Addressing Pushback On Ranking Nebraska Cornhuskers, Matt Rhule In Top 25 Post Spring Rankings

Nebraska is looking to add a more reliable and proficient passing game starting this season. Several additions could help the ‘Huskers to do that, including the pickup of WR Isaiah Neyor.

Matt Rhule explained Neyor’s potential impact in Lincoln during a recent interview on ‘Always College Football’ with Greg McElroy. He noted how their offense is hoping to add a different dimension with a pass attack that they don’t see as much of within their own conference.

“Yeah, I think, when you look at the Big Ten? You put on a bunch of Big Ten games. Then you put on, like, SEC games, obviously I’ve been in the Big 12. I think the difference you see is explosive passing games,” Rhule said. “Like, there’s just not as much of it in the Big Ten. There’s a lot more underneath passing games, controlling the middle of the field. Maybe some of that has to do with weather at times.”

That’s where a receiver like Neyor comes in. He can be a vertical threat for Nebraska and be a weapon that can get them on top of and past defenses that are playing them in certain looks.

“What we wanted – and Isaiah was a guy that could take the top off in coverage. Two years ago here, they had Trey Palmer. They went to Iowa, beat Iowa and really it was because he ran by them,” said Rhule. “Neyor brings to us a guy at six-foot-three, 220 pounds who’s a 4.3 player. He has got good ball skills.”

“If you’re going to try to play man coverage, we want to try to run by you. If you’re going to try to play quarters coverage, we want to try to run by you. We weren’t really able to do that very much last year – here and there we could,” Rhule said. “That’s what Isaiah brings.”

Neyor has spent the four seasons of his collegiate career at Wyoming and Texas with two apiece with the Cowboys and Longhorns.

In a pair of years in Laramie, he caught 52 passes for 1,126 yards and 12 touchdowns. Almost all of that came as a redshirt sophomore with 44 receptions for 878 and each of his dozen scores.

However, his two seasons on The 40 Acres weren’t what anyone wanted them to be. Neyor didn’t appear in his first year in Austin after a knee injury in fall camp cost him the entire campaign. He then only appeared in one game for the Longhorns last year, which was the season opener against Rice, and caught just one ball for 14 yards.

Now, with Neyor joining Nebraska in the portal this offseason, he’ll look to add to a passing game that struggled last season. The Cornhuskers completed less than a dozen throws a game at 52.1% for an average of 135.9 yards and 0.8 touchdowns from their three quarterbacks. Their leading receiver, Billy Kemp, finished with 35 catches for 310 yards and a touchdown. Thomas Fidone III, although a tight end, also found some success with 25 receptions for 260 yards and a team-high of four scores.

A little life in the passing attack wouldn’t hurt for an offense like Nebraska’s. They’ve certainly tried to address that, though, both at the key position in quarterback and with potential targets like Neyor.

OMAHA – Nebraska Baseball gears up for the Big Ten Baseball tournament in Omaha today with its first round matchup set with seventh seeded Ohio State:

NEBRASKA vs. OHIO STATE

May 21, 2024

Omaha, Neb. | Charles Schwab Field

Tuesday, May 21 – 2 p.m. CT

Pitching: TBD vs. TBD

TV/Streaming: BTN

Radio: Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com, Huskers App

Follow the Game

• Every game of the 2024 Big Ten Baseball Tournament can be seen on Big Ten Network. Connor Onion and Danan Hughes will be on the call on BTN on Tuesday afternoon.

• Fans can also listen to Dave Gustafson Ben McLaughlin call the action this week on the Huskers Radio Network.

• Every game this season can be heard for free on Huskers.com and the Official Nebraska Huskers App for both iOS and android devices.

Nebraska vs. Ohio State

• Through 35 all-time meetings, Nebraska holds an 21-14 advantage over the Buckeyes in the all-time series.

• The Huskers took two of three games from Ohio State in a weekend series earlier this season in Lincoln.

• Tuesday’s matchup marks the sixth meeting between the two programs in the Big Ten Tournament. The Buckeyes have won three of the five meetings in the Big Ten Tournament after picking up a 3-1 win against the Big Red in 2019.

Huskers in the Big Ten Tournament

• This week marks the ninth Big Ten Tournament the Huskers have appeared in since joining the Big Ten in 2012.

• Nebraska holds a 14-15 record in 29 all-time games in the Big Ten Tournament, including an 8-7 mark in the four seasons the tournament has been played in Omaha.

Clark’s Mid-Season Evolution on the Mound

• It’s been a tale of two seasons in 2024 for Caleb Clark. After a slow start to the year, the southpaw has come on strong, providing key outings in crucial moments for the NU pitching staff in the last month.

• The sophomore has made 10 outings since Nebraska’s series at Rutgers in mid-April, allowing just eight earned runs in 21 innings for a 3.43 ERA.

• Clark has limited opposing hitters to a .173 hitting clip since making the change on the mound and has tallied 24 punchouts to nine walks.

Husker Duo Climb Strikeout List in Big Ten Era

• Brett Sears and Mason McConnaughey rank among leaders in single-season strikeouts by an NU pitcher since the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2012.

• Sears has 87 strikeouts this season, which are third-most by a Husker in the Big Ten era and just one away from tying Cade Povich (2021) in second.

• McConnaughey ranks tied for seventh on the list with 70 strikeouts this year, just two shy of tying Shay Schanaman in sixth.

Middle-Third Production Boosting the Big Red

• Nebraska has been successful the second time through the lineup on the mound and in the batter’s box, outscoring opponents 151-75 in the middle-third innings this season.

• The Huskers hold a 54-20 advantage in the fourth inning, while outscoring opponents 45-20 in the fifth inning and 52-35 in the sixth inning.

• The Husker offense is hitting .306 at the plate with 76 extra-base hits and 141 RBI in the fourth through sixth innings, while the NU pitching staff is limiting opponents to a .237 hitting clip and a 3.84 ERA in the middle-third innings.

Sanderson’s Early Impact at Collegiate Level

• Freshman Case Sanderson leads the Huskers with a .373 batting average along with four doubles, a triple, two home runs and 21 RBI across 45 games, including 34 starts.

• The Nevada, Mo., native has reached base in 24 of his last 25 games and is hitting .385 (30-for-78) with six extra-base hits and 12 RBI over that span.

• Sanderson has reached base at a .510 clip this season for the Huskers, which ranks 19th in the nation and second in the Big Ten.

Silva’s Speed With Stolen Bases

• Riley Silva is one of five D1 players to steal 31-plus bases and be caught three-or-fewer times, joining K-State’s Brendan Jones as the only Power Five players this season.

• Silva is the 10th NU player since 2000 to swipe at least 20 bases, and the first Husker to steal 30-or-more bases in a season since Jamal Strong (35) in 2000.

Worthley, Daiss Holding Down the Husker Bullpen

• NU’s set-up man, Jalen Worthley, is 3-0 with a 3.64 ERA and four saves across a bullpen-high 29.1 innings. The southpaw has made a team-high 10 multi-inning relief appearances for NU and punched out 28 batters while issuing just six walks.

• The Huskers’ closer, Casey Daiss, leads the Big Red in saves (5) and boasts a 3.48 ERA across 20.2 innings of work. Daiss has held opponents scoreless in 15 of his 19 appearances this season for the Big Red.

Silva Plunked Third-Most Times in Season

• Riley Silva has been hit by pitch 23 times this season, which is third-most in program history.

• Silva is one away from tying Corey Miller (1996) in second and five shy of the program record of 28 set by Daniel Bruce in 2002.

Bats in the Nebraska Lineup

• Tyler Stone is batting .313 with eight home runs and 33 RBI for the Big Red, while Ben Columbus has posted a .309 average this season with four doubles, five home runs and 26 RBI.

• Cole Evans is hitting .265 this season with 10 doubles, five home runs, and 40 RBI over a team-high 53 games played, including 46 starts.

• Dylan Carey has hits in 16 of his last 24 games and leads the Big Red with 15 doubles, raising his batting average from .236 to .261 over that span.

• Rhett Stokes holds a .339 batting average with 11 doubles, a home run and 15 RBI, while Cayden Brumbaugh is hitting .323 with 11 doubles, three triples and 19 RBI.

• Garrett Anglim holds a .255 batting average this season with seven doubles, two homers and 22 RBI. Joshua Overbeek is batting .282 with 10 extra-base hits, 22 RBI and 34 runs scored.

Huskers in the Pen

• Rans Sanders has a 4.05 ERA for the Huskers across 13.1 innings with a pair of saves, allowing six earned runs this season.

• Kyle Perry’s 23 relief appearances lead all NU relievers as the senior is 1-2 with a 5.89 ERA and a career-high tying three saves.

• Evan Borst is limiting opponents to a .182 batting average (8-for-44) this season, posting 15 strikeouts over 12.1 innings of work.

• Kyle Froehlich has appeared in 18 games for the Huskers, punching out 18 batters while issuing five walks across 18.1 innings.

As the university moves into summer sessions, Nebraska Today is taking a deeper dive into the numbers behind the university’s May 2024 commencement.

Click on any image below to read more about commencement and the Huskers who earned degrees.

^{Graphics by Kristen Labadie, text by Sean Hagewood | University Communication and Marketing}