Spring football has come and gone, and the Nebraska Cornhuskers are now gearing up for the 2025 season. Matt Rhule has worked hard this offseason to bring in the necessary pieces to help Nebraska take that step forward this next season and truly be a contender.
The return of quarterback Dylan Raiola is truly what is going to help this offense in 2025, and the Cornhuskers didn't get hit too hard in the offseason, losing too many players to the NFL and transfer portal. With this being Matt Rhule's third season at Nebraska, he is primed to have his biggest season yet with the Cornhuskers.
So, looking forward to the 2025 season, here is a projected two-deep depth chart for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Offense
QB:
1. SO Dylan Raiola
2. RS FR Marcos Davila
RB:
1. RS JR Emmett Johnson
2. RS SO Kwinten Ives
WR-X:
1. SR Dane Key
2. FR Cortez Mills
WR-Z:
1. RS SO Nyziah Hunter
2. RS SO Demetrius Bell
WR-SL:
1. SO Jacory Barney Jr.
2. RS JR Janiran Bonner
TE:
1. RS JR Luke Lindenmeyer
2. RS SR Heinrich Haarberg
RT:
1. RS JR Elijah Pritchett
2. RS SO Grant Seagren
RG:
1. RS SR Henry Lutovsky
2. RS JR Tyler Knaak
C:
1. RS SO Sam Sledge
2. RS FR Preston Taumua
LG:
1. RS JR Justin Evans
2. RS SO Jason Maciejczak
LT:
1. RS SO Gunnar Gottula
2. RS SR Teddy Prochazka
The Nebraska offense is going to look a little different this season, mainly in the wide receiver room. Raiola is coming back for his sophomore season after learning a lot as a true freshman, and he has the ability to excel this next season with improved pass catchers around him. The running back position is also going to be a little different this season, with Emmett Johnson taking over the full responsibility of running the ball.
The biggest question for Nebraska this season is going to be the offensive line. Raiola was under a lot of pressure last season, forcing him to throw the ball sooner than he wanted, resulting in a lot of turnovers. The offensive line needs to give Raiola more time in the pocket this season and allow him time to throw to those great pass-catchers.
Defense
LDE:
1. SO Keona Davis
2. RS FR Williams Nwaneri
NT:
1. RS SR Elijah Jeudy
2. RS SO Riley Van Poppel
RDE:
1. DR Cameron Lenhardt
2. RS JR Jaylen George
JACK:
1. SR Dasan McCollough
2. SO Willis McGahee IV
MLB:
1. RS SR Javin Wright
2. RS SO Dylan Rogers
WLB:
1. SO Vincent Shavers Jr.
2. RS SR Marques Watson-Trent
LCB:
1. JR Andrew Marshall
2. RS SO Blye Hill
SS:
1. SR DeShon Singleton
2. RS SO Rahmir Stewart
FS:
1. SO Mario Buford
2. RS So Justyn Rhett
RCB:
1. RS SR Ceyair Wright
2. RS FR Amare Sanders
ROVER:
1. SR Malcolm Hartzog Jr.
2. RS SR Marques Buford Jr.
The Nebraska defense wasn't great last season, but they also weren't always the problem when it came to the Cornhuskers' losses. As a whole, the defense only allowed 317.9 yards per game and an average of 19.5 points a game. That is a defense that was keeping their team in games, but the offense wasn't able to put points on the board.