Previewing Michigan vs. Nebraska with a Cornhuskers insider

By Clayton Sayfie

TheWolverine.com caught up with Sean Callahan of Husker Online ahead of Saturday afternoon’s matchup between Nebraska and Michigan Wolverines football. Callahan broke down the Cornhuskers and offered a final score prediction. We begin with the projected starting lineup for Nebraska:

Nebraska projected starters on offense

• #15 – Sophomore QB Dylan Raiola (6-3, 230) — Ranks fourth nationally with a 76.6-percent completion rate, throwing for 829 yards and 8 touchdowns with no interceptions through three games. Raiola has been pressured only 17 times (16.8 percent of dropbacks) and is averaging 2.70 seconds to throw. He’s connected on 5 of his 7 passes of 20-plus air yards for 150 yards. Not much of a rusher, Raiola has run 8 times for 24 yards when taking out sacks. Four of those were designed runs, 4 of them scrambles.

• #21 – Junior RB Emmett Johnson (5-11, 200) — Has rushed 52 times for 326 yards and 4 touchdowns, adding 11 catches for 41 yards and a score. He’s forced 12 missed tackles and is averaging 2.8 yards after contact per rush attempt. Johnson has had 8 runs of 10-plus yards and racked up 17 first downs.

• #13 – Sophomore WR Nyziah Hunter (6-1, 205) — The California transfer recorded 40 catches for 578 yards and 5 touchdowns in the ACC in 2024, following a redshirt year in 2023. So far this season, he’s hauled in 11 receptions for 163 yards and a touchdown, which came in the 17-14 season-opening win over Cincinnati.

• #6 – Senior WR Dane Key (6-3, 210) — The Kentucky transfer led the Wildcats in receptions (47) and receiving yards (715) with 2 touchdowns last season. He’s reeled in 13 catches for 190 yards and 3 touchdowns — 1 score in each game — so far with Nebraska in 2025.

• #2 – Sophomore WR Jacory Barney Jr. (6-0, 170) — Ranked third nationally among freshmen with 55 receptions last season, racking up 447 yards and adding 10 rushes for 140 yards and 3 touchdowns. This year, he’s made 15 catches for 181 yards and a touchdown with no rushing attempts.

• #44 – Junior TE Luke Lindenmeyer (6-3, 250) — Has recorded 9 catches for 100 yards and graded out at 77.1 in run blocking on PFF.

• #77 – Sophomore LT Gunnar Gottula (6-6, 305) — Has started 12 career games. He has a 68.3 overall PFF grade, highlighted by a mark of 82.3 in pass blocking. He’s allowed 1 pressure with no sacks this year.

• #59 – Senior LG Henry Lutovsky (6-6, 320) — Has opened 18 career outings and has a 61.5 overall PFF rating this season. He’s allowed 3 pressures with no sacks.

• #51 – Junior C Justin Evans (6-2, 315) — He’s opened 21 career contests, including every outing from the start of the 2024 season on, snapping to Raiola. He’s registered a 67.9 overall PFF rating with a team-worst 4 pressures allowed this fall.

• #50 – Senior RG Rocco Spindler (6-5, 320) — The Notre Dame transfer started 23 games at his previous school, including 13 during the national championship runner-up campaign in 2024. He has a 69.6 overall PFF rating this season, with an 83.8 grade in pass blocking that leads the team. He’s given up 1 pressure.

• #65 – Senior RT Teddy Prochazka (6-10, 320) — Has been slowed by injuries in his career but has started 14 career games, having opened a contest for the first time all the way back during his freshman campaign in 2021. He has a 67.9 overall PFF grade on the year, giving up 3 pressures.

Nebraska projected starters on defense

• #16 – Senior NT Elijah Jeudy (6-3, 300) — The Texas A&M transfer is in his third season at Nebraska, having registered 3 tackles so far this year. He’s made 14 stops, including 3 behind the line of scrimmage, during his 31-game collegiate career.

• #97 – Sophomore DT Keona Davis (6-5, 275) — He’s recorded 4 tackles this season, after posting 10 with 1.5 for loss in 2024. He’s added 2 pressures this year.

• #11 – Junior DE Cameron Lenhardt (6-3, 270) — Has posted 6 tackles with a half-stop for loss this year, after making 16 with 3 behind the line of scrimmage and a half-sack in 2024. He’s pressured the quarterback twice. Lenhardt rotates with redshirt freshman Williams Nwaneri (6-7, 265), a Missouri transfer who’s made 7 tackles, a half-TFL, 1 pass breakup and 2 fumble recoveries, including 1 that was returned for a touchdown last week against Houston Christian. Nwaneri is second on the team with 5 pressures.

• #15 – Senior OLB Dasan McCullough (6-5, 235) — The Indiana (2022) and Oklahoma (2023-24) transfer entered his Nebraska career with 79 tackles, 10 TFLs, 4 sacks and 6 pass breakups. He’s playing the JACK position for the Cornhuskers and has recorded 7 tackles, 1 stop for loss, 1 sack, 1 pass breakup and a team-high 6 pressures. His 76.0 PFF pass-rush grade leads the team.

• #9 – Sophomore LB Vincent Shavers Jr. (6-1, 225) — He’s tallied 6 tackles with 1 for loss and a forced fumble through three outings. He recorded 25 tackles and graded out the highest on PFF among true freshman linebackers in the FBS last season.

• #0 – Senior LB Javin Wright (6-5, 230) — He’s recorded 7 tackles, including 1 for loss, and a pass breakup this season. He missed last week’s game with an injury, but head coach Matt Rhule said he’ll return for the tilt versus Michigan. He made 34 tackles and a pass breakup in nine clashes in 2024.

• #7 – Senior NB Malcolm Hartzog Jr. (5-9, 185) — An honorable mention All-Big Ten selection last season, Hartzog recorded 1 tackle, 1 pass breakup and an interception in the first two games this year, before missing last weekend’s 59-7 victory over Houston Christian with an injury. He’s been targeted 4 times in coverage, giving up 2 catches for 22 yards.

• #10 – Junior CB Andrew Marshall (6-0, 190) — The Idaho transfer was a first-team All-Big Sky performer in 2024, racking up 50 tackles, 3 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble and a fumble recovery. This season, he’s made 11 tackles, including 2 for loss, and a pass breakup. He’s been targeted 11 times, yielding 5 catches for 40 yards.

• #1 – Senior CB Ceyair Wright (6-0, 190) — The USC transfer is in his second season with Nebraska. He’s tallied 1 tackle and 1 pass breakup this year. He had 2 interceptions and 6 pass breakups in 2024. He’s given up 1 catch for 4 yards on 4 targets in 2025.

• #8 – Senior S DeShon Singleton (6-3, 210) — He stands tied atop the team with 12 tackles, adding a pass breakup and tackle for loss. He has a 72.0 PFF coverage grade and has given up only 2 catches for 7 yards on 4 targets. He plays the ‘ROVER’ position.

• #3 – Senior S Marques Buford Jr. (5-11, 190) — Has posted 7 tackles and a 76.0 PFF coverage rating this season, after recording 5 pass breakups and a pick in 2024, playing both cornerback and safety. This season in coverage, he’s allowed 1 catch for 5 yards on 4 targets.

Nebraska specialists

• #91 – Sophomore K Kyle Cunanan (5-10, 180) — Has made all 4 of his field goal attempts with a 52-yard long that came in the opener against Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. The Charlotte transfer went 14-of-20 with a 49-yard long at his previous school. For his career, he’s 12-of-15 from inside 40 yards, 5-of-7 from 40-49 and 1-of-2 from 50-plus.

• #83 – Freshman P Archie Wilson (6-2, 215) — The Victoria, Australia, native joined the Nebraska team this summer. He had never played football before arriving in Lincoln. Instead, he competed on defense in Australian Rules football. He’s punted in two games this season, averaging 36.8 yards per attempt, having pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 3 times. There was no return yardage on the other punt. His average hangtime is 3.7 seconds.

• #2 – Sophomore PR Jacory Barney Jr. (6-0, 170) — Averaging 11.4 yards per punt return on 9 attempts in his career, including 15 yards on 6 attempts this season.

• #25 – Sophomore KR Kenneth Williams (5-9, 190) — The running back out of Detroit has returned 5 kicks for 103 yards.

What to expect from Dylan Raiola

Nebraska’s quarterback had his ups and downs as a freshman, completing 67.1 percent of his passes for 2,819 yards and 13 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He’s taken the next step so far this year, though, playing efficient football with a 76.6-percent completion rate, 8 touchdon throws and no picks. He’s been sacked only 3 times compared to 27 in 13 outings a year ago.

“Raiola is on an early pace to shatter every single-season QB record at Nebraska — passing yards, TDs and completion percentage,” Callahan said. “He also leads the Big Ten by far in total completed passes.

“Every team has played him a little differently. Cincinnati played a three to five deep shell, and he picked them apart underneath, as they allowed nothing deep. Akron blitzed and played more aggressively, and the deep ball was there. He does a great job of pre-snap reading the coverage before the play and tends to get Nebraska in the right call.”

Nebraska has some firepower

Last season, Raiola’s supporting cast wasn’t up to par. The Cornhuskers upgraded on the offensive line and at wide receiver, though, bringing in Key and Hunter to catch passes.

“The strength is just Raiola and his overall arsenal of wide receivers,” Callahan said of the offense. “Dana Key, Nyziah Hunter and Jacory Barney are as good collectively as Nebraska has had in a while.”

Johnson, meanwhile, has been solid but not dynamic at running back. The Cornhuskers’ red-zone offense has also been a concern, ranking tied for 65th in the country with a 65-percent touchdown rate.

“The weakness would be the depth at running back, and just the ability to run the ball physically in the deep red zone,” Callahan explained. “They have not been great as an offense inside the 10-yard line. Raiola is also not a great runner, so you don’t have that to lean on in the red zone all the time.”

Nebraska secondary could be elite

Nebraska ranks first in the country by allowing only 66 passing yards per game. The Cornhuskers have held each of their first three opponents to fewer than 100 yards — the first time they’ve done that in three-consecutive games since 1990. Callahan said the secondary has been the most impressive aspect of the unit.

“They are deep and experienced at all five defensive back spots,” the writer said. “They have not allowed a completion longer than 19 yards through three games. There can’t be many defenses in college football that can say that. Their top cornerback, Ceyair Wright, has allowed just one completion over three games for 4 yards.”

Nebraska lost a lot up front, including mammoth defensive tackle Ty Robinson, a fourth-round NFL Draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles, and there are some warts on the D-line.

“The weakness would be just the overall physicality and size up front,” Callahan said. “They don’t have the bodies and push from a year ago. This is a defense last year that held Ohio State and Iowa to their worst rushing games of the season. It’s not like that this year, at least early on.

“Also, their four-man pass rush has been just ok. No player has more than 1 sack on the year, and they have just 3 quarterback hits and 6 sacks. Williams Nwaneri has been their best pass rusher with 5 hurries and 1 batted ball over three games.”

Nebraska improving on special teams

Nebraska had 10 kicks or punts blocked last season — disastrous — but has improved on special teams under new coordinator Mike Ekeler.

“Nebraska brought in Mike Ekeler, one of the top special teams coordinators in the country a year ago, from Tennessee,” Callahan said. “PFF currently has them at a 91.9 grade overall, which ranks second nationally in total special teams rankings. A year ago, they finished 97th.

“The punting, snapping and kicking are light years better. They also lead the Big Ten in total attempted punt returns, and they have been very aggressive there trying to create plays. Against Akron they had more punt return yards in that game alone than they had the last five years combined any season.”

Callahan’s final score prediction

“I am going to take Nebraska in this one,” Callahan began. “It’s the biggest game thus far of the Matt Rhule era. It means more to them in my opinion, and the home crowd will be as good as we’ve seen in a while.

“I also wouldn’t be surprised if [prize fighter] Bud Crawford led them out of the tunnel. The home field advantage and Raiola’s arm help the Huskers pull out a win.”

Prediction: Nebraska 26, Michigan 23