A way too early look at the Nebraska 2025 depth chart

The 2024 season has just concluded, so naturally, it’s time to start talking about the 2025 Nebraska football team and who we will see on the field.

Kaidence Donahue

Before I get into any depth chart talk here, let me shout this from the rooftops: I don’t know who’s definitely going to play. I am not sitting here typing this article pretending to be an insider or beat writer. I’m speculating and analyzing what I’ve seen on the field. This is merely a projection of what I believe is going to happen.

As you go through each positional group, there are going to be some obvious ones (I think Dylan Raiola will be our starting quarterback). There will also be some less obvious positions…who is snapping the ball to Dylan Raiola in 2025?

I want to also clarify as I type this article on January 12th that the offseason is far from over, will Shiyazh Pete be a Husker? Also, the spring portal window runs from April 16th through the 25th. As Nebraska continues with the tedious task of trimming its roster down to 105, I fully expect the look of the roster to shift and adjust itself to the ever-changing rules.

Let’s talk some ball, shall we? Here are my thoughts on the depth chart as of RIGHT NOW, going into the 2025 season.

Quarterback

1. Dylan Raiola

2. Jalyn Gramstad

There’s no need to talk about Dylan, so let’s get into the interesting discussion of who is QB2. Who is going to be the official backup to Dylan? Honestly, I think it depends on if Dylan were to get injured. My take on the situation is if Dylan is out for a quarter, or out for a game, it’s Jalyn Gramstad. He’s a proven college quarterback and has the most experience out of any other QB in the room.

But what happens if Dylan were to sustain a more significant/long-term injury? I think we would see either TJ Lateef or Marcos Davila depending on who Matt Rhule is more confident in. My gut tells me that it would be TJ Lateef, although from what I saw of him at the bowl game, he currently seems physically underdeveloped.

Obviously given his recruiting ranking, he’s talented, but will need to continue to add one weight to be able to play in the Big Ten.

Running Back

1. Emmett Johnson

2. Kwinten Ives

Matt Rhule loves EJ as well as Kwinten Ives. He mentions Ives a lot during press conferences, you can genuinely tell he believes in his ability to play in the backfield. I personally haven’t seen it on the field yet, but I’m also not at the Nebraska facility every day or at practice.

Ives has had the opportunity to learn the system and develop himself physically for Big Ten football. We all know that it takes depth at the running back position to win in the Big Ten.

I hope for the sake of our 2025 season that Ives is ready to go and be able to do something with 5-10 touches a game.

Wide Receiver

1. Dane Key

2. Cortez Mills

1. Nyziah Hunter

2. Hardley Gilmore IV

1. Jacory Barney Jr.

2. Janiran Bonner

I asked my followers on X what position group had the most question marks going into 2025. Unequivocally, the resounding answer was the receiver room. Not necessarily from a talent standpoint, but a “Who is actually going to see the field?” standpoint.

I weirdly feel confident in rolling out these 6 names as my “these guys are going to play” take for this position. I’m not going to lie, I feel great about our receivers. We are tall, fast, and talented at every spot. To me, Cortez Mills has the best chance out of any true freshman to see the field next fall.

In fact, I believe he will not only see the field but be a significant part of the offense in 2025, similar to what Jacory Barney Jr. was in 2024. Dana Holgorsen knew that Nebraska needed to upgrade the receiver room and boy did he do just that.

Tight End

1. Carter Nelson

2. Heinrich Haarberg

Tight end is an impossible position to create a depth chart for because who is playing tight end at any given time is dependent on the scheme and situation of the offense. For example, I fully expect Carter Nelson to be the pass catcher of the group, Haarberg and Markway to do a little bit of both catching and blocking, and Lindenmeyer to be the more traditional blocker.

The tight end room feels a little thin for my liking, but nevertheless, Holgorsen can make this group functional. When Matt Rhule made the decision to switch from Satterfield to Dana, it was amazing to see how much the change in play-calling schemed the tight ends open. It felt like they were running wide-open at the end of the season.

Side note: We’re officially done with swing passes to tight ends...right...right?!

Offensive Line

Left Tackle

1. Elijah Prichett

2. Teddy Prochazka

Left Guard

1. Turner Corcoran

2. Jason Maciejczak

Center

1. Justin Evans

2. Sam Sledge

Right Guard

1. Henry Lutovsky

2. Gibson Pyle

Right Tackle

1. Gunnar Gottula

2. Grant Brix

For me, this is by far the hardest position group to figure out what’s going on. Nebraska graduated a significant portion of their playing time on the offensive line. There are also so many variables here: Is it set in stone that Corcoran and Prochazka are returning for another year? Ultimately after debating this for entirely too long, this is what I came up with for the offensive line depth chart.

As I went through each position, I couldn’t decide on Justin Evans at center, or Turner Corcoran. I kind of like the idea of Corcoran at center because of his veteran presence in that room. The center needs to command the line of scrimmage, and I think he could do that. However, at 6 foot 6 inches, he seems a little lengthy for my personal liking when he’s required to play in a phone booth. Ultimately, I decided on Justin Evans at center. He was great at guard this year and he fits the mold of a center.

Now that we have the offense covered, let’s shift to the defense.

Nose Tackle

1. Elijah Jeudy

2. Mason Goldman

I’m REALLY glad Elijah Jeudy decided to come back for another year under Matt Rhule. There’s so much talk about what players we’re going to bring in via the portal, but oftentimes it’s more important to retain players on the current roster. Jeudy doesn’t get talked about much because of how good of seasons Nash and Ty had, but Jeudy quietly put together a solid season.

I also think at nose tackle, we could see Riley Van Poppel mixed in, depending on the situation and package. However, I like Jeudy and Goldman to get the majority of the snaps.

Defensive End

1. Riley Van Poppel

2. Keona Davis

1. Cam Lendhardt

2. Williams Nwaneri

Full transparency, I think “ranking” these players is stupid. They’re all going to play and play significant time. I view Nwaneri and Lenhardt as more of the “passing downs” ends, and Van Poppel and Davis as the “running downs” guys.

I feel really good with where this room is at, Nebraska is DEEP at the line of scrimmage. Matt Rhule has created an identity with his defense as being one of the best front 7s in the country. They’re going to make you throw it, because very few have run it successfully against them.

Jack

1. Dasan McCullough

2. Willis McGahee IV

Once again, holy smokes is Nebraska loaded in the front 7 or what? My 2 cents, McCullough was the best addition in this portal class. I’ve loved watching his college career from afar and always wished Nebraska had a player as versatile as him. I don’t think he’s going to just play Jack. I think we’ll see him as a traditional linebacker as well as a safety. I definitely anticipate seeing him and McGahee on the field at the same time.

This group is going to be extremely fun to watch this fall. What was the one downfall of the Nebraska defense in 2024? Pass rush. Matt Rhule needs to get a lot of production out of this group, and I think he’s going to get it.

Linebacker

1. Vincent Shavers

2. Dylan Rogers

1. Marques Watson-Trent

2. Gage Stenger

Once again, are you kidding me? I jokingly tweeted a couple of weeks ago that the Nebraska linebacking group will look like an early 2000s Ravens unit with Lewis and Suggs. Dvoracek has to be smiling from ear to ear with the amount of talent he gets to coach in 2025.

Watson-Trent will be a huge addition to the room. I personally have always been a fan of grabbing the portal player that has proven production, rather than grabbing the highly rated upside recruit that hasn’t proven it yet. Watson-Trent is definitely a proven product. He’s played and played at a high level for multiple years.

Cornerback

1. Ceyair Wright

2. Malcom Hartzog Jr.

1. Andrew Marshall

2. Jeremiah Charles

1. Marques Buford Jr.

2. Marquis Groves-Killebrew

While writing about this group, I felt like I was throwing darts at a dartboard and hoping something lands. I’m guessing when we get to kickoff against Cincinnati, this group looks completely different. Some of these guys could be at different universities, some might not be projected to see the field.

Cornerback feels like the highest variance position given the changes that could be ahead. We’ll see, but to me, this is what it looks like. Also, I expect to be in nickel quite a bit this year. Not only because we’re seeing more 3 receiver sets than ever, but because I think Rhule and Butler will be comfortable going light in the box with their personnel. I’ve seen some fans worried about the run defense/front 7 in 2025. I am not.

Free Safety

1. Mario Buford

2. Rahmir Stewart

I don’t have any huge takes about free safety. I expect to see Buford out there, and Stewart filling in as well. My gut tells me that Nebraska isn’t done shopping around at safety. I think there’s a chance we could see a portal addition in the spring.

Strong Safety

1. Caleb Benning

2. Justyn Rhett

I might be going out on a limb here, but I’ll take Benning as the starter over the portal addition in Rhett from Georgia. Benning started to get some time at the end of the season, and I think that continues into next year. As all Nebraska fans know, he’s a coach’s son, instinctual, and physically talented.

Nebraska added players that can take this program to the next level

This might be the off-season national championship mindset in me, but I love where this roster is going into 2025. Rhule came to Nebraska with a vision to build through high school recruiting and develop over the long term.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve felt a shift in mindset from him. He’s adding more portal players than I previously thought he would, and quality players at that. Players that can take this team to the next level and get Nebraska to 8, 9, or 10 wins. He seems more urgent than ever to put together a roster that can potentially compete for a Big Ten title.

Do I think we will get there in 2025? Probably not. But I think we’re closer to that than we’ve been for over a decade.

2025 is the year of the Husker. GBR.