The Nebraska football team rolled to its third straight blowout of the 2026 season on Saturday night against North Dakota. While the Fighting Hawks are an FCS school, they're a very good FCS school. So good, in fact, that head coach Matt Rhule made it clear he was most worried about this game of the trio of non-conference opponents.
Following the Huskers' third win of the season, some players' stock looks to be rising heading into the Big Ten. This doesn't mean guys like Anthony Colandrea or Jamal Rule, who have been good every single week. Think more under-the-radar or late arrivals to the spotlight.
3 stock risers for Nebraska football after North Dakota win
Quinn Clark
The son of Nebraska legend Ken Clark is starting to pave his own way as a wide receiver. Quinn Clark has drawn plenty of praise from coaches this season, and on Saturday night, he used his big body to catch his first touchdown of the season. Clark had just 2 receptions for 13 yards and a touchdown, but his PFF grade of 75.2 overall is a career high. He's getting targeted every game, and now he's reaping the dividends. When it becomes harder to score in the red zone, Clark's tall frame could be an even bigger target in the end zone going forward.
Dwayne McDougle III
The transfer safety had his best game as a member of the Nebraska football team by far against North Dakota. Dwayne McDougle looked more comfortable in the Huskers' defense on Saturday night, recording a season-high 6 tackles and adding 2 stops. McDougle has also been quite effective in the passing game. He's been targeted three times this year and has allowed just one reception in the first game of the year.
Owen Chambliss
Owen Chambliss got his first action for Nebraska last week, coming off a hamstring injury. This week, he made his presence felt, recording 6 tackles, 1 sack, 5 stops, and 1 quarterback hurry. This is a guy whose stock will likely only rise as he gets healthier and stays healthy. We saw that rise start in Week 3.
3 stock fallers for Nebraska football after North Dakota win
Cameron Lenhardt
Cameron Lenhardt's lack of impact against North Dakota remains one of the Huskers' biggest mysteries on defense. He came into 2026 as a major player. Against the Fighting Hawks, he saw just 14 snaps, a season-low by quite a bit, and recorded just one tackle. Some of his shaved playing time might have been the blowout score, but it stands to reason he could have gotten in more because the pressure was off.
Rex Guthrie
Is Rex Guthrie banged up, or is he playing himself off the depth chart? After 24 snaps against Ohio, he got just 15 snaps against Bowling Green, though that could have been because of the 35-0 halftime lead. However, just three snaps against North Dakota certainly makes it seem as though his stock is falling and falling hard. Until the Nebraska coaching staff says he has an injury that kept him out of most of the game, this sure looks like Guthrie is losing time to McDougle and others.
Tree Babalade
There was a time when it looked like Tree Babalade had cemented himself as a starter on Nebraska's offensive line. In his third straight game, he saw fewer than 19 snaps against North Dakota. According to Pro Football Focus, he received the lowest grade on the offense, a 52.4 overall. His stock continues to fall after a much-heralded offseason, though there's still plenty of time to turn it around.
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