Last season, a punt return for a touchdown would have never even been a thought for Nebraska, with how bad the special teams unit would perform. However, things have turned completely around, and this looks like a whole new unit with a whole new life.
For punt returner Jacoby Barney, he is seeing the improvement with the special teams unit, but he is holding just himself and the rest of the unit to a higher standard. When speaking about the level of blocking, Barney admitted that the blocking was elite, and now with that kind of work, he needs to take it on to the house and give his team a touchdown without the offense even taking the field.
"I felt like we were blocking at a high level on punt return," Barney said. "I feel like I gotta take one of those to the crib."
Jacory Barney was aware the Huskers’ surpassed last year’s punt return total against Akron and it’s due to his teammates high level blocking.
— Hail Varsity (@HailVarsity) September 9, 2025
“I got to take one of those to the crib.” pic.twitter.com/bAerteDZHH
It would be absolutely electric for Barney to take one to the house on a punt return. Nebraska has not had a punt return for a touchdown since 2019, when JD Spielman did it. That is six years without a punt return, so Barney could make a little history with something like that.
Nebraska's special teams have certainly looked better, but they can not afford to get complacent. The Cornhuskers have to continue to work hard and get better every game. Barney now has the difficult challenge of meeting the expectation he has set not just for himself, but for the rest of the special teams guys.
Fans will now be expecting a punt return at some point this season, and there is hope that Barney will be the one to deliver.