It’s only been just over a month since the conclusion of the 2025-26 college football season, and now the Nebraska Cornhuskers prepare for Spring practice, which begins on Saturday, February 21. After a sour taste in the mouth of many with how the last season ended, the Huskers will now get a chance to see where it could be in August.
Here are some of the main headlines heading into the Spring practice for Nebraska.
Nebraska Football Headlines for Spring Practice
Three-Man Race at Quarterback
The quarterback position at Nebraska has been a catalyst for news the past few years under Matt Rhule. 2023 saw some of the most struggling quarterback play between three different starters throughout the season, with Jeff Sims, Chubba Purdy, and Heinrich Haarberg. That led to the past two seasons, where it has been Dylan Raiola’s position for the most part. However, after an injury against the USC Trojans, true freshman TJ Lateef took over as a starter, and Raiola transferred to Oregon.
So, where does that leave Nebraska at the quarterback position? A quarterback battle seems imminent as three quarterbacks will be fighting for the starting spot. Those three are Lateef, UNLV transfer Anthony Colandrea, and Virginia transfer and former Husker Daniel Kaelin. All three have starting experience and a decent shot at the starting spot.
How Do Each Match Up As A Starter, and What Do They Bring?
TJ Lateef (Sophomore, 6-1, 200)
Lateef is the only main returner from last season to the team in 2026, appearing in seven games with four starts. He had some good moments as the starter, including his near-perfect performance back in his home of Los Angeles against UCLA. Lateef completed 13 of 15 passes for over 200 yards and three touchdowns. He brings some mobility out of the pocket, which is very similar to the other two candidates. The ability to escape the pocket seems to be a very important trait, as it has been an issue in the past two seasons.
Lateef, however, struggled in the final three games of the season. Overall, Nebraska could not get things going against Penn State, and then Lateef played injured against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Lastly, the Huskers were outmatched against the 10-2 Utah Utes in the Las Vegas Bowl. Despite all of that, Lateef does have the playing experience at Nebraska over the other two.
Anthony Colandrea (Senior, 6-0, 205)
Colandrea joins the program after spending a season in Las Vegas with the UNLV Rebels, starting all 14 games. Before Las Vegas, he spent two seasons with the Virginia Cavaliers, starting 17 games. In three seasons, Colandrea completed 627-of-983 passes for 7,542 yards and 49 touchdowns while rushing 328 times for 1,152 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was also the 2025 Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year in 2025, completing 275-of-417 passes for 3,459 yards and 23 touchdowns, while rushing for 649 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Colandrea is a major player for the starting job, just based on his starting experience the past two to three seasons. The gunslinger is a major threat under center and is more than capable as a runner. He is what you want as a starting quarterback and could be in line to start this Fall with a good showing this Spring and Fall camp.
Daniel Kaelin (Sophomore, 6-3, 220)
After a one-season stint at Virginia, Kaelin returns to Nebraska. The sophomore quarterback originally signed with Nebraska and spent the 2024 season redshirted behind Dylan Raiola and then second-string Jalyn Gramstrand. Kaelin appeared in seven games for the Cavaliers, completing 30-of-52 passes for 339 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Despite having less experience than both of the other quarterbacks, Kaelin is a nice addition to the quarterback room thanks to some of the Power Five experience.
New Look Special Teams… or is it?
After only one season in Lincoln, Mike Ekeler left for the same position at the USC Trojans. Special teams were one of the bright sides to a disappointing season and made huge jumps in production. So, who did Nebraska replace him with? Former standout Huskers kicker Brett Maher is taking over as special teams coordinator, who spent time as an assistant under Ekeler last season.
So, what will special teams look like this upcoming season in 2026? It could look a bit different, but the expectation is that it shouldn’t be much different from what it did under Ekeler. Kicking and punting should look the same with Kyle Cunanan and Archie Wilson back. Kick and punt returns shouldn’t look much different, aside from losing Kenneth Williams to the portal. Regardless, the special teams will look to still improve under Maher.
4-2-5 Defense Plus Reloaded Defense
After only one season as defensive coordinator, John Butler was let go, and former San Diego State defensive coordinator Rob Aurich took over. With Aurich comes a new defensive scheme with the 4-2-5. This is probably a much-needed change from the 3-3-5 that the Huskers have been running since Rhule arrived in Lincoln with Tony White.
Defensive Line and Linebackers
The defensive line has gotten a little more experienced with some transfers and just playing time under their belt. The main returners are junior Riley Van Poppel and Gabe Moore at defensive tackle. Nebraska landed transfer defensive tackles Jahsear Whittington and Owen Stoudmire from Pitt and Boston College. Some of the underclassmen that could be interesting to watch are redshirt freshman Malcolm Simpson, true freshman Dylan Berymon, and redshirt freshman Tyson Terry.
Edge rushers should be solid with sophomore Williams Nwaneri and senior Cameron Lenhardt back at the position. Linebackers are solid as well, with junior Vincent Shavers Jr. and San Diego State junior linebacker transfer Owen Chambliss leading the group. It will be interesting to watch former four-star linebacker and redshirt freshman Christian Jones and Iowa State redshirt freshman transfer Will Hawthorne to see where they stand in the linebacker room.
Secondary
Despite all of the changes throughout the defense, the secondary is the most intriguing group to watch this Spring. The best player out of the 2026 high school recruiting class, former five-star cornerback Danny Odem III, helps reload a secondary that lost some key pieces from last season. The Huskers will be without standout cornerback Ceyair Wright and safety Deshon Singleton. However, starting cornerback Andrew Marshall is back, along with junior Jeremiah Charles, and sophomores Donovan Jones and Amare Sanders.
Safeties will be led by junior Justyn Rhett and sophomore Rex Guthrie. Other names to watch are sophomores Caleb Benning, Mario Buford, and senior Dwayne McDougle III, who transfers in from San Diego State.
The defense continues to be a question mark; however, we will see where they stand as Spring practice goes on this side of the ball and get something to expect going into the Fall.
Main Photo: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
