Nebraska Cornhuskers 2025 Preview: Outlook, Best Bets & Predictions

Nebraska comes into the season unranked but among “others receiving votes” in both the Coaches and AP Polls. Last season marked a mini-breakthrough for the Cornhuskers, as they made a bowl appearance and finished with a winning record for the first time since 2016, ending an almost unimaginable drought in Lincoln.

Nebraska Cornhuskers Snapshot

2023 Record: 7-6 (3-6); Big Ten Finish: 12th (Tied)

SportsGrid B1G Power Rankings: 10

A.P. Poll: NR | Coaches Poll: NR | SP+: No. 32

Head Coach: Matt Rhule (3rd Year) | Record: 59-56 | 12-13 At Nebraska

Offensive Coordinator: Dana Holgorsen (1st Year)

Defensive Coordinator: John Butler (1st Year; 2nd Year w/ Nebraska)

If you follow college football at all, you must have heard about Matt Rhule and Year 3. At Temple, he won 10 games and at Baylor, 11 in his third season. Dana Holgorsen isn’t entirely new, as he took over the play-calling duties for the final three regular-season games and their bowl. John Butler was elevated to DC after Tony White was hired by Florida State.

2025 Big Ten Previews: Ohio State | Penn State | Oregon | Michigan | USC

Nebraska Futures Odds (DraftKings)

Regular Season Wins: OVER 7.5 -150 | UNDER 7.5 +125

Conference Wins: OVER 4.5 -155 | UNDER 4.5 +125

Home Wins: OVER 5.5 +170 | UNDER 5.5 +210

National Championship Odds: +15000 | CFB Playoff Odds: YES +900 | NO -1800

B1G Championship Odds: +3500 | Undefeated Regular Season: YES +3000

With a season win total of 7.5, the market isn’t fully bought into Year 3 of Matt Rhule. If you believe a ten-win season is coming, you should consider the Huskers to make the CFB Playoffs and maybe even the Big Ten Championship (+1000). In terms of competing to win the Big Ten, Nebraska is tied with Iowa and Indiana, ranked seventh among 18 teams.  

Nebraska Preview: Why You Should Be Bullish

The secondary, led by John Bulter, returns four key starters, including CB Ceyair Wright and NB Malcolm Hartzog. Wright was a home run transfer addition from USC last offseason, and the versatile Hartzog enters his third season as a starter. Active and experienced safeties DeShon Singleton (71 tackles) and Marques Buford (5 PDs) are also back. This offseason, they added aggressive coverman Andrew Marshall from Idaho to man the other cornerback position. This unit performed strongly in 2024 and is expected to do very well again.

Offensively, the wide receivers were one of the weaker position groups on the team, which should change in 2025 with the additions of Dane Key and Nyziah Hunter in the transfer portal. Coming from Kentucky, Key was our 24th-ranked player in the portal and was a three-year starter in the SEC, the type of seasoned pass catcher this team lacked a year ago. Hunter put up impressive numbers (40-557-5, 14.4 YPC) as a freshman for Cal. Slot man Jacory Barney Jr. led the Huskers with 55 receptions as a true freshman and rounds out a solid trio of starters.

Nebraska Preview: Why You Should Be Bearish

As solid as Nebraska is in the defensive backfield, its first two levels on defense could be a serious problem in 2025, and not for the opposition. With Ty Robinson anchoring the front and Nash Hutmacher plugging the middle, the defensive line was considered the strength of the team. Robinson (4th Round) was one of two Huskers drafted from last year’s team, and Hutmacher is in camp with Tampa Bay. Adding transfer departures from James Williams (FSU) and Jimari Butler (LSU) equals their top four D-linemen from 2024 playing football elsewhere.

At linebacker, the Huskers not only lose their starters but also four of their top five tacklers at the position. In total, 25.5 of the 30 sacks must be replaced. Maybe former highly touted players in transfers, Dasan McCullough and Williams Nwaneri, put it all together, but I’m not holding my breath. McCullough was a disappointment with the Sooners (17 tackles in 2024, no sacks in two seasons), and Nwaneri barely saw the field as a freshman for Mizzou. Tony White was a significant loss. We shall see.

Nebraska Breakout Player: Running Back Emmett Johnson, Junior

Through two seasons, Emmett Johnson has been doubted when it comes to getting the football. Through the first six games of his redshirt freshman season, Johnson had just 11 carries, before toting the football 79 times in the second half of the season. That continued into 2024, when Johnson was again limited to 21 carries through five games and had more than eight rushes only once through the team’s first nine games. All that changed when Dana Holgorsen took over the offense.

Over a four-game stretch, the Minnesota native rushed for 314 yards on 59 carries (5.3 YPC), including 113 yards in a bowl-clinching win over Wisconsin, and 75 yards in their bowl win. He also added 23 receptions for 170 yards in the final four games, which matched his 23 grabs through his first 21 games in Lincoln. Two things are clear. Johnson is an elusive runner who can be a weapon in the passing game, and Holgorsen has a plan on how to use him as he enters 2025 as RB1.

Nebraska X-Factor: Offensive Line

The honest answer is probably going to be true sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola, but I’m going to make the case for the offensive line. They made two additions through the portal in projected starters, OT Elijah Pritchett (Alabama) and OG Rocco Spindler (Notre Dame). There’s debate as to how high-end they are. Pritchett is rated 45th among transfers by 247Sports but doesn’t crack On3’s top 300, while Spindler is 56th according to On3, but ranked 139th by 247.

That’s a wide range for two critical pieces along the offensive line, which will go a long way in deciding how high the ceiling is for the offense. Both Alabama and Notre Dame are known for producing quality offensive lines, and each brings starting experience from their respective schools. But you also have to wonder why those programs didn’t fight harder to keep them. They also return three tackles who were injured in 2024. If this unit comes together, then the offense could make a major leap in 2025.

Nebraska Schedule Analysis

SP+ SOS Rank: 35 | Phil Steele Toughest Schedules: 63

Only two preseason-ranked teams are on the schedule—Penn State and Michigan. We’d be shocked if they went into Happy Valley to upset PSU, but a home game against the Wolverines (+3.5) is very winnable. Including their opener versus Cincinnati (-6.5) in Kansas City, Nebraska, they play several toss-up games: at Minnesota, vs. USC, at UCLA, and vs. Iowa (-2.5 at FanDuel).

With homes against Akron, Houston Christian, Michigan State, and Northwestern, as well as a road trip to Maryland, becoming bowl-eligible shouldn’t be an issue. Overall, the schedule isn’t overly daunting and is easier than it was in 2024. Also in their favor is that they have just four road games.

Nebraska Best Bet, Long Shot & Prediction: OVER/UNDER 7.5 Wins

There are reasons for optimism in Lincoln, namely the development of Dylan Raiola in Year 2. Holgorsen is a definitive upgrade over Marcus Satterfield (tight ends coach), but his work last season wasn’t as magical as some have painted. Yes, Nebraska broke out for 44 points and 473 yards against Wisconsin; however, Big Red managed 20 points against USC, 10 points at Iowa, and 20 against Boston College—a mixed bag at best.

The Huskers, who were 2-5 in one-score games in 2024, have compiled a stunning 10-35 record in one-score games since 2018. It should be time for that to flip. I expect the offense will be better, so should the special teams, but the defense will most certainly regress.  For me, it’s a lean towards the UNDER at plus money. If you like the OVER, take them OVER 4.5 conference wins.

The upside (9-10 wins) is greater than the downside (6-6 is the floor), so for a long shot I’d flip to a more optimistic outlook.

Nebraska Preseason Pick

UNDER 7.5 (+125 @ DraftKings)

Nebraska Best Bet

UNDER 5.5 Home Wins (+210 @ DraftKings)

Nebraska Long Shot Bet

To Make the CFB Playoff Odds (+900 @ DraftKings)