The Huskers will make the short trip to Kansas City to play the Cincinnati Bearcats in week one of the season. Which players will be instrumental to Nebraska’s success in Arrowhead Stadium? Let’s break it down.
Success Against Cincinnati
Dylan Raiola
In his first game at Nebraska, Raiola outwitted the UTEP defense by passing for 238 yards and two touchdowns. We should expect the sophomore quarterback to have a similar performance against Scott Satterfield’s Cincinnati squad. He’s had a full offseason to master Dana Holgorsen’s offense. This means that Raiola should learn from his freshman mistakes. But even if he isn’t perfect, Raiola will still have weapons on offense to rely on. Daikiel Shorts upgraded Nebraska’s roster by bringing former Kentucky Wildcat Dane Key into the fold. The Cornhuskers also poached sophomore wideout Nyziah Hunter from Cal. These two options should help Raiola dismantle Al Golden’s Bearcat defense. Jacory Barney Jr is also a great option in the slot. The freshman from Florida caught 55 passes for 447 yards and four touchdowns last season. This led him to tie the school’s record for receptions by a freshman. The position group should be able to deliver. However, we’ll learn about what Raiola and the other Huskers think about the Bearcats during Big Ten Media Days.
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Emmett Johnson
The 200-pound junior from Minnesota is the best running back on Nebraska’s roster. At the beginning of the 2024 season, Johnson got overshadowed by ex-Husker running back Dante Dowdell. Gabe Ervin also had his moments in Marcus Satterfield’s offense. But when Holgorsen came to Lincoln, he made sure to establish Johnson as a threat. Against Wisconsin, he took over the game with his 115 rushing yards. A night game against Iowa didn’t slow him down either. On just 15 carries, Johnson managed to rack up 75 yards on the ground. He also performed well in Nebraska’s victory over Boston College. During the Pinstripe Bowl, Johnson was able to find running lanes in order to gash the Eagles’ defense. On the other hand, he helped get the Cornhuskers past Boston College with his 13-yard touchdown. We should expect him to make more highlight plays against Cincinnati.
Ceyair Wright
Heading into the 2025 season, John Butler’s secondary has plenty of depth. At the safety position, Deshon Singleton returns for his sixth year in order to play his last season at Nebraska. In addition, Marques Buford Jr makes his return. These two players should help disrupt Brendan Sorsby’s rhythm at Arrowhead Stadium. However, we should expect Ceyair Wright to have the most success defending the Bearcats’ offense. The former USC transfer is a perfect candidate to shut down All-Big 12 tight end Joe Royer. In 2024, he totaled 39 tackles and had two interceptions as a member of the Blackshirts defense. We should expect the 180-pound cornerback to make offensive coordinator Brad Glenn nervous to pass his way. Malcolm Hartzog will also contribute in Kansas City. As a junior, Hartzog had a career-high 45 tackles while also leading the Huskers in interceptions.
Elijah Jeudy
Defensive line coach Terry Bradden has many elder statesmen in his position group. Cam Lenhardt is entering his junior season with the Cornhuskers, while Riley Van Poppel is a third-year player out of Texas. Plus, Jaylen George is also towards the end of his football career. These older Huskers should find a way to make an impact in 2025. However, we should expect senior defensive lineman Elijah Jeudy to have a starring role in Lincoln. Jeudy has big shoes to fill this season. Ty Robinson was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Nash Hutmacher also signed a free-agent deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There’s hope that he can perform well against the Bearcats’ offensive line. Last season, Jeudy was able to record a career-high 13 tackles.
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