It’s official. The Huskers have hired their next special teams coordinator. After four seasons as Josh Heupel’s special teams coordinator at Tennessee, Mike Ekeler will leave his role with the Volunteers and return to his home state. What does this news mean for Nebraska’s special teams? Let’s break it down.
Nebraska’s Special Teams
A Familiar Face
This isn’t Ekeler’s first time with the Huskers. From 2008 to 2010, he coached linebackers under former head coach Bo Pelini. His experience paid dividends for the Big Red. In 2009, he helped freshman linebackers Will Compton and Sean Fisher earn All-Big 12 honors. However, Phillip Dillard would receive the most praise that year. The senior leader of the Blackshirts would rack up 45 tackles with one interception. This led to the Oklahoma native being selected in the 4th round of the NFL Draft. Will Ekeler’s assistance allow Nebraska’s players to get to that level once again? It’s certainly possible. Under Phillip Simpson, the Cornhuskers managed to sign Omaha Westside linebacker Christian Jones and Millard North linebacker Pierce Mooberry. The Cornhuskers also had success in the transfer portal. The Huskers brought in experience at the linebacker position, but Oklahoma transfer Dasan McCullough stands out. Throughout his college career, he has had 79 tackles.
Nebraska is set to hire Tennessee special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler for the same position.
Ekeler is a Nebraska native who previously served on the Huskers staff from 2008-10 as the linebackers coach. pic.twitter.com/LjZ1SeYocx
— Hail Varsity (@HailVarsity) February 3, 2025
Roster Changes
It’s no secret that Ed Foley had trouble finding success in Lincoln. Under his leadership, the Huskers had frequent issues with the long snapper position. This led to at least 10 of NU’s field goal attempts being blocked. On top of this, the Cornhuskers also struggled to punt the football. In Nebraska’s 14-7 win over Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights were able to block two of Nebraska’s punts. It will be a major priority for the 53-year-old to fix. Ekeler will also have to find his punt returner. In that department, the Cornhuskers have some pretty good options. As a freshman, Jacory Barney Jr returned 14 kickoffs for a total of 285 yards. But the most experienced returner would have to be cornerback Andrew Marshall. The former Idaho Vandal had a 100-yard kickoff return last season. It will be interesting to see if he can find consistency in the Big Ten.
Return Guru
The Volunteers experienced the Ekeler effect immediately on special teams. In 2021, Tennessee was able to finish inside the FBS Top 20 in several metrics. This was in large part due to the explosiveness of Velus Jones Jr. The redshirt senior set multiple records last year in receiving yards, punt return yards, and kickoff return yards. This led him to receive first-team All-SEC honors. But his luck wouldn’t stop there. After signing with the Volunteers as a cornerback, Dee Williams would quickly make the change to returner. This decision ended up paying off. In his last season at Neyland Stadium, he was able to return 20 punts for 259 yards and a touchdown. This led him to earn fourth-team All-American honors.
Punting Excellence
Nebraska’s special teams will suffer without Brian Buschini. The Montana native was extremely accurate as a member of Nebraska’s special teams. Out of his 45 kicks, 16 of those landed inside the 20-yard line. And at times, he was able to pin the opponent even deeper inside its own territory. Eight of his kicks landed inside the 10. Can Ekeler get the most out of former Washington punter Jack McCallister? The junior had a career year with the Huskies in 2024. He averaged 44 yards per kick, and he had a career-long of 62 yards. It’s a similar situation to Jackson Ross. The native of Australia was in the conversation for the Ray Guy Award as a freshman. And in 2024, his upward trajectory would continue. He had 21 punts that were downed inside the opponent’s 20, and his longest kick was 65 yards.
Read more about McCallister’s exploits with the Huskies in Names To Watch: Nebraska In The Transfer Portal
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