Colandrea would start 'right now,' Rhule says
Anthony Colandrea has separated himself from TJ Lateef and Daniel Kaelin entering the Ohio opener, even if Matt Rhule still won't say the word 'starter.'
Rhule won't say the word, but he's already said enough
Nebraska came out of its final fall camp media availability with about as clear an answer as Matt Rhule was willing to give on the quarterback job. "Anthony would play for us right now," Rhule said of UNLV transfer Anthony Colandrea, according to Yahoo Sports — praise for a guy who was the 2025 Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year under Dan Mullen, but notably not the word 'starter.' Rhule singled out Colandrea's decision-making as the thing that's actually improved in camp, saying he's taking what a defense gives him instead of forcing throws downfield.
TJ Lateef and Daniel Kaelin, both sophomores, are still listed in the mix behind him, and Rhule hasn't closed the door on either. Nebraska has classes starting Monday and a mock game the final Saturday before hosting Ohio, which is about as much runway as is left to make it official. For a fan base that has watched this program churn through quarterbacks for the better part of a decade, 'he would play for us right now' is the closest thing to clarity Lincoln has gotten in months.
Last season closed with a 44-22 loss at Utah
Nebraska finished last season on the road, falling 44-22 to Utah on December 31 to close out a stretch that saw the Huskers lose four of their final five. In between the Penn State blowout (a 37-10 loss on November 23) and the Iowa loss (40-16 on November 28), the lone bright spot was a 28-21 win at UCLA on November 9 — proof last year's team could play well on the road, just not consistently enough.
That kind of finish is exactly why a camp storyline like the quarterback competition carries extra weight this time around. Last season's Nebraska team leaned on defense and special teams for most of its identity; an offense that can actually take advantage of good field position, rather than stall out, is the difference between repeating that finish and looking like a different team in November.
The safety Nebraska lost is starting to look like the one that got away
Malcolm Hartzog left Lincoln in the portal, and On3's Pete Nakos reported this week that he's turned into one of the leaders of Arizona's secondary — a defensive back with 38 career games of experience who has the Wildcats' staff confident he's upgraded their back end. It's the kind of note that stings a little for a Nebraska fan base that's used to watching former Huskers show up making plays for somebody else on Saturdays.
Nebraska S Malcolm Hartzog has established himself as one of the leaders of Arizona's secondary, a source told @On3. He's played in 38 career games, and the Wildcats are confident he’s upgraded the secondary. More transfers impressing in CFB preseason: t.co/ibWAZ8l6vj t.co/rYSH7T3qMG
There's no getting him back, and nothing in this week's camp reporting suggests Nebraska's secondary is worse for it. But it's a reminder of how much roster churn this program has absorbed the last few offseasons, and why depth at defensive back is worth watching once Nebraska actually takes the field against Ohio on September 5.
A rebuilding Ohio team walks into a 23.5-point spread
Nebraska opens the season on September 5 vs. Ohio at Memorial Stadium, and the market doesn't see much drama in it — the line opened with Nebraska favored by 23.5, with the total set at a modest 47.5, a number that reads like a game the books expect to be won in the trenches rather than the air. Ohio is breaking in first-year head coach John Hauser, who went 17-10 over UNLV in the Frisco Bowl as interim coach to close out 2025, but the Bobcats are replacing their starting quarterback, top running back and the entire offensive line, with only five returning starters. A retooled group like that is far more likely to look competent in November than it is on the road in Lincoln in Week 1.
Nebraska's own injury picture is a mild worry, not a crisis: Covers' aggregated injury table lists receivers D. Bell (knee) and L. Miles (foot) as questionable for the opener, with neither officially ruled out. Between a favorable matchup on paper and a quarterback competition that appears to be trending toward Colandrea, this is about as clean a look as Nebraska could ask for to open a season that needs to look different than the one that just ended.