Assessing the State of Nebraska’s Offense Heading into the 2025 Season

An early look at the Husker offense as we look ahead to the coming season.

Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen calls a play during the second half of the Pinstripe Bowl. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

In 2024, Nebraska ranked 103rd nationally in scoring offense, 96th in rushing offense, 66th in passing offense, 106th in yards per play, and 94th in total offense (NOTE: final rankings are subject to change once the college football playoffs are completed, but they won’t change by much). The Huskers were even worse in several of these categories in 2023. 

It’s safe to say the overall offensive performance was disappointing. Most Nebraska fans were optimistic that things would improve heading into the 2024 season with the addition of true freshman phenom Dylan Raiola, combined with the addition of several immediate impact skill position players from the transfer portal. The quarterback play was indeed much improved, and there were certainly flashes that got Husker fans excited, but once conference play began, the Huskers really struggled to move the ball and score points consistently. 

Today we’ll look at where things stand with the Husker offense heading into the 2025 season. I know, I know…winter workouts haven’t even begun yet. But, we’re only a few months away from spring ball, and it’s never too early to start focusing on next season. As we say on the Common Fan Podcast, all Husker football, all the time. 

It’s Holgorsen’s Show Now. Dana Holgorsen is considered one of the premiere offensive minds in college football, having served as a successful offensive coordinator at Texas Tech, Houston, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia. He also owns a respectable 92-69 career record as a head coach, with stints as the head man at West Virginia and Houston. Point being, this guy likely has options. If he wanted to try his hand as a head coach again, or take a crack at the NFL, you have to imagine he wouldn’t have too hard of a time finding a place to land. Nebraska is lucky to have him.  

Holgorsen’s journey with Nebraska is quite remarkable. After the Huskers’ disappointing loss to UCLA, head coach Matt Rhule brought Holgorsen in to give an outsider’s view of the offense. Within a week, he was promoted to offensive coordinator and given play-calling duties. That’s almost unheard of in the middle of a season in major college football. He had to learn an entirely new playbook, new terminology, and of course, new players. Credit to Rhule for having the guts to make the decision. The offense immediately looked better, with the decisive performance coming in Nebraska’s 44-25 win over Wisconsin, when the Big Red got points on eight of their 12 offensive possessions and clinched bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016. Husker fans are already frothing at the mouth with anticipation about what he can do with a full offseason to refine the offense. 

Quarterback Room Remains in Good Shape. When you successfully recruit a 5-star, all-world, highly coveted quarterback like Dylan Raiola, it must be difficult to find quality depth. Everyone knows it’s Raiola’s job for years to come. Rhule adeptly shored up the position going into the 2024 season, and the quarterback room remains in good shape. Even with Heinrich Haarberg moving to tight end and home grown talent Daniel Kaelin transferring to Virginia, the Huskers appear set at the position for 2025. 

Jalyn Gramstad, a multi-year standout at NAIA Northwestern College in Iowa who transferred to Nebraska last offseason, will be back for another year. He’s a great depth piece and can serve as a mentor to the younger guys in the room. The Huskers also added Marcos Davila, a transfer from Purdue who was a 4-star out of high school and has four years of eligibility remaining. Perhaps most exciting, Nebraska added an intriguing talent in TJ Lateef in their latest recruiting class. Lateef is a 4-star recruit who put up big numbers in high school. One would assume he’s on track for a redshirt season in 2025, and a backup role in 2026, but if Raiola leaves for the NFL after three years, my money is on Lateef to be the next guy. 

Turnover at the Skill Positions. Emmett Johnson is in line to be the day one starter at running back. After briefly entering the transfer portal in early December, he decided to stick with Nebraska. Husker fans are glad he did, as EJ led the team in rushing yards (75) during the bowl game while also adding four catches for 24 yards. Johnson particularly thrived after the arrival of Holgorsen, and is likely set for a big leap in 2025. His versatility and ability to make guys miss reminds me of Ameer Abdullah, and I can’t wait to see what he does next season. Do the Huskers need to add another running back through the transfer portal? Dante Dowdell, who transferred to Nebraska from Oregon prior to the 2024 season and was the other major contributor at the position, has departed for Kentucky. Nebraska has young talent on the roster–Kwinten Ives scored a touchdown during the bowl game–but you have to wonder if the Big Red will seek out more proven production. 

At wide receiver, the Huskers have been doing serious work since the offseason began. In early December, they hired Daikiel Shorts Jr. to take over as wide receivers coach, reuniting Shorts with Holgorsen, for whom he previously played and coached. As of this writing, the Huskers have added three wide receivers through the transfer portal: Dane Key and Hardley Gilmore IV from Kentucky, and Nyziah Hunter from Cal. When you factor in Jacorey Barney and Carter Nelson–both of whom had an impact as true freshmen in 2024–as well as multiple highly touted wide receiver recruits from the high school ranks, it appears Raiola will have quite a few targets in Holgorsen’s newly designed offense. 

Questions on the Offensive Line. Nebraska loses starting center Ben Scott, and longtime starting right tackle Bryce Benhart, both of whom are out of eligibility. Left guard Justin Evans and right guard Henry Lutovsky, both of whom started in the bowl game, will be back. Both of those guys have significant experience and will be in line to start in 2025. Left tackle Gunnar Gottula played well after the O Line was hit with multiple injuries, and you have to assume he is also an early favorite for a starting job next season. After those three, there’s a ton of youth across Nebraska’s offensive line. Holgorsen said during one of the bowl press conferences that he wants to add offensive linemen through the transfer portal. As of this writing, Nebraska has not yet done so, but you can expect to see it happen. 

Rhule added a boatload of offensive linemen from the high school ranks in his first two recruiting classes. My question is, are a lot of those guys not panning out, or is it simply a matter of needing more time to develop? Unlike other positions, where it’s more common for underclassmen to see playing time early, offensive linemen often take several years to develop. Hopefully that’s the case, and whatever players are added in the portal are immediate impact guys who can serve as a bridge to the next wave of great Nebraska offensive linemen. 

Overall Offensive Assessment. Trending up.

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