Locked On Nebraska - Daily Podcast on the Nebraska Cornhuskers

We’re back. It’s been a disjointed week here at the Locked On Nebraska podcast. But thanks for your patience. On this Friday, we’re answering your questions, as always, with a stuffed mailbag episode. To start, we rank in importance parts of this roster that could swing the Huskers from a six-win team (or worse) to an eight-win team (or better.). What’s under the radar this offseason, and what are...

On3’s latest quarterback and receiver rankings spark heated debate—can elite quarterback-receiver duos truly explain team success, or do inconsistencies between individual and duo rankings leave fans scratching their heads? The Locked On Big Ten Squad analyzes controversial placements: Why is Jayden Maiava ranked third among Big Ten quarterbacks, yet his top wideout drops to an honorable mention?...

We’re officially in the stretch run to preseason camp  for Nebraska football. Over the next nine weeks, we will preview the matchups for each of the Huskers’ nine Big Ten games in 2026.  It starts with the Michigan State Spartans, on the schedule to host Nebraska on Sept. 26 in the conference opener for both teams. Will the Pat Fitzgerald-coached Spartans pose a serious threat to Nebraska’s bid fo...

We’re back from the holiday weekend. On this Monday, we’ve got a bonus mailbag, with questions left over from earlier in the summer. We’re ranking the Big Ten football coaching hires from the last cycle. Who’s most likely to win big in 2026?  What’s the biggest impact of 5 for 5 for Matt Rhule and Nebraska football? Why all the crying and moaning about the running back position? Did the rugby punt...

It’s a special, Fourth of July mailbag, with football topics that include: Nebraska’s running back depth, chopped liver, Shawn Eichorst’s return to the Big Ten, All-American foods, the 1995 Huskers. Also, is negativity driving you away? If so, come back, football season is near.  There are still questions about the application of the new five-for-five rules. Does the World Cup remind you of someth...

Big Ten coaching rankings ignite debate as Curt Cignetti’s meteoric rise at Indiana challenges Ryan Day’s Ohio State dominance. Can Cignetti’s underdog playbook outshine traditional powerhouses if given equal resources? The discussion also spotlights Kyle Whittingham’s consistency, questions Dan Lanning’s performance in pressure games, and evaluates where Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies trul...

Did the football problems that came into focus this week for Nebraska at running back actually start months ago? We’re here on the brink of July to look back at decisions made by Nebraska coaches and the football front office to stay out of the transfer portal at running back for the second consecutive year. Why did they do it?  The status of Mekhi Nelson, arrested this week in Florida, is unknown...

We’re here later than usual to start this midsummer week with reaction to the news that Nebraska running back Mekhi Nelson was arrested in Florida. The Huskers are already thin and inexperienced at his position on the field — and now face an uncertain situation to enter the final month before training camp opens. EA Sports ranked the Huskers’ talent for the company’s latest video game masterpiece....

We’ve got a packed mailbag on this final Friday of June. Thanks to our loyal listeners and viewers for bringing us the questions. In this episode, we talk more about the new Nebraska uniforms. What is Adidas getting out of this deal? Might the lack of traditional rivalries be contributing to Nebraska’s struggles as a program?  If other teams got to pick their perfect conferences, who would take Ne...

Big Ten shakes up college football with the new “5 and 5” eligibility rule, setting the stage for a new era—no more endless waivers or awkward redshirt seasons. The Big 10 Squad debates whether this reform can finally bring order to the chaos. Will this bold move eliminate confusion and eight-year seniors, or just spawn fresh controversy? Illinois Fighting Illini’s win total sparks heated predicti...

We’re putting a bow on the month of June for Nebraska football. And with it, the offseason is nearly complete. Only vacations in July, Big Ten media days and prep work for training camp remain on the summer schedule. Speaking of media days, the list of players set to attend has been released. Who’s venturing to Chicago for the Huskers?  How are we grading the offseason in Lincoln? Did the June hap...

The five-for-five rule is here, and Nebraska football is ready for it. How might the Huskers feel about another year of eligibility for all of their players who’ve not redshirted? That group includes Anthony Colandrea, the QB1 who came to Lincoln last winter expecting to play one season. Now he’s got two. How might the change impact Trae Taylor, the Nebraska five-star commit in the 2027 class?  We...

In case you missed it over the weekend, Nebraska football is set to wear new jerseys in 2026. The athletic department made a big deal in the lead up to this announcement and in the immediate aftermath of it. But why? Did they simply want to maximize a money-making opportunity? Was it really about tradition? Did Nebraska get tired of its boring offseason? We have some thoughts and theories. Trae Ta...

Big Ten powers gear up for a season of high stakes and sky-high expectations. Oregon’s fans are asking: Is this finally the year Dan Lanning leads the Ducks to a national championship? Ohio State faces questions about the Arthur Smith-led offense and Ryan Day’s fourth-quarter strategy, while USC and Washington both eye playoff runs amidst roster shakeups and the spotlight on Demond Williams’ devel...

We’re getting funky on this Friday in the Nebraska mailbag. A late-arriving email asked this question: What if Nebraska had hired Kirk Ferentz in the late ‘90s? Isn’t he everything in a coach that the Huskers valued in a post-Tom Osborne world? Well, yes. And no. We explain.  Has Nebraska high school football ever seen the hype that Trae Taylor is set to deliver this spring? Does the Nebraska offe...

The 19th and latest commitment for Nebraska football in the 2027 recruiting class gives the Huskers four in the defensive backfield. All are four-star prospects, a first for Nebraska in one class. We take a historical look at the best groups in the secondary ever to sign with Nebraska – and compare those classes to the work that Addison Williams and the Huskers’ recruiting staff are doing this yea...

It’s a special Tuesday for us at the Locked On Nebraska podcast. We’re celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Locked On Podcast Network with an episode that feels appropriate for mid-June – just as the heat starts to build ahead of training camp and Big Ten media days next month. We are counting down 10 topics that are sure to move the meter in 2026, 10 issues for Matt Rhule’s Nebraska footbal...

What day is it? We’re back to start another week, weary but full of excitement after the opening weekend of the College World Series and all kinds of excitement in the sporting world,  nationally and locally. Nebraska football picked up two more commitments, including a flip. There was a flavor of barbeque with the latest additions. Another big weekend of visits on campus awaits. What can Matt Rhu...

We’re here on this glorious College World Series Friday to answer your questions in a mailbag episode. We start with deep thoughts about the proliferation of gambling and its impact on sports as college football grapples with the Brendan Sorsby issue at Texas Tech. Are we part of the problem? What if you could pick the teams for Nebraska’s new, make-believe conference? If the Huskers are doing eve...

Big Ten powers rally against Texas Tech over Brendan Sorsby’s controversial eligibility fight. As the Red Raiders attempt to play Sorsby despite NCAA regulations, Big Ten schools refuse all non-conference competition, igniting a heated debate about integrity, NIL chaos, and the role of judges in college football. Is this a Texas Tech scandal, an NCAA crisis, or a sign the sport is spinning out of...

Big movement on Wednesday in recruiting rankings. Nebraska commitment Trae Taylor jumped to the No. 1 spot among quarterbacks on the 247 Sports list. That’s a big deal. He’s a big deal. The Chicago-area transplant, gearing up for his senior season at Millard South in Omaha, now possesses an even greater opportunity to affect the Huskers’ recruiting class for 2027. We discuss Taylor’s jump and look...

The shift underway at Nebraska in this offseason is perhaps more dramatic than it at first appeared. In addition to swapping out two coordinators and a quarterback whose styles lend to altered systems, Matt Rhule’s messaging is different in 2026. His coaching staff has a new vibe. The first weekend in June left no doubt that Rhule is building the Nebraska roster in a new way — doubling down in are...

After an unscheduled bye, we’re back on this Tuesday to review the first big recruiting push of summer for Nebraska football. Five commits? That’ll do. But what about Ahmad Hudson, the five-star tight end out of Louisiana who committed in the spring to LSU? It seems that he’s back in play for Nebraska. Either that or he’s playing the Huskers. Regardless, Nebraska will take the publicity and work t...

The Friday mailbag is here. We start this show with an idea from a listener about the proposed expansion of the College Football Playoff. Why not go back to the old BCS ways of picking participants? It’s not an entirely bad concept, say hosts Connor and Mitch. Was Matt Rhule pulling the strings as his touted QB recruit picked a high school in Nebraska?  Do reporters in college sports live in fear...

The Big Ten and SEC unite to push back against Congress’s sweeping plan to overhaul college football, setting up a powerful standoff that could reshape the sport’s future. With player compensation, playoff formats, and media rights on the line, can any legislation succeed without college football’s biggest powerhouses on board? The Big 10 Squad dissects the motives behind congressional interventio...