Locked On Nebraska - Daily Podcast on the Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Nebraska mailbag is open. We’re here on this final Friday of the football season to look closely at things happening around Matt Rhule and the Huskers. We start with this: Did the media create unfair expectations for Nebraska in 2025? And are they doing it again in 2026? Connor and Mitch, of course, have thoughts. Is the success of Nebraska hoops hurting Nebraska football? It’s a valid questio...

College Football Playoff schedule chaos leaves fans and teams scratching their heads—can the Big Ten rise above it yet again? Spencer McLaughlin leads a fiery debate on the playoff’s controversial new format, with candid reactions from Trent Condon, Jay Stevens, and Jacob Goins. From baffling bye-week outcomes—Indiana Hoosiers’ historic run under Kurt Signetti—to the struggle of balancing transfer...

Big picture here on a Thursday: Has the Nebraska fan base turned against coach Matt Rhule after his three seasons in Lincoln? Connor and Mitch examine the situation as Rhule faces more scrutiny than at any time in his stay at Nebraska. Nebraska fans are questioning his moves. Some skepticism is healthy. And each offseason has its ebbs and flows. So what’s happening right now in the court of public...

We got hit late Monday with the news that special teams assistant Josh Martin was leaving Nebraska for a high school coaching job. And then on Tuesday, news arrived that Brett Maher and Nick Humphrey would take control of the special teams at Nebraska in 2026? What’s happening with this part of the football team? Is Nebraska is de-emphasizing it again in comparison to the resources it devotes to o...

Nebraska football starts spring practice two weeks, nearly a month earlier than what we’ve seen in other years under coach Matt Rhule. It’s likely going to be cold on those February mornings. The Huskers will be less than 60 days removed from their bowl loss in Las Vegas. Why the early start? Connor and Mitch explore the possibilities and offer a theory that the Huskers feel some urgency to get mo...

It’s February. And we’re back for the start of another week, talking about back-to-back losses for the Nebraska basketball team. The Huskers fell at home, 78-69, Sunday against an Illinois squad that looks like a national championship contender. Nebraska, now 20-2, must now work to steer itself back on track. The Huskers again had the services on Sunday of Braden Frager and Rienk Mast. What’s next...

The Friday mailbag is open. We’re fielding questions off the top today about Trae Taylor, the incoming Millard South and Nebraska-committed quarterback. Will we ever know how much NIL money has been devoted to steer his career toward the state of Nebraska? Probably not. And here’s why the details don’t actually matter.  Is Nebraska set to face embarrassment on the recruiting trail as the late sign...

Ohio State faces a brutal Big Ten gauntlet—at Texas, USC, Oregon, and Michigan. Is Ryan Day's squad ready for the most challenging schedule in college football? Spencer McLaughlin, Jay Stevens, and guests dissect the Buckeyes’ road to contention, questioning if a 10-2 finish is the best a championship-caliber team can manage. The discussion spotlights Arthur Smith’s OC hire, Indiana’s rising threa...

In today’s world of college sports, it is easier than ever to throw money at a college football program or a college basketball program. What about both? That’s tricky, especially if you’re at a place like Nebraska (and most schools) with a finite amount of resources to fund rosters. Connor and Mitch are here to look at the challenges that Nebraska faces – in both sports – after this breakout seas...

Nebraska basketball nearly did it on Tuesday night. The Huskers led throughout at No. 3 Michigan but fell late, 75-72. Fifth-ranked Nebraska, in losing its first basketball game of the season, failed to hit shots late. Its lack of depth, without Rienk Mast and Braden Frager, took a toll. But Fred Hoiberg’s team made a statement that it belongs among the elite teams nationally. Nebraska will be str...

It’s Nebraska basketball game day, and we’re going all in on Husker hoops talk ahead of a top-five matchup in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Fifth-ranked Nebraska visits No. 3 Michigan with Big Ten title implications and talk of a No. 1 seed in the air. What’s the update on Nebraska freshman Braden Frager? Does this week rank as the biggest ever for Nebraska basketball? What must the Huskers get from Rienk...

We’re back on this basketball Monday. Nebraska is expected to move into the top five of the Associated Press poll and play a top-five matchup on Tuesday at Michigan. The Huskers are 20-0 after winning at Minnesota. We’re going to spend time on Nebraska hoops.  First, though, an interesting story unfolded late last week in college football that involved tampering, Clemson, Ole Miss and the wild wor...

The Friday mailbag is back. The Matt Rhule-Mike Ekeler breakup brought out the questions this week from Nebraska football fans. Did Rhule show a lack of urgency in replacing his special teams coordinator? Was their split foreshadowed by events early in the 2025 season?  Which Nebraska unit next season stands the best chance to rank among the top five in the Big Ten? We’re grading the Huskers in th...

Big Ten powers shake up college football’s landscape as Indiana clinches a third straight national championship, leaving SEC fans and legends like Nick Saban searching for answers. Can the Big Ten’s dominance continue, and what does the rise of NIL spending mean for upcoming playoff scenarios? Hosts Spencer McLaughlin, Mark Culkin, and Roman Tomashoff tackle the drama—debating Ohio State’s loaded...

We’re back on this Thursday afternoon with updates on all things Nebraska. Trae Taylor, still months from signing with the Huskers, is planning his senior season of football in Omaha. Yes, the highly rated 2027 QB is moving from Chicago to live in Lincoln and attend Millard South High School for his final semester. Taylor wants a jump on his time in college. And he’s not alone. Connor and Mitch ex...

This week delivered another national championship in football to the Big Ten. But as the Indiana Hoosiers raised the CFP trophy Monday night, a new message resonated. This was not the same as last year or the year before, when blue bloods Michigan and Ohio State won the crowns. College sports has been forever changed by a new set of guidelines. What once took 20 years to accomplish can be done in...

The college football offseason is officially here. In the wake of the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday, we’re stepping back to again look at the work that Nebraska accomplished this month in the transfer portal. But not in adding from the portal. How did the Huskers fare in preventing their own talent from jumping in? For the most part, very well. Ultimately, the key player...

We’re back from another weekend. The transfer portal is closed. Nebraska missed a few targets at defensive line late in portal season. How much of a concern is this? Did the Huskers improve enough up front on defense? Are we looking past the pieces who return for the Huskers?  The Mike Ekeler saga continues. Why did Matt Rhule sound off about the special teams coordinator, who’s apparently on his...

The Friday mailbag this week starts with a few sobering stats about the success of Nebraska football during this decade. You all knew about the Huskers’ lack of recent success. It leads to a discussion, though, about the patience that Troy Dannen should or should not afford to Matt Rhule. How might the success after patience with Fred Hoiberg impact the approach with football? We have thoughts.  W...

Will Indiana secure a historic third straight Big Ten national championship, or can Miami pull off an upset at home? The panel breaks down the surprising Indiana vs. Miami title matchup, spotlighting Fernando Mendoza’s efficiency, Miami’s home-field advantage, and the impact of dynamic stars like Elijah Surratt. The crew debates why traditional powerhouses like Oregon, USC, and UCLA are chasing th...

Nebraska landed its third quarterback – fourth actually, though only three will join the Huskers this year – of the past week and a half on Wednesday. It’s Tanner Vibabul, an addition to the 2026 recruiting class out of Las Vegas. He’s a dual threat. He’s a bit under the radar. And he adds depth to a made over position group. Matt Rhule, in an interview with Zach Gelb, shared information on the Hu...

We’re back with talk about the Nebraska offensive line now that LSU transfer Paul Mubenga is in the bag via the portal. Nebraska has added three starting-caliber O-linemen in the past 10 days. Is the group up front under Geep Wade now set up for success in 2026? Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, but the Huskers appear to have done well in filling their needs. Nebraska basketball was back o...

What a three-day stretch for Nebraska. The Huskers added pieces at quarterback, defensive line, wide receiver, the secondary and on special teams since we last got together. Danny Kaelin is back. Matt Rhule landed a juco All-American at defensive tackle – and perhaps a defensive line coach in the same stretch. And two players on defense returned to the Huskers from the portal.  Will the final few...

The Friday mailbag is open. But first, let’s review the latest in the transfer portal. Nebraska lost a key piece on special teams and added a well-traveled defensive linemen who is savvy in the ways of the Big Ten. Wait until you realize what Anthony Jones has seen in his journey around the league.  We’re talking about Nebraska basketball as the 10th-ranked Huskers venture into Assembly Hall. Has...

A quieter day in the transfer portal for Nebraska? We didn’t know that was possible in this first week of January. But Wednesday came and went without the fireworks that we saw on Monday and Tuesday. Nebraska has secured seven players so far via free agency. We take stock and consider what singular area of the team in 2026 has already received the biggest upgrade.  Speaking of quiet, Nebraska has...