Friday Five: Husker Games go live and the 105 gets real
On Wednesday night, Matt Rhule called athletic director Troy Dannen with an idea: what if the Husker Games included live football?
On Wednesday night, Matt Rhule called athletic director Troy Dannen with an idea: what if the Husker Games included live football?
Not for fanfare. Not for ticket sales. Just for the players — the walk-ons, the underclassmen, the guys still fighting for their shot. Dannen agreed. By Thursday afternoon, Rhule made the change of plans public. It was so fresh, in fact, that Nebraska’s chief operating officer Haven Fields was hearing about it for the first time from the side of the media room.
Again, Rhule said the point wasn’t to make the Husker Games more marketable. He already made the call weeks ago to avoid a traditional televised spring game, largely to prevent outside programs from poaching players based on what they saw. But with the transfer portal officially open and closing just one day before the April 26 event, Rhule said he felt a responsibility to give those still fighting a place to perform.
The Friday Five returns — thanks to your feedback! — to break it all down.
“Put the ball down” — Live action coming to Husker Games
Turns out that the Huskers will scrimmage next Saturday and not just run through Pro Bowl-style events.
Rhule said Thursday that he’s decided to include live football as part of the Husker Games, giving players on the edge of Nebraska’s roster limit one last shot to show they belong. That group includes walk-ons, third- and fourth-stringers and guys who may need tape to transfer elsewhere.
“I’m going to go live and do some Red and White stuff,” Rhule said. “We have a bunch of guys that this could be their last time playing in that stadium… We’ve got guys who do this schedule after being told, you are not going to be in the 105.”
This wasn’t a move to boost attendance, according to Rhule. It’s not like the Husker Games will suddenly be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. This was about something else for Rhule.
As the 10-day transfer portal window opened Wednesday and the 105-player roster limit loomed, he felt compelled to give those who stuck around a meaningful moment.
“I’m going to put them out there and tell my wife and kids to come watch them play,” he said.
He also singled out guys like Jacob Bower and Jacob Brandl — walk-ons who’ve embraced a grueling offseason despite knowing the odds. The hope is that someone in that group not only gets their shot but seizes it.
“There’s someone that plays in this thing next Saturday that will be a starter one day,” Rhule said.
Culture on display and recruits are noticing
This spring hasn’t just been about refining plays or naming starters. It’s been about showing what Nebraska actually is, especially when it comes to recruits.
Rhule said he encourages serious recruits to attend practices — not just official visits — to see how the program operates in real time. The tone, he said, is demanding but never demeaning. Coaches teach, hold players accountable and remain consistent across the entire roster.
“My nine-year-old daughter is at practice sometimes… my 12-year-old daughter, my dad, my son,” Rhule said. “I want people to see a bunch of coaches who demand but don’t demean.”
It’s also about alignment. Rhule emphasized how nutritionist Kristin Coggin, strength coach Corey Campbell and mental performance director Dr. Michael Stout are all delivering the same core message: player development. Recruits might hear it in different words but the point never changes.
“My job is not just to coach the players that I think are going to play,” Rhule said. “My job is to coach everybody.”
The 105 is happening
If there was ever hope the NCAA might gradually implement the new 105-player roster cap, it’s fading fast. Rhule confirmed Thursday that the number is likely to hold firm this season.
“It sounds like it’s going to stay at 105, from what I’m seeing,” he said.
That reality is reshaping the way Nebraska is evaluating talent this spring. Rhule’s approach? Treat every rep like it counts. He said he’s deeply grateful for the walk-ons who stuck around despite knowing they may not make the cut.
“They’ll be the guys someday that run the country,” he said, pointing to players like Bower and Brandl as examples of grit, commitment and culture.
The live portion of the Husker Games is a chance to reward that and maybe even reveal a surprise.
Justin Evans finds his voice at center
One of the most important position shifts this spring? Left guard-turned-center Justin Evans.
Now the full-time anchor of the offensive line, Evans has had to step up his communication and leadership. That wasn’t always natural.
“I’m not used to talking a lot. I maybe said two words to the team last year,” Evans said. “But I’ve had to come out of my shell and be one of the leaders of the team.”
He said becoming more vocal wasn’t about yelling but that it was about being a calming voice, especially when things go wrong. Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen recently said Evans could be “as good of a center that exists in college football” and Evans appears to be embracing that expectation.
Keona Davis and the value of staying put
Defensive lineman Keona Davis arrived in Lincoln at 245 pounds. Now he’s 270, playing with more confidence and taking on a leadership role.
The transition wasn’t seamless. When his original position coach left this offseason, Davis admitted he was “kind of scared and confused.” He quickly bonded with new defensive line coach Terry Bradden though — “a big ball of energy,” he called him — and defensive coordinator John Butler.
With a new staff and a growing role, Davis has doubled down on film study and leaned on teammates like Riley Van Poppel to sharpen his game.
He also sees the live reps next Saturday for what they are: a true proving ground.
“It’s a chance to prove themselves,” Davis said. “That’s what it’s about.”
A note on McCallister’s exit
1Nebraska’s first portal departure of the spring came Wednesday when punter Jack McCallister announced he was moving on.
“This is a young man who I feel terrible about the circumstances,” Rhule said.
McCallister, who committed to Nebraska in December, was caught in a tough spot after the Huskers hired Mike Ekeler as special teams coordinator. Ekeler wants to shift to a rugby-style punting scheme, while McCallister is a traditional punter. Rhule and Ekeler informed him of the change this week.
McCallister will finish out spring practice with the team. Nebraska then plans to bring in a new punter this summer. Rhule said the Huskers already have a couple options lined up.
“Schematically it’s a no-brainer,” he said. “We’ll just have to bring the right guy in.”
More roster movement is expected before the April 25 portal deadline but Rhule’s tone Thursday was a reminder that behind every name in the portal is a story, and in this case, a player who did everything right.
Nebraska has one full week left of spring football and one week before the portal closes.
For a handful of Huskers, it’s also one more week before the most important reps of their football careers to date.
They’ll put the ball down next Saturday. Rhule just hopes by going live we might find out who’s ready to pick it up.
It’s a BONUS sixth point, but “Friday Six” doesn’t have the same ring to it.
The 6th point is the only type of overtime that I like on a Friday