Nebraska Loses Two Top Running Backs to Injury

Gabe Ervin and Rahmir Johnson are done for the season; Anthony Grant rises to No. 1 spot

Joe Hudson | Sep 18, 2023

In this story:

The Huskers' corps of running backs just got a lot thinner.

Injuries to sophomore starter Gabe Ervin Jr. (hip) and junior backup Rahmir Johnson (shoulder) have ended both players' seasons, Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule said Monday. The injuries occurred during Nebraska's win Saturday against Northern Illinois.

This means senior Anthony Grant is back at No. 1, just like he was last season, with redshirt freshman Emmett Johnson and true freshman Kwinton Ives backing him up. "Those will be the first three tailbacks into the game this week," Rhule said.

Also out for the season is freshman defensive back Dwight Bootle, who injured a shoulder Saturday. The news is better regarding freshman defensive lineman Cameron Lenhardt, who is expected to return to practice Tuesday after spraining an ankle during Saturday's game.

Rhule said quarterback Jeff Sims practiced Sunday after missing Saturday's game with an ankle injury while Heinrich Haarberg took his place. Rhule didn't say who might start behind center this Saturday against Louisiana Tech.

"I won't make any comments until game time, just for competitive reasons, obviously," Rhule said. "We'll try to get all three quarterbacks ready to play this week."

Scroll down for more from Rhule's session Monday with the media. Refresh this page to see the latest additions. Asterisk indicates item may require a subscription. | HuskerMax discussion

Coverage

Non-paywall

Husker247 | Takeaways on presser day: Rhule on this Husker team's formula to win, injuries, and a bunch of knockdowns
Husker247 | Season-ending injuries to Ervin, Johnson alter Husker running back picture
Husker247 | Rhule recollects offseason chat with Haarberg about Husker QB future: 'You should take a shot at this thing'
Inside Nebraska | Huskers lose RB Gabe Ervin, RB Rahmir Johnson and freshman CB Dwight Bootle for the season
Inside Nebraska | Depth chart vs Louisiana Tech has several key changes at the top
Nebraska Athletics | Rhule transcript
Video recaps | Shatel/Bland, Carpenter/Smith

More sources

Lincoln Journal Star* | Amie Just: Injury news a kick in the shins, and the situation at QB
Omaha World-Herald* | What should Nebraska do at quarterback? Matt Rhule has been there before
Omaha World-Herald* | Rhule wants 'wow' plays from special teams
Omaha World-Herald* | Nebraska played more physically against Northern Illinois — and the film and stats show it
Omaha World-Herald* | Injuries, performances prompt shake up depth chart
Omaha World-Herald* | Notes: Rhule calls home game experience 'amazing'

More info

Published Sep 18, 2023

JOE HUDSON

Joe Hudson has operated a Husker-related website since 1995 and joined forces with David Max to form HuskerPedia (later renamed HuskerMax) in 1999. It began as a hobby during his 35 years as a newspaper editor and reporter, a career that included stints at the Lincoln Star, Omaha World-Herald, Philadelphia Inquirer and Denver Post. In Denver, Joe was chief of the copy desk during his final 16 years at the Post. He is proud to have been involved in Pulitzer Prize-winning projects in both Philadelphia and Denver. Joe has been a Nebraska football fan since the mid-1960s during his childhood in Omaha. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in journalism and economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1976. He resides a few freeway exits north of Colorado Springs and enjoys bicycling and walking his dogs in his spare time. You can reach him at joeroyhud@outlook.com.