Nebraska
Top 40 Huskers for 2024: 36-40
![Top 40 Huskers for 2024: 36-40](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/04/29235357/Janiran-Bonner-Nebraska-spring.jpg)
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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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 |
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/04/09142302/Jeremiah-Charles-spring-practice-3-1024x540.jpg)
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
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2023/10/24122625/Riley-Van-Poppel-Nebraska-1024x538.jpg)
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
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/04/29235357/Janiran-Bonner-Nebraska-spring-1024x540.jpg)
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
![](https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/04/29234742/Henry-Lutovsky-Nebraska-spring-1024x540.jpg)
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
Ill-timed printed lottery ticket wins Nebraska woman $220,000: 'I don’t let the mistakes go'
![Ill-timed printed lottery ticket wins Nebraska woman $220,000: 'I don’t let the mistakes go'](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxbusiness.com/foxbusiness.com/content/uploads/2024/07/0/0/53813051533_1a959625c4_o.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
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A Nebraska woman who won her second big lottery jackpot prize in five years can thank mistakenly printed tickets for her wins.
Lori Sailors of Lincoln won $220,000 from the Nebraska Lottery’s Nebraska Pick 5 game June 22, according to a release from the Nebraska Lottery.
Sailors bought her ticket at Casey’s General Store in Lincoln and bought three quick plays for the drawing, the Nebraska Lottery said.
MARYLAND MAN WINS $50,000 PLAYING LOTTERY NUMBERS FROM STRANGER’S LICENSE PLATE
But the ticket printed at the time was actually by mistake, she told the Nebraska Lottery. Still, she purchased it.
“I don’t let the mistakes go,” she told the Nebraska Lottery. “I don’t just let them sit there.”
Lori Sailors won the lottery for the second time, and both times her tickets were printed by mistake. (Nebraska Lottery / Fox News)
One of the plays on the ticket matched all five of the “Nebraska Pick 5” numbers, winning her the jackpot.
And while this story would be unbelievable enough as it is, it is actually not the first time Sailors has won a huge lottery prize from a mistaken ticket.
MARYLAND MAN WINS $32,000 AFTER ‘MISTAKE’ PURCHASE OF KENO TICKET
In 2019, she won a $54,000 “Nebraska Pick 5” jackpot from a ticket that was also printed by mistake, the Nebraska Lottery said.
Sailors told the Nebraska Lottery she and husband Monte intend to use her winnings to pay off their daughter’s student loans and put the rest in the bank.
![shot of Casey's General Store in Lincoln](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxbusiness.com/foxbusiness.com/content/uploads/2024/07/931/523/Screenshot-2024-07-06-at-4.28.08-PM.png?ve=1&tl=1)
The location where Sailors bought her “mistake” lottery ticket and won big. (Google Maps / Google Maps)
“Nebraska Pick 5 is Nebraska’s unique Lottery game: all the proceeds from Nebraska Pick 5 stay in Nebraska, and all the winning tickets are sold in Nebraska at Nebraska Lottery Lotto game retailers,” the Nebraska Lottery’s website said.
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Each play costs $1. A player picks five numbers between one and 40, or a computer can automatically pick the numbers.
![Group of black and white lottery balls](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxbusiness.com/foxbusiness.com/content/uploads/2021/12/931/523/iStock-637732250.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
The Nebraska Pick 5 game is drawn seven days a week. (iStock / iStock)
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The jackpots for each game start at $50,000 and increase by $10,000 each time there is no winner. The current jackpot is $180,000.
For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle
The Nebraska Pick 5 numbers are drawn seven days a week.
The chance of winning the jackpot is 1 in 658,008, according to the lottery, and the chance of winning any prize is 1 in 9.2.
Nebraska
Report: Former Penn State Defensive Coordinator John Butler To Join Nebraska
![Report: Former Penn State Defensive Coordinator John Butler To Join Nebraska](https://images.onwardstate.com/uploads/2023/07/beaver-stadium-summer-keeley-lamm-1.jpg)
Former Penn State defensive coordinator and secondary coach John Butler is coming back to the Big Ten.
Butler is expected to become Nebraska’s new secondary coach, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Saturday. Butler was on the Nittany Lions’ staff under former head coach Bill O’Brien from 2012-13 before heading to the NFL.
During the 2013 season, Butler’s Penn State defense was ranked 49th in the nation in total defense, allowing 381.3 yards per game, and 58th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 26.2 points per game. During the 2012 season, Butler served as the Nittany Lions’ defensive backs coach.
Prior to Penn State, Butler was the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at Minnesota from 2007-10. After Penn State, Butler followed O’Brien to the Houston Texans to become their secondary coach from 2014-17.
Most recently, Butler spent the last six seasons with the Buffalo Bills as the passing game coordinator and secondary coach.
Butler is expected to replace former Cornhuskers’ defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator coach Evan Cooper, who resigned Friday due to personal reasons.
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Nebraska
Consultant sees $531M in trims to NE state government • Nebraska Examiner
![Consultant sees $531M in trims to NE state government • Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_8856-scaled-e1720231470793.jpg)
LINCOLN – A highly-paid consultant is projecting that Nebraska state government could cut $531 million in spending within a year if it more sharply focused on system-wide outcomes that better serve its customers, and tapped more federal and state reserve funds.
In a 57-page report after a year on the job, Utah-based Epiphany Associates said it has identified “an incredible capacity for change and improvement in Nebraska’s state government” that added up to more than a half-billion in savings.
It identified four areas in particular where changes would result “in the biggest return on investment.”
Those are the child welfare and Medicaid divisions within the Department of Health and Human Services, the Lincoln Regional Center, and the inmate rehabilitation and reentry program within the Department of Corrections.
Part of Pillen’s plan
About half of the projected savings — about $256 million — would come from removing financial “buffers” in state budgets, such as reducing fiscal reserves, eliminating unfilled staff positions and tapping additional federal funds to cover expenses now handled with state tax funds.
The rest of the projected savings would come from reduced indirect costs such as data analysis systems ($8.7 million), improved contracting with private suppliers ($73.5 million), better return on economic development grants ($22.4 million), improved return on information technology spending ($32.5 million) and better focus on system-wide performance ($138 million).
Gov. Jim Pillen, who made hiring Epiphany a key part of his plan to reduce local property taxes, has already begun urging state agencies to apply for more federal funds to displace state financing of services, and moved to eliminate hundreds of long-unfilled state jobs. The report said that Nebraska ranks very low, 40th in the country, in its “per-capita balance of payments” with the federal government.
![Gov. Jim Pillen addresses attendees at a property tax town hall in Plattsmouth.](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/pillen-plattsmouth_ZJW_053024-300x200.jpg)
Pillen spokeswoman Laura Strimple told the Nebraska Examiner on Friday that the governor is pleased with the work of Epiphany so far and looks forward to more of its work.
She said he supports the “systems approach” used by the consultant, and the idea that state government needs to improve its monitoring of state spending to produce “the best outcomes.”
“When state systems improve in quality, there’s the potential for saved resources to be repurposed in other ways, or to reduce overall expenses,” Strimple said in response to emailed questions.
She added that Pillen agreed with Epiphany that Nebraska has too much sitting in reserve funds — nearly $2 billion — “that could be put to better use.”
Reaction to the report from two key senators was more mixed.
State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, who heads the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, said that one of his least favorite sayings is “we’ve always done it that way.” He said he encourages new employees at his bank to suggest ways to improve efficiency.
Clements said that while he had not yet read the report, he supported contracting with Epiphany with the assurance that its recommended budget cuts can occur “without a drop in services.” He added that he would have to review the suggestion that reserve funds should be cut.
In its report, Epiphany emphasized that cutting spending does not necessarily mean a reduction in services and that increasing funding does not always equate to better outcomes.
Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad, who served several years on the Appropriation Committee, struck a more cautious tone, and said the report leaves a lot of questions unanswered.
She said that while it’s appropriate to “take a fresh look at ideas to reduce state budgets, most of (Epiphany’s) aren’t that fresh.”
“The ones that are will need a lot more analysis,” Conrad said.
For instance, she said that it’s already accepted that luring more federal funds to the state is a good idea, and that it can save money if prison inmates are better prepared to return to society — another Epiphany recommendation.
Conrad said she was most skeptical about a suggestion that Nebraska significantly pare back its cash reserve fund — the so-called “rainy day fund” — that is used when state tax receipts plummet in an economic downtown.
Doing that, the senator said, risks ruining the state’s reputation as a fiscally sound state. In its last rankings of best states, U.S. News & World Report rated Nebraska No. 3 in the nation as the most fiscally responsible.
$10 million consultant contract
A Lincoln think tank that monitors state budgets has seen the report, and Open Sky Policy Institute expressed concerns about straying from current state budget practices in which the State Legislature — not the governor’s office — determines how state tax dollars are to be spent. Rebecca Firestone, the executive director of Open Sky, said it raises separation of powers concerns.
Epiphany was hired for $10 million over four years to cut state spending and improve services.
In its report, it faulted past state efforts at “continuous improvement” of state programs as missing the mark by focusing on individual parts of a system, rather than the system, and its outcomes, as a whole.
That appeared to be a jab at the 26-employee Center for Operational Excellence created under then-Gov. Pete Ricketts that was eliminated by the current governor. Pillen opted instead for Epiphany, which Utah officials credited with improving efficiency of executive branch agencies in that western state by 35%.
Pillen, when he signed the contract, told the Omaha World-Herald that he was seeking “breakthrough change” in state spending. The contract calls for cutting at least 3% of state general funds in the first year, and 6% in the second.
The cost-cutting effort is part of his goal of reducing local property taxes by 40% – a goal which has prompted Pillen to suggest a special session of the State Legislature later this month.
Recommendations, observations
Among other recommendations and observations in the report:
— Draw down existing Cash Reserve Fund and General Fund unobligated balances. The report recommended reserves of between 4% and 8% of the general fund based on the stability of Nebraska’s tax base.
The state’s cash reserve fund is expected to hold $800 million by fiscal year 2027, about 14% of the general fund, the report stated, and unobligated funds in the budget are expected to be $700 million by that time, or about 12% of the general fund budget. The report said that two recent fiscal downturns — the Dot-Com recession of 2001 and the pandemic — saw state tax receipts drop by 3.7% and 8.6%, respectively.
— Between 2021 and 2023, costs in the Nebraska child welfare program increased an inflation-adjusted 6% ($53.7 million), while the average number of children served per month decreased by over 4% and the average days it took to establish permanency for children increased by 108 days. That, the report said, is an example of how more spending does not improve services.
— Stop projects and resources that are dedicated to things that, although well intentioned, are not generating system-level results for the customers they serve.
True improvements must result in better outcomes for the primary customer — not the internal bureaucracy, the report stated. State staffers, it added, spent “significant time” on projects that do not have a defined result or outcome.
— The state could save $73.5 million in the next year by improving its contract procurement processes. The state awarded nearly $20 billion in contracts for goods and services during the 2022-23 fiscal year, but procurements often are not held accountable for their impact (or anticipated impact) to system performance or outcomes. (Sen. John Arch, the Speaker of the Legislature, is leading an effort to improve contract selection and performance under a bill passed this year.)
— Improve return on investment for grants awarded by the Department of Economic Development by better targeting specific industries and identifying and tracking specific outcomes. That could save $14.8 million.
“In some cases,” the report said, “(DED) grants were awarded to large corporations who would have likely done business in Nebraska regardless.”
Nebraska Phase 1 Report Final
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