Nebraska

Top 40 Huskers for 2024: 36-40

Published

2 years ago

July 4, 2024

Huskeronline On Recent Nebraska Football Commitments, In-state Recruiting & Trev Alberts Parallels

With Nebraska’s 2024 season around the corner, the HuskerOnline team voted on the Top 40 Husker players going into Matt Rhule‘s second season in Lincoln.

The voting criteria were to rank the players based on their importance to the team, overall talent, and future potential for the upcoming season. Our voters focused specifically on the 2024 season, not future seasons, a player’s long-term importance, or future talent.

The voting panel consisted of HuskerOnline publisher Sean Callahan, columnist Steven Sipple, senior writer Robin Washut, and staff writer Abby Barmore. Each voter submitted their own Top 40 list from which the votes were tallied.

We kick off our annual Top 40 Huskers for 2024 with players 36-40, which features a mix of returning veterans and promising underclassmen.

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Nebraska receiver Alex Bullock (Photo: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports)

40. Alex Bullock, WR, Jr.

In many ways, Alex Bullock was Nebraska’s most consistent wide receiver in 2023. While his role catapulted after a handful of key injuries in the room, the former walk-on made the most of his opportunity.

Bullock appeared in every game for the Huskers last season, including making eight starts. He ranked third on the team with 15 catches for 221 yards and a touchdown.

NU has significantly upgraded the depth and talent in its wideout room this offseason, which explains Bullock’s ranking in this year’s Top 40. But you know what you’re going to get from the former Omaha Creighton Prep standout on every play.

Sean	Sipple	Robin	Abby
NR	26th	NR	NR

Nebraska defensive back Jeremiah Charles (Photo: Casey Fritton/HuskerOnline)

39. Jeremiah Charles, DB, RFr.

Jeremiah Charles’ stock has risen exponentially over this offseason. He stole the show during Nebraska’s Football Dunk Contest at a Husker basketball game in February, and his momentum hasn’t slowed down since.

On the football field, Charles found his footing in the defensive back group. He came to NU in 2022 as a wide receiver but switched to DB early on.

He’s now become one of the top options at cornerback. One year after his position change and getting to digest the defensive scheme, Charles could have a big 2024 season.

Sean	Sipple	Robin	Abby
NR	36th	38th	33rd

Nebraska defensive lineman Riley Van Poppel (Photo: Ken Juszyk/HuskerOnline)

38. Riley Van Poppel, DL, So.

While some of Nebraska’s true freshmen defensive linemen eased into last season, Riley Van Poppel jumped right into the fire. The former four-star recruit out of Argyle, Texas, played in 11 games and finished with five tackles, a TFL, a half sack, and one quarterback hurry.

He’ll once again be a depth piece in 2024 after the returns of seniors Ty Robinson and Nash Hutmacher. But that hasn’t stopped Van Poppel from preparing to be the Huskers’ next anchor on the d-line.

He’s put on 10-15 pounds this offseason and is up to around 290. With NU limiting Robinson and Hutmacher all spring, Van Poppel also took full advantage of a significant practice workload. The sophomore should be a fixture in the d-line rotation and ready to take the baton in 2025.

Sean	Sipple	Robin	Abby
34th	33rd	37th	NR

Nebraska receiver Janiran Bonner (Photo: HuskerOnline)

37. Janiran Bonner, WR, So.

One of the bigger surprises of the spring was Janiran Bonner‘s quiet switch from a tight end/fullback to a wide receiver.

The move raised eyebrows after the sophomore showcased his skills during Nebraska’s spring game. Bonner had four catches for 58 yards, highlighted by an impressive touchdown grab in the scrimmage.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder came into the Huskers as a wide receiver and caught 50 balls for 816 yards as a high school senior. He’ll still be used as a Swiss Army knife in NU’s offense, as he took his first snap of the spring game at fullback.

Sean	Sipple	Robin	Abby
36th	31st	NR	35th

Nebraska offensive lineman Henry Lutovsky (Photo: HuskerOnline)

36. Henry Lutovsky, OL, Jr.

Injuries decimated Nebraska’s offensive line last season, and Henry Lutovsky was a key reserve who helped keep the unit together.

The junior guard played in all 12 games and made two starts at right guard against Purdue and Iowa. The 6-foot-6, 325-pound native of Crawfordsville, Iowa, has made 26 appearances and four starts over his first three seasons as a Husker.

It remains to be seen where Lutovsky will end up in NU’s offensive line pecking order in 2024. However, his experience should give him every opportunity to remain a fixture in the rotation up front.

Sean	Sipple	Robin	Abby
37th	NR	NR	22nd

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Nebraska

Illinois knocks off No.5 Nebraska, earns second top-5 road win in nine days

Published

3 hours ago

February 1, 2026

Press Room

Illinois knocks off No.5 Nebraska, earns second top-5 road win in nine days

LINCOLN, Neb — Revenge!

In a crucial conference matchup with potential Big Ten title implications, it was the visiting Illini that came out on top over the gritty Huskers. With the win, Illinois moves into a tie for first place in the Big Ten.

For the first time in program history Illinois has beaten top-5 teams on the road in back-to-back games. The 78-69 Illinois win over Nebraska at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon marks Illinois’ 11th straight win. The win streak fittingly started immediately after Nebraska upset Illinois in Champaign in mid-December.

“I think we’ve got some toughness,” said Illinois head coach Brad Underwood after the win. “I think we’ve got some connectivity…I think this team has tremendous problem-solving ability. I think our basketball IQ is pretty high. I think our toughness is growing. I think we’ve got a little of that, but I think we’ve got still some room to improve.”

Flawless ball movement on the offensive end was critical for the Illini given the team’s shots were not falling all night. A stifling Illinois defensive effort in the second half particularly frustrated Nebraska’s stars as well.

Freshman Keaton Wagler continued his unbelievable stretch of basketball for Illinois (19-3, 10-1 Big Ten), looking completely unfazed for 40 minutes. The star guard was able to consistently break down the Nebraska (20-2, 9-2 Big Ten) defense, whether man or zone, en route to a 28 point, five rebound, five assist game.

The first half featured both teams working their way through slow-paced, methodical offensive possessions. That was until Nebraska erupted and went on a 14-2 run over the final 3:08 of the half, giving them a 39-33 lead at the break.

“I think we’re resilient,” Underwood said. “I think we’re holding our poise. I think our purpose has been growing. I think our connectivity has been growing.”

The Huskers, who received four made three-pointers from both Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager, shot an impressive 11-for-20 from beyond the arc in the opening half. The Ivisic twins, Tomislav and Zvonimir, combined for 17 points and nine rebounds to lead the way for the Illini.

A Wagler-led 14-5 run completely changed the feel of the game early in the second half. Another 10-0 run in the final 10 minutes took the life out of the building. Illinois seemingly had an answer for every shot Nebraska made in the final 15 minutes of the contest.

Wagler came out of the halftime break firing on all cylinders. 23 of his 28 points came in the second half — a half in which Illinois outscored Nebraska 45-30.

“I didn’t think he [Wagler] forced anything,” said Underwood. “He just settled in in the second half. Again, just took what the defense gave him. When he was open, he seemed to make it. When he wasn’t, he got fouled. Any time you get fouled 12 times, it’s a pretty good sign.”

Keaton Wagler (ILL) — 28 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists
Tomislav Ivisic (ILL) — 12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists
Braden Frager (NEB) — 20 points, 6-for-12 3PT

An absurd pass from Tomislav Ivisic.

A beautiful find from Mirkovic leads to a powerful slam from Ivisic.

Illinois and Northwestern meet for a second time in three weeks. This time around, Illinois gets to host the in-state rival Wildcats. It’s an “Orange Out” at the State Farm Center at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

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Nebraska

USC vs. Nebraska men’s basketball tickets still available for Saturday, Feb. 28

Published

15 hours ago

February 1, 2026

Press Room

USC vs. Nebraska men’s basketball tickets still available for Saturday, Feb. 28

Saturday’s Big Ten slate includes the USC Trojans (16-6, 5-6 Big Ten) facing the Nebraska Cornhuskers (20-1, 9-1 Big Ten) at 4 p.m. ET on BTN.

Buy tickets for USC vs. Nebraska

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USC vs. Nebraska game information

Date: Saturday, February 28, 2026
Time: 4 p.m. ET
How to watch on TV: Big Ten Network
Location: Los Angeles, California
Venue: Galen Center

Watch college basketball on Fubo!

USC leaders

So far this season, Chad Baker-Mazara puts up 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest. At the other end, he posts 0.8 steals and 1.3 blocked shots.
Offensively, Ezra Ausar averages 16.1 points and six rebounds per contest.
Jacob Cofie puts up 9.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest. Defensively, he puts up 1.0 steal and 1.7 blocked shots.
On a per-game basis, Jerry Easter II is posting 5.0 points, 1.4 assists and 3.5 rebounds.
Jordan Marsh is posting 7.3 points, 2.2 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game this season.

Nebraska leaders

On the hardwood, Pryce Sandfort puts up 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. At the other end, he averages 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocked shots.
Sam Hoiberg puts up 9.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per contest. On the defense, he delivers 2.0 steals and 0.1 blocked shots.
Rienk Mast averages 14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest, shooting 46.5% from the floor and 33.7% from beyond the arc with 1.8 made 3-pointers per contest this season.
From an offensive standpoint, Berke Buyuktuncel is averaging 7.4 points, 2.3 assists and 6.1 rebounds per contest.
So far this season, Jamarques Lawrence is averaging 10.8 points, 3.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds per contest.

USC vs. Nebraska stats breakdown

The Trojans shoot 47.1% from the field, 7.7% higher than the Cornhuskers concede defensively.
USC is 11-6 against the spread and 16-2 overall when shooting higher than 39.4% from the field.
The Cornhuskers’ 47.5% shooting percentage from the field is 6.1% higher than the Trojans have given up.
This season Nebraska is 13-6 against the spread and 18-1 overall when shooting better than 41.4% from the field.
The Trojans average 34.1 rebounds, 0.5 more than the Cornhuskers’ average.
The Trojans are the 95th-ranked rebounding team in the country, and the Cornhuskers are 112th.
The Trojans score 16.1 more points than the Cornhuskers give up (65.4).
The Cornhuskers post 5.2 more points per game (80.5) than the Trojans concede (75.3).

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Nebraska

How to Watch No. 5 Nebraska Basketball vs. No. 9 Illinois with Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

Published

1 day ago

January 31, 2026

Press Room

How to Watch No. 5 Nebraska Basketball vs. No. 9 Illinois with Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

Venturing deep into enemy territory for one of the biggest regular-season college basketball games of the year, the No. 5 Nebraska men’s basketball team was rolling, But then No. 3 Michigan came alive — and so did the referee whistles.

Despite the Huskers leading the national-title-contending Wolverines for more than 36 minutes using a seven-man rotation, Nebraska squandered a five-point lead in the final six minutes, missing eight of its nine shots and not scoring for the final 3:20 to drop its first game of the year 75-72.

NU played like the better team for most of the night, and that was without two of its biggest stars in freshman phenom Braden Frager (injury) and Rienk Mast (illness). Plus, the Huskers fell on the wrong side of the whistles, going 3-for-4 from the charity stripe compared to the 19-for-23 showing from the Wolverines, but if all those factors only resulted in a three-point loss to the No. 3 team in the land, then Nebraska should be just fine.

But there’s no time to dwell on NU’s first setback in nearly 10 months as Nebraska continues its toughest stretch of the season by returning to a White Out-themed Pinnacle Bank Arena for another top-ten showdown against No. 9 Illinois. Here’s all you need to know for Sunday’s clash of Big Ten contenders.

How to Follow Along

Matchup: No. 5 Nebraska (20-1, 9-1 B1G) vs. No. 9 Illinois (18-3, 9-1 B1G)
When: Sunday, February 1
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Neb.
Time: 3 p.m. CST
Watch: FS1
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood has the Fighting Illinois in the hunt for the Big Ten regular season crown. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

No. 9 Illinois Scout

Head Coach

Brad Underwood | 9th season at Illinois; 13th as Division I HC.
183-104 (.638) at Illinois; 292-131 (.690) Division I Career Record.
9x NCAA Tournament Apps., 1x Elite Eight.
2x B1G Tournament titles, 1x B1G Regular season, 3x Southland Tournament titles, 3x Southland Regular Season.
3x Southland Coach OTY, Joe B. Hall Coach OTY (2014), Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award (2023.
Previous head coach at Oklahoma State, Stephen F. Austin, Daytona Beach CC and Dodge City CC.
Previous Assistant at South Carolina, Kansas State and Western Illinois.

2024 Record & Awards

22-13 (12-8 B1G, T-7th)
Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year.
All-B1G: 1x Third Team, 1x All-Freshman Team, 1x Honorable Mention.

All-Time Series

Illinois leads 23-10.
Dec. 13, 2025, last matchup, 83-80, NU.

Illinois guard Kylan Boswell (4) is a veteran leader for the Illini and is second on the team with over 13 points per game. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Key Returners

Tomislav Ivisic | C | Jr. | 7-foot-1 center that’s dropping in 10 points and five rebounds per game after missing the first few games of the season due to injury.
Kylan Boswell | G | Sr. | Illinois’ second-leading scorer at over 14 points per game this season, while adding 61 assists and being one of three players with double-digit steals (13).
Ben Humrichous | F | Gr. | One of four players with double-digit blocks (14) for Illinois and produces 5.8 points as a key reserve.
Jake Davis | F | Jr. | Average playing time has increased from nine to 17 minutes since last season and adds 4.7 points per outing.

Key Departures

Kasparas Jakucionis | G | NBA Draft | Lithuanian guard that was taken No. 20 overall in the first round by the Miami Heat after leading the Illini with 15 points per game.
Will Riley | F | NBA Draft | Joined Jakucionis as a freshman draftee from Illinois who went at No. 21 overall by the Utah Jazz; won Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year in his lone college season.
Tre White | G | Transferred to Kansas after averaging over 10 points and five rebounds per game last season as a 31-game starter for Illinois.
Morez Johnson Jr. | Transfer | Now at in-conference foe Michigan after an impactful freshman season off the bench with nearly seven points and rebounds per game.
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn | G | Transfer | Played in all 35 games last season for the Illini, but did so off the bench with a 5.9 PPG average; now at UNLV.

Will Riley was drafted by the Washington Wizards after being named the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year for Illinois last season. | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

Andrej Stojakovic | G | Jr. | Greece native who is third on the team with 13.6 PPG after transferring from Cal, where he emerged as the Bears’ best player with a team-leading 17.9 PPG (6th in ACC) and 1.2 blocks.
Keaton Wagler | G | Fr. | Top recruit out of Kansas that’s become the Fighting Illini’s best player by scoring a team-high 17.7 PPG with a team-high 88 assists and 52 made three-pointers.
David Mirkovic | F | Fr. | Native of Montenegro who has competed in pro leagues around his country before moving to Champaign; 12.5 PPG and averaging a squad-leading 8.2 PPG.
Zvonimir Ivisic | C | Jr. | 7-for-2 center and Croatian native who transferred from Arkansas, chipping in over seven points and nearly five rebounds per game.

Outlook

Looking back now, Nebraska’s 83-80 win over No. 13 Illinois in Champaign back on December 13, 2025, has proven to be one of the most monumental wins in this history-making season for the Huskers. Mostly unproven at that point due to a subpar schedule, Nebraska announced its presence on the national stage with a thrilling win over the Illini, sparking what would be a 20-0 start to the season and a 9-0 opening record in Big Ten play.

While NU’s season surged from that point forward, Illinois was quietly building momentum just behind them. The Fighting Illini are 10-0 since that game, with the Huskers being the only blemish in Illinois’ 9-1 conference record. Granted, only two of the 10 games were against unranked opponents, but its 75-69 win over No. 19 Iowa and 88-82 victory against No. 4 Purdue have Brad Underwood and the Illini rolling among Big Ten contenders.

Illinois true freshman guard Keaton Wagler (23) leads a potent Illini offense with over 17 points per game in his first college season. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Ranked second in both scoring and rebounding in the conference, Illinois presents similar challenges to what ended up being the downfall for NU against Michigan. Facing off against another tall pair in 7-foot-1 Tomislav Ivisic and 7-foot-2 Zvonimir Ivisic, plus 6-foot-9 David Mirkovic and 6-foot-7 Andrej Stojakovic, the Huskers will need to rebound better than on Tuesday, which would be greatly helped by the return of Mast and/or Braden Frager. Another big development for Illinois has been the emergence of star freshman Keaton Wagler, who’s now leading his team with over 17 points per game.

Coming off a heartbreaking loss that saw Nebraska in control for most of the game, a return to PBA is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Huskers. However, I think the health of both Frager and Mast will once again play a pivotal role in a game that will be highly contested. Give me Nebraska if one or both return, but I like the Fighting Illini if both star Huskers can’t play.

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