Friday Five: Beer, heartbreak and hype
The Huskers are back. Beer is here. That's not all. Here's what you need to know heading into the weekend.
August is here, football’s fall camp is in full swing and if you needed a sign that Husker football is officially back, try this:
Beer is now on tap at Memorial Stadium.
Nebraska Athletics announced this week that alcohol sales will be available during Saturday’s Big Red Preview scrimmage, which follows the annual Nebraska Football Fan Day. The event is presented by 1890 and gives fans their first in-person look at the 2025 team in action.
It marks a notable shift for a university that was the last in the Big Ten to allow in-stadium alcohol sales. While it’s not the first time Memorial Stadium has served beer—the 2021 Garth Brooks concert and Volleyball Day 2023 broke that ground—it is the beginning of a new era for football Saturdays.
Doors open Saturday for Fan Day at 4:30 p.m. inside the Hawks Championship Center. The stadium opens at 5:30 p.m., with the scrimmage beginning at 6:30. Whether fans attend one or both events, it’s a chance to see the 2025 Huskers up close.
Fall camp marches on (and so does adversity)
Thursday’s practice brought one of the toughest moments of camp so far. Tight end Mac Markway, who transferred from LSU ahead of last season, suffered another season-ending knee injury. It’s the second in two years, a devastating blow for a player who many inside the program believed was ready for a breakout season.
“Heartbreaking news,” coach Matt Rhule said when he met with the media. “He’s an unbelievable human, and my heart goes out to him… It was tremendously devastating to him.”
Rhule explained that the injury wasn’t the result of one specific play, but instead because his previous ACL repair “failed.” Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen hadn’t had the chance to work with Markway in pads yet.
“I feel really bad for him,” Holgorsen said. “I was really looking forward to coaching him because his numbers are what you want in a tight end.”
Still, Holgorsen expressed confidence in the rest of the tight end room, pointing to six other players who have consistently improved. He’s focused this camp on mental preparation—especially for quarterback Dylan Raiola—while continuing to build offensive consistency.
“We should have a pretty good understanding of what to do but it’s still installation,” Holgorsen said. “This is the fourth time we’ve done this.”
Holgorsen noted that Raiola, who was “mad at me” for being given five weeks off this summer, has handled everything well. The emphasis right now isn’t on splashy plays.
“That’s not what we’re going to obsess over,” Holgorsen said. “Where that really shows up is just routine play after routine play after routine play.”
That said, there’s no shortage of potential. Mekhi Nelson has impressed at running back. Young receivers like Jacory Barney Jr., Quinn Clark, Keelan Smith and Cortez Mills are pushing the veterans. As for the offensive line, Turner Corcoran is expected back soon as the group rotates heavily.
Holgorsen thinks they have “10 good bodies” up front. Even with injuries to start camp, he’s seen consistent progress.
“This fall camp grind is underway,” he said. “It feels like it’s 3 p.m.”
Logan Holgorsen joins the operation
While Dana Holgorsen has taken over as offensive coordinator, another Holgorsen is now officially on staff. Logan Holgorsen, Dana’s son and a former Houston quarterback, has joined the Huskers as an assistant general manager.
Logan previously worked with Houston’s NIL efforts and is expected to play a similar support role at Nebraska.
Raiola, Barney, and Prochazka earn preseason honors
Dylan Raiola, Nebraska’s sophomore quarterback and the face of the program, was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List on Monday. The Maxwell Award honors the College Player of the Year, and Raiola is the first Husker on the list since Adrian Martinez in 2021. Only Mike Rozier has ever won the award for Nebraska.
Last season, Raiola threw for 2,819 yards and 13 touchdowns while completing 67.1 percent of his passes. He helped lead Nebraska to a bowl win over Boston College and was a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award.
Sophomore wide receiver Jacory Barney Jr. was also recognized this week, earning a spot on the Hornung Award Watch List, which honors college football’s most versatile player. As a true freshman in 2024, Barney led Nebraska in receptions (55), posted 447 receiving yards, rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns, and returned 14 kickoffs for 285 yards.
According to PFF, he had the most targets (76) of any player in the country without a single drop.
And on Thursday, senior offensive lineman Teddy Prochazka was named to the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, which honors student-athletes who serve their communities. Prochazka has logged more than 45 community service events over the past year and has been a steady presence in Nebraska’s Life Skills program since arriving on campus.
Tennis adds an All-American
The Nebraska men’s tennis team made a notable offseason addition, signing NAIA All-American Matt Shearer. The Auckland, New Zealand, native is transferring from William Carey University, where he won more than 20 singles and 20 doubles matches in each of his last two seasons.
Shearer ended the 2025 season ranked No. 10 nationally in NAIA singles and was the Southern State Athletic Conference Championship MVP. He said he chose Nebraska to challenge himself at the Division I level.
“I’m transferring to Nebraska for my fifth season to experience Division I tennis and compete at a high level with a Power Four program,” Shearer said. “I’m excited to be a part of a big school environment and challenge myself against top competition.”
Nebraska finished last season with a top-40 national ranking and a school-record eight Big Ten victories. Head coach Peter Kobelt said Shearer will be a great fit both on and off the court.
“He brings a lot to the table from a tennis standpoint, especially in doubles,” Kobelt said. “More importantly, he’s a great person, and he’ll represent Nebraska the right way off the court as well.”
Volleyball date change
Nebraska volleyball’s match at USC, originally scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 15, has been moved to Sunday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. CT due to scheduling conflicts. The match will stream on B1G+ and caps a tough West Coast road trip that also includes UCLA (scheduled for Friday, Nov. 14).
With that, another week has come and gone. This weekend, however, adds something for fans to look forward to.
The Huskers take the field in front of fans this weekend for the Big Red Preview, a first public look at a team aiming to build off a bowl win and take the next step under Rhule. With explosive potential on offense, evolving leadership and more talent across the board, this month will be about execution, health and who rises to the top.
And then, you know, there’s the beer.