With Anthony Colandrea bringing his swag to the Nebraska football team, most Husker onlookers think he's absolutely the starting quarterback. However, Matt Rhule and Dana Holgorsen have made it clear there's a real competition between Colandrea, TJ Lateef, and Daniel Kaelin. For his part, Lateef thinks it's an actual competition too.
TJ Lateef can say that until he's blue in the face, and people can choose to see it as just a naive kid who is saying the right things to the media. What makes it real, what makes Lateef a real candidate to take the starting job, is his quiet confidence that his teammates see on a daily basis. Wide receiver Jacory Barney laid it out.
"TJ, he sees it as a competition," Barney told the assembled Nebraska media during a recent press conference. "He doesn't see it as, like someone coming to take his spot. He's one of the strongest people I know. He's willing to do whatever it takes."
Jacory Barney shares how TJ Lateef has handled the arrival of Anthony Colandrea.⁰
— Hail Varsity (@HailVarsity) March 3, 2026
“TJ sees it as a competition…He doesn’t see it as someone coming to take his spot; he’s one of the toughest people I know.” pic.twitter.com/olr9K1v4Em
Nebraska football wide receiver Jacory Barney praises TJ Lateef’s confidence in QB battle
Barney continued to show a lot of confidence in Lateef. That despite the fact that he's the player who complimented Colandrea on his "swag."
"As long as he's got a shot, he believes he's gonna come out victorious. So I like that he has that mindset going into it. And as long as both of them come in every day at work, I feel like we got a good shot."
Barney himself is emerging as a leader for Nebraska despite just heading into his junior season. He's clearly excited about the Huskers' quarterback battle and believes that whoever wins the job will be someone who can bring success. Here's hoping he's right.