When Emmett Johnson announced he wasn't transferring away from the Nebraska football program this winter, there was much rejoicing. Husker fans knew that the running back was plenty talented, and this year, he's shown exactly how talented he is as the featured back for an offense that hasn't been able to nail down a backup.
Johnson showed once again why he's emerged as a leader on the field as well as one off it. He put the Cornhuskers on his back and almost literally carried them to victory.
Despite his longest run being just 15 yards, he managed 124 yards and two touchdowns. He also could have had more, but decided to go down towards the end of the game, allowing Nebraska to ice the win over Northwestern. But it was another stat that Pro Football Focus pointed out that shows why EJ is genuinely one of the best in College Football.
PFF stats show just how elite Emmett Johnson’s performance was for Nebraska football
According to PFF, Emmett Johnson forced 10 missed tackles against a Northwestern unit that entered the game in the Top 25 in total defense. That number was the most of any back, anywhere in Week 9.
Johnson's 837 yards are fifth in the country, and that's even though Nebraska coaches have admitted over and over again that they haven't taken him off the leash enough at times. He's run for over 100 yards twice in the last three games.
Barring a catastrophe, Johnson should become the first Husker running back to run for 1,000 yards in a season since Devine Ozigbo in 2016. As a junior, if he decides to stick around for one more year, he could be the first NU back to run for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons since Ameer Abdullah in 2013 & 2014.
EJ is doing all of this behind a Nebraska offensive line that has had some problems making running lanes or protecting the quarterback often in 2025. With four games to go, against a ranked USC, a resurgently tough UCLA, a Penn State that still has a solid defense, and an Iowa squad looking at the playoffs, the Huskers will need Emmett Johnson to keep demonstrating just how good he is.