While Carter Nelson avoided the worst-case scenario when he was injured in Nebraska’s game against North Dakota, he didn’t come away completely unscathed. In fact, his prognosis is unknown beyond the fact that he’ll miss the Huskers’ Big Ten opener.
Head coach Matt Rhule confirmed that Nelson would miss the Spartans' game on Monday, but he also couldn’t rule out the possibility that the tight end might miss more than this coming weekend. For now, Nelson is week-to-week, and that’s about as good an injury update as NU can offer.
His injury, his absence this weekend, and the possibility of missing multiple games are bad news for Nelson, but they also put the Huskers in a tight spot. Beyond Luke Lindenmeyer and Nelson, there haven’t been many players who saw snaps at the tight end position. Guys like Janiran Bonner have been pegged as a possible Swiss Army knife, but he’s relatively untested as a full-time TE.
Bonner also has just 55 snaps all season. As he works his way back from a season-ending injury he suffered in the opener last year, he’s behind Nelson and Lindenmeyer in preparation and game action.
Nebraska football may turn to freshman tight end with absence of Carter Nelson
Freshman Luke Sorensen is another option, though if Bonner’s 55 snaps are a concern. Sorensen’s 2 snaps all season are a real worry, especially as he gets his first real playing time in the Big Ten opener.
Still, when he signed with Nebraska, the Husker coaches talked about Sorensen immediately as someone who could make an impact right away.
The 6-foot-3, 255-pound tight end attended Servite High School in Anaheim, California, before enrolling early at Nebraska. Sorensen committed to the Cornhuskers on June 20, 2025, and while he was just a 3-star prospect, he had plenty of Power 4 interest, choosing the Huskers over programs including Ole Miss and Penn State.
As a senior in 2025, Sorensen caught 25 passes for 306 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 12.2 yards per reception. He also added a rushing touchdown. As a junior in 2024, he recorded 15 receptions for 183 yards and 2 touchdowns. He finished his three varsity seasons with 42 receptions for 507 yards and six receiving touchdowns.
It stands to reason that if Nebraska turns to Sorensen as the second tight end, he’ll focus on blocking, while Lindenmeyer will remain the key offensive weapon at the position as a receiver. Sorensen began his high school career as an offensive lineman before transitioning to tight end. There should be some hope he can also help the team in the big formations it’s enjoyed in short-yardage situations so far this season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google