CFB Top 50, #29: 2025 Nebraska Cornhuskers

by
Bracket Yard
July 25, 2025

With almost four weeks to go until college football, the 2025 Nebraska Cornhuskers are number 29 on the CFB Top 50 countdown.

The general sense in Lincoln is that things under Matt Rhule are moving in the right direction. For the Huskers fans, their exile from bowl season felt like an eternity. Last season, Nebraska won its first bowl game in almost a decade against Boston College, in what was their first winning season since 2016. Sure, the offensive stats were no good, but that’s why you have an offseason: To try to shore up talent and get better. Now that Dana Holgorsen is running the offense full-time, there might be a reason for optimism.

Nebraska is hoping to jump up from their seven wins a season ago.

2025 Nebraska Cornhuskers Basic Facts

Head Coach: Matt Rhule (3rd season)

2025 Conference: Big Ten

2024 Record: 7-6 (3-6), 12th in Big Ten

Final Resolution of Last Season: Won Pinstripe Bowl

2024 Scoring Offensive Rank: 103rd (23.5)

2024 Scoring Defensive Rank: 17th (19.5)

Nebraska Key Additions and Subtractions

IN – Dane Key, wide receiver. Transferred from Kentucky.

IN – Dasan McCullough, safety. Transferred from Oklahoma.

OUT – Ty Robinson, defensive tackle. Drafted by Philadelphia in 4th round of 2025 Draft.

OUT – Thomas Fidone, tight end. Drafted by Giants in 7th round of 2025 Draft.

Best Game on the Schedule in 2025

November 22 at Penn State. Rhule gets to face his alma matter back in Happy Valley, with a team that he is hopeful will be competitive when this game occurs. Nebraska has a number of consequential games at home, but this one is the best-quality opponent, but it just so happens to be on the road.

2025 Nebraska Cornhuskers: Outlook

Sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola is back for his second season. He showed flashes of brilliance in his freshman year, enough for people to hope that he can progress this season. We will also see if Dana Holgorsen, who has coached some big-time offenses in the past, can help Raiola get there.

Nebraska’s defense was worth the price of admission last season, and were a big part of the reason why they won a bowl game. They were one of the nation’s best teams in terms of stopping the run, and held opponents to 20 or fewer points seven times. If they can keep the defense consistent and figure out a way to kick-start the offense, then there is a real chance Nebraska is on its way to an improved season.

We will forgive you if your stance is that you need to see it to believe it with this program. We get it. Nebraska has disappointed its fans frequently in the past decade; for example, the entirety of Scott Frost’s coaching tenure. Nebraska fans probably need to see more. If they are fortunate, they might get it this season. They should have at least two wins going into the back-to-back Michigan and Michigan State games, and then it’s a brutal schedule from there. What the Huskers do with it is up to them.