the first Husker offensive lineman to do so since Toniu Fonoti in 2001. The Nebraska native transferred back to Lincoln for his final two years, where he started every game at right guard.
Nebraska Cornhuskers offensive lineman Ricky Henry blocks against the Texas A&M Aggies in 2010 at Kyle Field. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Jacob Hickman started for three seasons with the Huskers, including his second-team All-Big 12 campaign in 2009. After seeing action in 12 games as a sophomore at guard, he started all 27 games as a junior and senior at center.
Russ Hochstein earned more than just All-Big 12 honors in 2000, he was also an All-American. He helped Nebraska claim the NCAA rushing title in 2000. Against Notre Dame, he set a school record for pancake blocks in a game with 23.
Richie Incognito was the first Husker freshman offensive lineman to start in the season opener and just the third rookie lineman to earn any start in his first year of competition. He would eventually earn All-Big 12 honors and notch the second-highest pancake total in a season with 171.
Brenden Jaimes set Husker records for consecutive starts by an offensive lineman (40) and starts by a true freshman offensive lineman (9). He was just the fifth true freshman offensive lineman to start at Nebraska and only the 11th Husker offensive lineman to play as a true freshman. Only Jermiah Sirles had started more career games on the offensive line as a Husker by the time Jaimes was done.
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Nebraska Cornhuskers offensive lineman Brenden Jaimes during the 2018 game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Cam Jurgens made the switch from tight end to center during a redshirt season in 2018. That move proved to be perhaps the single best decision of the Scott Frost era. Jurgens started all but one game over the next three seasons, earning third-team All-Big Ten in 2021.
Alex Lewis spent two seasons in Lincoln, starting all 26 games at left tackle. Earning All-Big Ten honors in 2015, Lewis also joined his father and former Husker, Bill, in becoming a team captain, making them only the third family in Nebraska history to have a father-son combination both serve as Cornhusker captains.
Nebraska Cornhuskers offensive lineman Alex Lewis (71) during the 2014 game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Spencer Long had his career at NU end with an injury, but before that he left a legacy. A two-time Burlsworth Trophy semifinalist after beginning as a walk-on, Long earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2011. In 2012, he improved to first-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-America. Despite a senior season cut short, Long and his brother Jake became third set of brothers in Nebraska history to both earn academic All-America awards, and the first to do so in the same season.
Nebraska Cornhuskers right guard Spencer Long high fives the fans after their 2012 game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Nebraska beat Iowa 13-7. / Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
Kurt Mann started every game in 2004 and 2005 for the Big Red. The Nebraska native earned All-Big 12 honors in ’05 while anchoring the line at the center position and helping Zac Taylor to have a record-setting passing season.
Carl Nicks made 13 starts and appeared in 23 games over his two seasons in Lincoln. The 2007 second-team All-Big 12 selection saw time at both tackle positions, helping the Huskers to an electric passing attack in his final year.
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Cole Pensick earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2013. Originally a defensive tackle, Pensick worked his way into consistent time by his junior year. In 2012, he played in all 14 games and got a pair of starts at center. As a senior, Pensick made 12 starts over 13 games, including sliding over to guard as teammates fell to injuries.
Dominic Raiola is the only player on this list to have his jersey retired. The inaugural Rimington Award winner in 2000 as the best center in the nation, Raiola was also a finalist for the Lombardi and the Outland trophies. He earned first-team All-America while helping the Huskers to an NCAA rushing title (349.0 yards per game).
Dominic Raiola was the inaugural winner of the Rimington Trophy, awarded to college football’s top center. / Nebraska Athletics
Jeremiah Sirles made more starts than any other Husker offensive lineman had before him, with 41. He fought through multiple injuries to see action in 53 games, including both tackle positions.
Nebraska Cornhuskers tackle Jeremiah Sirles (71) in action against the Oklahoma Sooner during the 2010 Big 12 championship game at Cowboys Stadium. / Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images
Matt Slauson saw time at the guard and tackle positions over his four years in Lincoln, proving his versatility time and again. An All-Big 12 selection in 2008, Slauson appeared in 45 games over his career.
Nebraska Cornhuskers linebacker Matt Slauson (70) during the 2008 Red-White spring game. The Red team won 24-14. / Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images
Dave Volk earned second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2001 while helping the Huskers to a 15th NCAA rushing title and a BCS National Championship appearance. He was just the fourth Husker with more than 300 career pancakes, finishing with 343 pancakes to rank fifth all time at NU. He, Toniu Fonoti, and John Garrison all averaged double-figure pancakes in ’01.
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Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraskahas enjoyed a journey unlike any other album. Made in the wake of his commercial breakthrough The River, the album found The Boss in retreat, leaving the E Street Band behind, reluctant to engage with record company demands for a hit single.
Instead, inspired by literature and film, he recorded alone on an acoustic guitar, taping everything on a four-track machine. The result was a stark, haunting collection of songs that gave voice to workers and outlaws seeking light in the darkness.
To the surprise and subsequent delight of Columbia Records, Nebraska sold a million. It may not have matched the commercial success of The River, but it paved the way for Born In The USA, and it’s become one of Springsteen’s most loved collections. It inspired Warren Zanes’s 2023 book Deliver Me from Nowhere, which in turn inspired Scott Cooper’s 2025 film Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.
And now there’s a quiz: 20 questions about Nebraska, designed by literal experts. Let us know how you get on in the comments section below.
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Two of the top teams in Nebraska high school football will square off in the semifinals of the Class A state playoffs this week.
Omaha Westside, the No. 1 seed, handled Kearney in the quarterfinals, 35-7, while Millard South dominated Elkhorn South, 48-3. The other A semifinal will pit No. 2 seed Creighton Prep against three-set Papillion-LaVista South.
Tay Tay Jenkins, the star junior running back for Omaha Westside, rushed for 202 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Kearney. Braylen Warren threw for 195 yards with two TD passes to Bryson Williams, who had three receptions for 101 yards.
Jett Thomalla, an Alabama commit, led three opening quarter scoring drives to give Millard South control right off the bat. The senior finished with 301 yards passing and three scores, completing 22 of 37 to seven different receivers.
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Last year, Millard South topped Omaha Westside in the finals, 27-10. Millard South was forced to forfeit a win this past season, likely knocking them down to the No. 4 seed in the playoffs.
Toris Rudd, Isaac Jensen and Dallas Gaius-Anyaegbu each caught TD passes, as Jensen had five for 86 and Gaius-Anyaegbu caught six for 83. Nelson Wheeler added two rushing touchdowns on just five carries, going for 60 yards.
Creighton Prep got by Lincoln East in the quarterfinals, 14-6, while Papillion-LaVista South survived vs. upset-happy Millard North, 36-26. Millard North, the No. 11 seed, had knocked off six-seeded Omaha North to advance.
Angelo Walker had 106 yards rushing and a touchdown to lead Creighton Prep, as Papillion-LaVista South got 281 yards and four scores from senior Logan Arch.
In other semifinal round games, the B final four will see No. 1 Waverly take on fifth-seed Bennington while No. 2 Gretna East gets rival and 11th-seeded Gretna, who has pulled two consecutive upsets to reach this point.
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In C1, the Top 4 seeds all advanced, as No. 1 Wahoo plays Ashland-Greenwood and Lakeview meets Sidney. C2, meanwhile, will see three of the Top 4 in action, as No. 2 Bishop Neumann plays No. 3 Kearney Catholic while No. 4 Grand Island Central Catholic gets No. 9 Ord.
Ord knocked off top-seed Cedar Catholic in the quarterfinals, 27-21, as junior quarterback Jordan Williams threw for 205 yards and ran for 130 with three total touchdowns.
The D1 semifinals will pit Shelby-Rising City vs. Crofton and Sandy Creek vs. Plainview; D2 has Howells-Dodge vs. St. Mary’s and Central Valley vs. Wynot; and D6 will see Garden County play Stuart along with Red Cloud vs. Southwest.
Millard South, Wahoo, Sandy Creek, Central Valley and Stuart are all looking to defend titles from last year.
Emmett Johnson helped lead Nebraska to victory on Saturday night, going for 232 total yards and scoring three touchdowns. With an All-Big Ten season in the cards, could his time as a Cornhusker be coming to a close?
On this week’s After Nebraska Football, Jack Mitchell and Josh Peterson explored the possibility of Johnson heading off to the NFL when this season comes to a close.
Below is a lightly edited transcript of their discussion.
Josh: Sadly, I think I feel pretty good that we are watching the end of the Emmett Johnson Nebraska experience. I think you probably have two games left, depending on what he wants to do for the bowl game. That’s the part that now you start getting kind of sad because the dude has blossomed before our eyes in such a special way this year. And again, he’s getting better over the course of it.
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If I’m him and I’m guessing, knowing what I do about Matt Rhule, he’s told him, “Yeah, you got to go to the next level.” And so you got to chase after that second contract as soon as possible. So I think we’re watching the end of his Husker career. Which is a bummer, but it’s obviously happening for the best reason. It’s because he’s good.
Jack: I’ll tell you this, if I were him, it’d be the end for me. I’ll tell you that right now. If I were him, there would be no question for so many reasons, Josh. I hadn’t really been thinking about it until John [Bishop], Nate [Rohr]. and I talked through it Friday morning.
Josh: I hadn’t been thinking about it until like two weeks ago! This has totally caught me off guard, man. It really has.
Emmett Johnson has improved across the board in 2025 and against UCLA, he put up 200+ yards and scored three touchdowns. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Jack: If he’s a top ten running back in the draft and by the way, I’m sure he’s going to continue to climb if he keeps doing this and catching the ball out of the backfield and those sorts of things; if he’s a top ten running back in the draft, it would be really hard not to go. Especially because his stock is [in] a place where you’re afraid it’s never going to be this high again.
Josh: Correct.
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Jack: Because how many times do you have game after game after game like he’s had, right? That’s not a rip on him or saying it’s a fluke. It’s just freaking hard to do that. And that doesn’t even take into account the possibility of an injury.
Josh: Yes, exactly. And like we looked at the Cam Skattebo contract because he was the eighth running back drafted last year. He had like a million guaranteed* and that was all signing bonus. Plus, he got a million dollars this year for his salary. So that’s two [million dollars].
*The official numbers can be found here: $1,073,040 in guarantees, $840,000 salary in 2025.
Running backs in the portal; as much money is being thrown out there in college football these days, a running back is not going for $2 million. So already you are making a whole lot more money in the pros. And then of course the other thing is you are then one year closer to your second contract, which is the one where, if you’re getting off to a good start and you have a good NFL career, that’s where the real money would be made.
Could Emmett Johnson make as much in the portal – or at Nebraska – as he will in the NFL? It’s hard to imagine that’s possible. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Jack: I hope I’m wrong. If it were me, I’d be out. I’d be out and I wouldn’t be transferring either. I’d be going to the pros. [Mel] Kiper had him number eight [on his latest Draft Board]. That would be for reference, Cam Skattebo in last year’s draft. The fourth round is where it falls. John went through a list of them. It was really interesting. Chuba Hubbard was the number eight running back one year. It’ll take a few years, but as you are pointing out, that’s when you get life-changing money, right?
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That was what Kiper had. I’m not a huge draft guy, so I actually hadn’t even looked it up till just the other day because there’s no reason to think about it. But the thing is he’s going to go pro. His stock is gonna rocket. Imagine that was like a national game or a game people really paying attention.
Josh: Jack, let’s see what happens now over the course of the next couple [games]. He’s now rushed for 100-plus in his last three. He’s rushed for more than a hundred in four of his last five. In terms of all-purpose yards, he has hit over 100 all-purpose yards in every game going back to Michigan State. So that’s now six in a row. His worst Power [Four] game this year was 97 yards on 24 total touches against Michigan. So even against Michigan, he got close to 100 all-purpose yards. Every other power game, he’s gotten well past that. And then, of course, yesterday, he finishes with 200-plus yards. And now he has 14 total touchdowns on the year.
Next. Previously: Can Emmett Johnson take The Leap?. Previously: Can Emmett Johnson take The Leap?. dark
Remember coming into the season, you and I liked him, of course. We thought he was really good. All of that was based off of some flashes here and there early in his career, but in particular the last four games [in 2024]. And we had like two questions. One, his durability. Is he gonna be able to touch the ball as much? Because he averaged 20.5 touches in the final four games last year. He’s answered that one obviously with flying colors. He’s getting 30 touches a game.
The other was, he just doesn’t score a lot of touchdowns. [Dante] Dowdell was always a touchdown guy and now he’s got 14 and he’s tied for fourth in the country. He’s answered those questions with flying colors over the course of the whole season, but certainly over the last month.
Jack: Dude, isn’t it crazy that he split time with Dante Dowdell last year?
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Emmett Johnson nationally after 11 weeks of the 2025 CFB season:
1431 yards from scrimmage: 1st
1131 rushing yards: 2nd
14 total touchdowns: 4th
Incredible 2025 season for the junior running back. https://t.co/p8P9KJ1TOO
Jack: I didn’t even like [it] then. When he wasn’t maybe gonna be getting Heisman votes. I didn’t even like it then, and now I hate that they could not develop him faster.
Josh: But in the end, and this is the other thing that John brought up, he doesn’t have a whole lot of carries on his odometer. That’s the other thing that’s gonna work in his favor when you start looking at the NFL draft. He’s gotten better over the course of his career, but he doesn’t really have a whole lot of carries early on in his career either.
Jack: Third down back, man.
Josh: What a special season for him.
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Emmett Johnson had 96 total yards against Iowa in the 13-10 loss in 2024. Can he put together a better performance later this month? / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Jack: Yep. It’s been awesome. I need him to stay healthy, but they’re going to have to ride him in the next two games. Think if it’s bad weather in either of these games or something.
Josh: This second off week could not have come at a better time because they’re going to catch Penn State who will have played another game, and they’re probably all caught in their feels. And then Iowa’s Iowa. In a season with two off weeks, getting the second one in week 12, that’s pretty good.
Jack: That guy’s got to be so freaking happy. Everybody does, I’m sure.
But man, can you imagine that Iowa game? Like if he walks on Senior Day and you’re going to have the national spotlight at that time slot pretty much.
Watch the entire postgame show below, including Jack and Josh’s breakdown of TJ Lateef’s first start, the performance by the defense, and a preview of what bowl games Nebraska could be looking at.
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