The Nebraska football team has yet another massive game on its plate in Saturday night's faceoff against Oregon. Unfortunately, the Huskers are not only banged up, but they'll also go into the game without two of their best safeties and one of their best defensive linemen.
On Friday night, the Huskers released their second-to-last Big Ten Availability report, and Jamir Conn was on it. Conn, a transfer safety who's been one of the team's best defensive backs since arriving in Lincoln, is officially listed as out. He's joined by Rex Guthrie, who is also out and has missed the majority of the 2026 campaign.
Conn played just 17 snaps against the Hoosiers but made several key plays before being injured on the first play of the second half. Junior defensive back Caleb Benning replaced the Kansas City-area native for the rest of the game. Benning could be in line for a larger role against the Ducks, though Nebraska defensive coordinator Aurich has emphasized that Nebraska will prioritize getting its best 11 players on the field rather than simply plugging in the next man up.
Senior defensive tackle Riley Van Poppel, who missed Nebraska's game against Indiana, was also listed as doubtful. In the five games he's played this season, Van Poppel has recorded seven tackles and 2.0 sacks.
Jamir Conn and Rex Guthrie ruled out as Nebraska football faces Oregon
Other Huskers, including Khamir Prescott, Larry Miles, Jase Reynolds, Jacob Bower, and Gabe Moore, have been ruled out since the start of the year. Junior tight end Carter Nelson is the only previously unavailable player no longer listed on the report, so he could see his first game action since Week 3 against North Dakota.
Guthrie has battled injuries this season, with his snaps limited to 42, all in nonconference play. But he seemed like a potentially important option, especially with Conn out, given the 574 snaps he logged last year.
Guthrie and Conn being out for the game is especially worrisome, as the safety play this season has left much to be desired. Indiana exploited the safety position last week, scoring two fourth-quarter touchdowns over 40 yards, largely because the safeties seemed to misread the plays and didn't provide over-the-top coverage. A 75-yard score, followed by a 44-yard TD pass, both to wide-open receivers, turned a 17-6 Nebraska lead into a 20-17 Indiana win.
If there's any good news on the injury front, Oregon has plenty of its own, with quarterback Dante Moore and starting safety Aaron Flowers ruled out earlier this week. Nebraska's safety issues could also be helped by the absence of Oregon's leading receiver Evan Stewart. The wideout was listed as doubtful on both of the last two availability reports.
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