Friday Five: A happy holiday week
There aren’t any games on the calendar this week as Nebraska moves through the holiday stretch. Still, a slow schedule doesn’t always mean a slow week.
There aren’t any games on the calendar this week as Nebraska moves through the holiday stretch. The next events won’t arrive until Monday and Tuesday, when women’s basketball hosts USC and men’s basketball welcomes New Hampshire to Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Still, a slow schedule doesn’t always mean a slow week.
Let’s get caught up.
Two former Huskers earn Pro Bowl honors
Two familiar names landed on the NFL’s Pro Bowl list this week.
Cam Jurgens, now the starting center for the Philadelphia Eagles, earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection. Drafted in the second round in 2022, the Beatrice native has quickly established himself as one of the league’s most reliable interior linemen. He already has a Super Bowl ring on his résumé and his consistency has been a cornerstone for the Eagles.
Luke Gifford’s selection tells a different story but an equally impressive one. Undrafted in 2019, Gifford carved out a role through special teams, first with Tennessee, then Dallas and now San Francisco. This is his first Pro Bowl nod, coming after a season in which he totaled 32 tackles and emerged as one of the most effective special teams players in the league.
The Pro Bowl is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 3.
Lonnie Teasley settles in with familiar ties
Lonnie Teasley is still learning Nebraska’s roster but the environment isn’t entirely new to him.
The Huskers’ new run-game coordinator and assistant offensive line coach has long-standing relationships with the people around him. Matt Rhule hired Teasley as an assistant at Temple in 2014, a connection Teasley still views through a mentor lens. He’s also crossed recruiting paths with offensive line coach Geep Wade for years.
“We kind of see football the same way and how it should be done and how it should be played,” Teasley said during an appearance on Sports Nightly. “It was a no-brainer for me.”
Teasley arrives after five seasons at South Carolina, including three as the Gamecocks’ offensive line coach. His role in Lincoln will be collaborative, working alongside Rhule, Wade and offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen to improve Nebraska’s ground game heading into 2026.
There’s also a personal element to the move. Growing up in New Jersey, Teasley followed Nebraska football closely and even attended a camp run by Husker legend Will Shields.
“Now I’m here at the same school he was a member of,” Teasley said. “The Pipeline, so that’s pretty cool.”
Roy Manning outlines defensive identity
New edge coach Roy Manning also made an appearance on Sports Nightly this week, offering insight into what the Blackshirts are aiming to become under new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich.
Manning brings more than 15 years of Division I coaching experience, with stops at USC, Oklahoma, UCLA, Michigan, Washington State, Cincinnati and most recently San Diego State. Last season, the Aztecs ranked 21st nationally in sacks. Nebraska finished 103rd.
Manning was clear, however, that pass rush alone isn’t the priority at Nebraska.
“We want to stop the run and force people to be in situations where they have to pass the ball,” Manning said. “They have to drop the quarterback back and again, play in our hands as we look at it. So that’s who we are. Above everything, we’re going to be sound, and guys are going to know where they’re fitting and why they’re fitting there. We’re going to be creative and be exotic, but we’re not going to do that and not be sound.”
Nebraska’s move to a 4-2-5 base defense is firm.
“No doubt we’re a four-down operation,” Manning said. “We have different fronts and packages and things of that nature, but we want to be a four-down operation, living in a quarters defense.”
Manning believes the foundation is already in place.
“It’s just a mindset, mentality, of belief,” he said. “Just being here, quick observation in four or five days, there’s no lack of talent here… It’s just a matter of developing guys and putting them in a position so they can maximize on what they’re good at and those talents. Belief is a huge thing in our game, and so I think just instilling that into our guys will help.”
Men’s basketball keeps climbing
Nebraska men’s basketball continues to climb national projections.
Joe Lunardi’s latest ESPN Bracketology places the Huskers as a 4-seed — their best projection yet — following Sunday’s 78–55 win over North Dakota. It marks the sixth straight week Nebraska has moved up in the projections.
Nebraska also moved up to No. 13 in the AP poll and remains one of just six undefeated teams in Division I. The Huskers are 2-0 in Big Ten play, with wins over Wisconsin at home and Illinois on the road.
There’s still a long way to go but people are paying attention. Nebraska hosts New Hampshire on Dec. 30 before welcoming Michigan State on Jan. 2.
Volleyball finishes No. 3 in final poll
Nebraska volleyball’s season didn’t end where it wanted but it still ended among the nation’s best.
The Huskers finished No. 3 in the final AVCA poll, behind national champion Texas A&M and Kentucky. The Aggies earned all 61 first-place votes after a historic run that included wins over three No. 1 seeds en route to the program’s first title.
Nebraska closed the year at 33-1, with an undefeated Big Ten season and one of the most dominant stretches in program history. While the loss in the regional final stings, the final ranking reflects the broader body of work.
It may have been a quiet week in terms of events, but it’ll be busy again soon enough. That’s how it goes this time of year.
In the meantime, we hope you have enjoyed your holidays. By the time you’re reading this — well, maybe that depends on when you read this — Nebraska football will be on its way to Las Vegas.
More to come soon.