Nebraska football enters a transitional period ahead of the 2026 season, attempting to fix a defense that struggled significantly against the run. While the 2025 unit excelled in pass coverage, coaching shifts and a heavy reliance on transfers will define the program's next chapter.
The 4.8-yard rush gap that derailed the 2025 defense
The 2025 Nebraska Blackshirts demonstrated a massive disparity between their pass coverage and run defense. While the unit ranked third nationally in passing yards allowed at 154.1 per game, their ability to stop the run collapsed. As the report highlights, the defense allowed just 3.4 yards per attempt in 2024,but those numbers ballooned to 4.8 yards per attempt and 175.4 rushing yards allowed per game in 2025.
This shift in performance directly correlated with a 4-6 stretch following a Week 4 matchup against Michigan. While the secondary proved capable of stifling opponents in the air, the inability to contain the ground game left the Huskers vulnerable to power four opponents, several of whom surpassed 200 rushing yards against the Nebraska defense.
Replacing the Terry Bradden experiment with Corey Brown
The defensive line's struggles in 2025 were largely attributed to the coaching tenure of Terry Bradden. Bradden, who previously served as an assistant for the Kansas City Chiefs, struggled to manage a young room tasked with replacing NFL-caliber players like Ty Robinson and Nash Hutmacher. The report characterizes the Bradden era as an "abject failure," leaving the program to look toward new defensive line coach Corey Brown to stabilize the unit.
The coaching change comes with the pressure to improve the development of returning players such as Riley Van Poppel, Cameron Leonhardt, and Keona Davis. For the 2026 season, the success of Corey Brown will be measured by whether he can prevent the defensive line from becoming a liability in the run game once again.
The 33-sack shadow of the Donovan Raiola era
Offensive line stability remains a major concern following the departure of Donovan Raiola. Despite running back Emmett Johnson surpassing the 1,100-yard mark for the first time since Ameer Abdullah's 2014 campaign, the unit's protection was inonsistent. According to the analysis, Nebraska allowed 33 sacks in 2025, continuing a trend of high sack totals (33,29, 28, and 33) throughout Raiola's four-year tenure.
This lack of protection persisted even with mobile quarterbacks like Adrian Martinez and Heinrich Haarberg under center. As the program moves away from the Raiola coaching era, the offensive line must find a way to provide more consistent pocket security to support the Huskers' offensive production.
Will the transfer quartet of Pritchett, Mubenga, Black, and Babalade hold?
The 2026 roster's success depends heavily on a group of incoming transfers. At least three projected starters—Elijah Pritchett, Paul Mubenga, and Brendan Black—arrived via the transfer portal, with Tree Babalade also expected to join the rotation. This heavy reliance on new arrivals is a central component of the program's strategy to rebuild its front lines.
However, because the source focuses on a "reasons for optimism" perspective, several questions remain. It is unclear if this influx of new talent can provide the immediate cohesion necessary to fix the line issues, or if the program's hope is merely a byproduct of coaching departures ratheer than actual systemic growth.
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