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Podcast: Husker247: A Nebraska athletics podcast Episode: Husker247 Daily: Four questions for the Husker wide receivers in 2026 Transcript: Everyone, welcome to Hunter 24 7 Daily. I'm Brian Crustavson. I'm joined by Michael Bronze. We're still going through the position groups, sort of a mid-season refresher deal. Kind of comparing with last year what we felt about each group at this time. And today's topic is wide receivers. Bronze. Do you feel like you've got your like Jerry Rice receiving gloves on? You ready to roll? Yes. Yeah, I'm ready to go. I got the old school. I remember. So I have a wide receiver glove. You know how kids line up around the tunnel up into games and stuff like that. When I was a kid, I went to the Wyoming Nebraska game. The one where the quarterback for Wyoming nearly died. They could show it all the time. The Brook Barringer collapsed long game. I get into a little bit of a fight and come back and win that game. Anyways, we're walking out. I'm just hanging out, trying to get out of the stadium. And a Wyoming wide receiver walks over to me and gives me one of those old school wide receiver gloves back the way they had them. I kid you not. There was so much sticky stuff on that glove. You wouldn't believe. Like you probably couldn't get away with that now, but I think the gloves gone. The fingers are all probably stuck together somewhere wherever it is. But yeah, that's my that's my wide receiver glove story from when I was a kid in a moderately entertaining football game. And that probably didn't need to be. Yeah, it was a wild game. Not to go all into that. But I remember it well because I was mowing our churches lawn. Like every three to four weeks, it was my assignment to help out mowing it. And my dad drove up to the church. He's like, Hey, we got tickets to the game. We were in Omaha. We didn't get there until the second quarter or whatever. Nebraska was down 14 and nothing to Wyoming National Champion Nebraska. If Wyoming doesn't fumble a punt inside the 10 on the last drive with like four minutes left, the brass guns up winning 42 32. That's your blast from the past. Now we'll talk about. A wider seat. And I knew I knew if I brought that up. I was like, I wasn't going to have to twist your arm to start talking about that game. Yeah, you knew you knew you had you press the trigger on that one. Got him. Throughout June, we might just have to like three times a week pick a game from like that hair. Well, let's talk about it. But I think people might listen to that. Anyway, the receivers this year compared with 12 months ago, do you feel better? Do you feel worse? Do you feel the same? See, so this is this group is a tough one for me because you got to get in the 2025 headspace, right? Like, yes. You go back to last year and you got you got Dane Key out of the transfer portal. You want a really hard fought recruiting battle with the number of top schools. You get Dane Key feeling great. You got your number one wide receiver. You know, I kind of jacory Barney when he was coming off of his freshman season. You're kind of like, okay, what is this going to look like? You know, I think there was the expectation that he would have a little bit more. A little bit more production down the field in his sophomore season than what he did as a freshman. He had an Isaiah Hunter coming from Cal who I don't know was more than a good one. I don't know was maybe appreciated as much as he should have been or ended up being appreciated, I guess, prior to the start of the season last year. So I don't think I feel significantly better about the top line that Nebraska has this year than what they had last year. And I think I think where I feel a little bit differently is I think that I feel better about the overall depth of that position and the potential of the second line guys than what I did a year ago, just because you have another year under the belt. Quinn Clark, I think is a really big piece of that positivity about that second group. But I think for the top line guys, I don't think I feel significantly better than I did a year ago. How about you? No, that's fair. I feel the same. You're right. You have to get back to what you thought in May, not November. I think we thought Dane Key was going to be probably produce bigger numbers than he did. And so there was that part of it. And Isaiah Hunter did about what I thought he was going to do, honestly, in his first year. And I think people do have to remember with Isaiah. The last few games, the passing game got basically shut down. He didn't play in the bowl game and he still had 600 yards. So I mean, pretty good day view Husker season for him. And you can point to three to five plays that he made that might have turned at least a couple games that were very close for Nebraska, including in the opener in Cincinnati when he made that 50-50 catch before half. So you're right though. Like as you look through it, it's a lot of the same cast. I think Quasie, Gilmer, you sort of take away Key and then you add Quasie. Knowing what we saw from Key last year, and I'm not to knock him because he played hard throughout the whole season and blocked and all that stuff. But I think Quasie might be able to give him more than Key did. But that's after the fact of seeing what happened. So I'm with you. I feel about the same. Queen Clark to me is sort of the wild card that can take this thing up a notch. If he's like more of like one of the top four, like instead of it just being, we always categorize it as that top three and then the other guys are fighting. If Quinn Clark is actually like right there sort of with them and gives them four and then Cortez Mills is at least knocking on the door or somebody like him, then they take a step up. So that's what I think. If you were to give them a ranking one through ten, where would you start it out and then what would like your, what's like a ceiling number that could go beyond like what you're thinking now if they really just like maxed out? I'd say like low sevens now. Like I feel like it's a pretty good group. I think. I think I think their ability to max out is so predicated on what's what Nebraska has a quarterback. Like, are you going to be better on the deep balls? Are you going to be able to throw the ball more downfield? That's a huge question. I mean, I think the ceiling is high for that group for that reason. Like, I mean, you kind of hit on it with day and key that by the end of the season, I mean, those guys were just basically blocking from it. I mean, that was why they were out there and they did a great job of it. But, you know, you're going to need to win one on one a little bit more. You're going to need those guys to adapt to what I think the passing game is going to be with Anthony Calandria with a little bit more potential for big plays. You're going to have to make some 50-50 catches. I think some contested catches a little bit more so the last year just kind of given where I think Calandria is going to be willing to put the ball. And so I think the ceiling is good, but I'd say probably low sevens is where I'm at with that group. Like, I feel good about it overall. I felt good about last year's group. And, you know, I think it's, I think there's just a little bit more around that wide receiver group. But the quarterback spot, I think the pass protection is going to be a little bit better with the offensive line. And I think that's all going to allow that group to excel a little bit more. Yeah, I don't need to say much more. I'd say low sevens too. And if it were a max out situation, it would be like in the age. And that would be because of the quarterback, really. You know, like, are they on the same page? Can they be elite on those third down red zone situations where you got to have it? So I'm right there with you. So what's your biggest concern about this group finishing up? Well, I mean, I think, and I don't even know if it's group, but I think that you need more production down the field. Like, I mean, you've talked, you've written about it on the site quite a bit about how, you know, everything with what Nebraska last season, the ball wasn't traveling far down the field. Like it was a slant and the guy made somebody miss and that was a long gainer. You know, a lot of the short stuff around the line of scrimmage. I think if it continues to look like that this year, I think that's maybe my concern for that group is that you're just not kind of. Appling into what I think is there. I think they can be the type of group that's a little bit bigger, a little bit physical, and can make those catches on 3rd and 11 and keep things moving that maybe the group last year couldn't. So I want to see more of that in the offense. The conversation in the last couple of years, too, has been the coaching staff saying we need to just win off the line of script. Is this group going to be able to do that this year, or is that going to be another talking point for another season? That's a question in my mind. One guy that we haven't talked about that is going to potentially factor for that group, depending on how it comes back from injury, is what a generic bonner look like. However, he factors in this offense if it's strictly a wide receiver, if it's a tight end, if they flex them out of the backfield. However, whatever role they envision, he's a guy that I've almost forgotten about in that mix of you have your top three guys. He's right there and was going to be a huge part of whatever they were going to do last year. What is him being back in the fold mean for that group and how they can mix match guys? That's another question I have. Not a concern, but I think it's something that, given how this coaching staff feels about him, that's something that at least needs to be a good team. He needs to be discussed as we get closer to fall camp. Bonner is pretty interesting because when Dana Holgierson talks about him, he was just torn up when they lost him beside the personal reasons because of the value of he's just so versatile. I think he puts the defense in a bind a little bit because you can move him all around. You don't know exactly where Nebraska is going to line him up. That gives you a schematic advantage sometimes pre snap. That's a good name to bring up. There's a lot of names in that room that are sort of interesting to see if they can push. We've mentioned Larry Miles as a young guy. Jeremiah Jones, I know there's intrigue. Can you get that going? Demetrius Bell has been injured. It's just one of those things where it's just sort of stayed that way. We'll see if anything changes there. There's that top three. Quasi's going to have a lot of attention on him early on and what he gets done. But I think you're right. Can they win at the line of scrimmage? And then can you make a few beyond normal, extraordinary plays in the red zone? Like the season so often come down to that. And if these guys can make a few more of those, it'll go a long way because this red zone offense was not that good last year. Part of that was struggling to run, but they also were just off on the timing on some throws that weren't there. I think in the Michigan game, and Isaiah had a great season of course, but remember, and Isaiah stepped out of bounds and then caught the one. It took a touchdown off the board that would have been huge by the end of it. And then there was another play. I think in that game where Quinn Clark kind of missed time to jump and didn't come up with it. Might have been the same drive. But regardless, those are the type of plays to win those kind of games you're going to have to get from your wide receivers where you bank it. So we'll see if they can do that. My final question for you before we get out on the spot, who's going to lead in receiving yards? I'll go with Hunter. I think I think Nizay will do it. I think that Jacory Barney will lead in catches, but I think there's going to be a little bit more for Hunter in this, whatever this offense is going to look like. And I think too, I mean, we saw the screen to him about 400 times after it worked last season, but I mean, there's that in the offense for him. And I just think, you know, when you kind of start talking about guys that get downfield a little bit more, he's kind of the he's who I'm thinking of. Like, I think there's, and he was this way at Cal too, where I think there's more big plays for him. So I'll say he leads in yardage. I'd say the same. I think he's a pro player. I mean, I think he's got the speed and for his size. And like we said, I mean, if he if the offense is full go at the end of the season last year, I'm not saying he's not going to get to 1000, but he might have had like 750 yards or something receiving in his debut year when they weren't throwing it down the field that deep very often. And so he's a good answer. You mentioned Jekori maybe having more catches. I think some of it, like, I love the see it in the bowl game. He had the touchdown, which you remember well. And I like that play whether it's a hand off or it goes in the books officially as a pass, which I think that one did because they shuffled it forward to him. I like more of that with Jekori. Like I know he maybe was a little bit injured early last year and maybe that impacted some of it. I don't know. But remember when he was a freshman, like they ran that play. I think it was that was it at Purdue or whatever. It was just the end around play type and he scored down the sideline. He had a play that got called back in Colorado. I think if they can get him the ball like that. And that's where I wonder about Larry Miles too on those type of play. They're not gadget plays. They're pretty simple. But that sort of thing to just keep a defense on us that you have that in your bag. I wouldn't mind seeing more of that. But everybody likes to tell Dana how to run the offense. And so that's our little, I guess, chime in on it. It's with Hunter. His production in the last three last year didn't play in a ball game. It won for six against Iowa, one for 19 against Penn State, three for 37 against UCLA. That was his that was his November. So five catches for. Right around 60 yards like that. That was didn't play the ball game. He was trending really well up until that point in terms of statistics and the way he was being used. So yeah, so I think it was a 25 25 yards in the last three games because the bowl he didn't play. So what did he end up with? Six seventeen. So six seventeen and basically 10 games almost. I mean, or five ninety and then he had 25 yards over the last three. So yeah, no doubt. Like if he can stay healthy and your offense can can hum along as you hope. And we'll see what Colanderia can do with the past game. Like we don't want to over hype it or anything like that. But. I do think they're going to threaten down the field more or at least try to probably just by the nature of how Colanderia is going to play the position. So that has to excite the receivers. I would think. No doubt. Anything else on football? Talk based. No, you have anything else you want to chime in on before before we get out here. So just an update of where things stand for Nebraska baseball going into Friday's action. Nebraska beat Minnesota 12 to 7 on Thursday. That locked in the just do the quick scenario thing. So Nebraska is now locked into a top four spot in the Big Ten tournament next week. So they won't play until Friday. Nebraska win today or Nebraska win today or a USC loss to Oregon. And that was a tightly contested game last night two to one USC won that one. So Nebraska win. Or a USC loss locks Nebraska into the number two seed in the Big Ten tournament. So Huskers currently sitting number 12 in the RPI. They moved up three spots yesterday. So. All good things there as you continue to monitor for the hosting conversation. But that's that's the scenario left in Nebraska. Basically you win one of the last two. You lock in the second seed. Or if USC loses today that will today or tomorrow that'll lock Nebraska in. Those who followed the game yesterday between Nebraska and Minnesota saw one of the stranger reviews in sports, which is saying something lasted 25 minutes. Yes. 25 minutes on a bang bang play at first where there was some contact. And my understanding was that it was it was not necessarily the play itself. It took 25 minutes to be reviewed. But there was some conversation about whether or not Minnesota was going to play the game under protest based upon the decision made of that review. You cannot actually play a game under the under protest based on an umpire's judgment call. So they were they were getting. They had to get a rule book, locate a rule book, which necessitates somebody driving in a golf cart to get a rule book to confirm that that was the case. So after all that, Minnesota did not play the game under protest, Nebraska ends up scoring seven runs later in the game to blow things open after trailing 4 to 1 and wins 12 to 7. So Nebraska would have won. The review, Minnesota would have been playing under protest. Well, I don't think they could because it was a judgment call as to whether or not there was a malicious intent, I guess. I don't know what they actually would have been playing under protest or what decision they were protesting, but maybe there was malicious intent, they thought, on what was essentially just two dudes running into each other at first base. Yeah, this wasn't exactly like Alex Rodriguez against the Red Sox and the LCS where it's like punching the ball. No, it wasn't like slapping the ball out. None of that. So, yeah, that was why. But it basically ended up where Carson Yossa didn't throw a pitch for about 40 minutes of actual time based on that review and the way that inning played out. Yeah, he was a little out of time. He was a little outside the zone and I wondered if it was because he basically had a rain delay deal with, you know, well, it's like at that point, you may as well pull the tarps like just put the tarps out at that point. Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, so yeah, I played it in five. It's like back to back weeks where Nebraska so George from the week before they wanted malicious intent on her running the base pass. So they're after the Huskers and how they run the base pass and both people unstoppable. That's what I was saying is like, you want malicious intent? I'll show you malicious intent. One of those things. Yeah. All right. Well, big series continues up in Minneapolis. Just win them all. Obviously, win in one out of the next two would be big two, but you get both of them. It's got to be a hosting a regional situation, right? Even if you win one of the two, you'd hope. So that's what we're looking for there. Softball starts regional play at Bullen Stadium. Today on Friday, five 30 against South Dakota, who has a losing record. So I'm not expecting that to be a dogfight, but you never know sports is sports. So we'll see how it goes. But we'll have all the latest on Husker 24 seven. Show notes: Michael Bruntz and Brian Christopherson of Husker247 breakdown a few questions for the Husker wide receivers heading into the 2026 season. What’s the ceiling for the group and how does it compare about how we felt about them this time last year? Also, we lay out some scenarios for Husker Baseball and with two games left in the regular season. audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices