After the Huskers signed Kwazi Gilmer from UCLA out of the transfer portal, I said the wide receiver’s room was the best group on the team. That was six months ago, and nothing has changed to make me think differently. If anything, those thoughts have only been reinforced. We knew what we had in Barney and Hunter, and we saw what Gilmer did against the Blackshirts when he played in Lincoln as a freshman. So, what does OC Dana Holgerson think of his top three receivers going into fall practice?
“Barney, Hunter and Gilmer are vets,” Holgorsen said. “Those guys look good right now. Those are three really good players that I expect to be productive.”
And while I gush over Nebraska’s starting three wide outs, you won’t find their names on preseason watch lists or best wide receiver group. Yet, there isn’t a team out there that wouldn’t take Nebraska’s wide receivers and plug them into their own line-up. We’ve seen Jacory Barney explode as both a wide receiver and a kick returner. Nyziah Hunter has shown on screen passes he can split defenses wide open. And new addition, Kwazi Gilmer fits right in, making Nebraska’s starting trio a butt-load of trouble for opposing secondaries. And it doesn’t stop there. We’ve also witnessed the big play capability of Quinn Clark and Cortez Mills.
More than one Husker receiver had their moment last season, but the most consistent praise garnered last year was how well they blocked. But it isn’t blocking alone Holgorsen is looking for.
“Those aren’t three really good players I want to see blocking their tail off, play in and play out, which they did last year, I want to see those guys making plays,” Holgorsen said.
With Holgorsen’s “Air Raid” concepts I expect to see a rotation of six to seven different wide receivers a game, and this roster has the kind of depth that makes that possible. Here are the first seven.
Jacorey Barney – 6’0”, 175-pounds
Experience: Junior (26 games, 16 starts)
Outlook: As a freshman, Barney caught 55 balls for 447 yards, tying the school record for receptions by a freshman. He also rushed 10 times for 130 yards and 3 TDs and had 14 kickoff returns for 285 yards. He ranked second on the team with 842 all-purpose yards. As a sophomore he had 45 receptions for 484 receiving yards and 5 TDs and carried the ball 5 times for 20 yards. He led Nebraska in 2025 with 270 punt return yards and 275 kickoff return yards. For the season he logged 1,049 all-purpose yards. He had a strong showing against Michigan with 5 receptions for 120-yards and 2 TDs. However, Nebraska’s inability to create yards down the field due to pass protection became painfully obvious after that. One of the fastest receivers in the room, Barney, has shown a determination that few others on the team have. If there has been one knock on Barney, it’s being tackled too easily. It’s been suggested that he needs to work on his lower body strength because of that. As far as potential is concerned, it’s unlimited. With Colandrea at quarterback look for Barney’s production to jump from last season. For comparison, when Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney (109 receptions, 1,211 yards, 10 TDs last season) was coming out of Florida he was compared to Barney. Nebraska has a receiver in Barney who is capable of that same type of output if used correctly.
Nyziah Hunter – 6’1”, 210-pounds
Experience: Junior (24 games, 20 Starts)
Outlook: In his first season in Lincoln Hunter led the team in receiving yardage, and touchdowns, and ranked second in receptions. But even then, Hunter suffered from the same fate as Barney and the rest of the receivers, unable to complete their routes before the pass rush got to the quarterback. However, Hunter was able to display his ability to make yardage after the catch by making defenders miss. He finished last season with 43 receptions for 617 yards and 5 TDs before being injured before the bowl game. Prior to Nebraska, Hunter spent two seasons at California where he had 40 receptions for 578 yards and 5 TDs. He caught at least 1 pass in 12 straight games and had four receptions in 6 of his 12 games. He has exceptional run after catch ability, with good route running and strong hands. His consistency makes him someone Colandrea will look too often.
Kwazi Gilmer – 6’2”, 195-pounds
Experience: Junior (24 games, 19 starts)
Outlook: Prior to Nebraska Gilmer spent two seasons at UCLA. As a freshman he had 31 receptions for 345 yards and 2 TDs. As a sophomore he had 50 receptions for 535 yards and 4 TDs, all team highs at UCLA. He had a reception in 12 straight games and had 10 against USC. Against Nebraska in 2024 he had three receptions for 88 yards and 1 TD, with one of those going for 48 yards. You can bet he got Rhule’s attention. With the addition of Gilmer Nebraska’s top three receivers have all led a team in receptions in a season at one point in their careers. Gilmer’s speed, route running, and elusiveness give him the ability to take short routes and turn them into big plays. He has shown the ability to elude defenders and win contested catches, making him even more dangerous.
Quinn Clark – 6’5”, 215-pounds
Experience: Sophomore (14 games, 1 Start)
Outlook: A multi-sport athlete in high school, Clark was considered the number one football player in the state of Montana. He played wide receiver, safety and was the punter of his high school team. He logged 1,791 yards receiving with 29 touchdowns, made 79 career tackles and six interceptions while averaging 35.6 yards per punt. He was a high jump state champion clearing 6’8” and took second in the long jump with a leap of 23’ 1”. A legacy player, his father Ken Clark played I-back for the Huskers from 1985-89 and rushed for 3,037 yards. Last season Clark had 5 receptions for 132 yards and 1 TD. He has steadily improved since arriving in Lincoln, increasing his muscle mass and bringing his 40 times down. His elite route running and ability to change direction while accelerating allows him to evade defenders. He has solid hands and his elite body control makes him effective on contested catches. With his size and catch radius he’ll be dangerous in the redzone and will continue to develop.
Cortez Mills – 6’0”, 190-pounds
Experience: Sophomore (13 games, 0 starts)
Outlook: Mills came out of Florida as a 4-star recruit and was ranked as one of the 25 best wide receivers in the 2024 class. He was ranked 15th nationally by ESPN and Rivals. As a senior he played 5 games with 466 yards receiving and 6 TDs. As a junior he had 79 receptions for 1,640 yards,18 TDs and averaged more than 20 yards per catch. He had 10 TDs as a sophomore. Last season as a true freshman he played all 13 games with 9 receptions for 147 yards and 1 TD. His longest catch was 62 yards for his lone touchdown of the season. His explosive speed and agility allow him to stretch the field and create separation. A threat from anywhere on the field, he’s dangerous when it comes to short route running or deep threats. A dynamic player waiting to explode, he’ll see his share of action this fall.
Janiran Bonner – 6’2”, 225-pounds
Experience: Senior (16 games, 6 starts)
Outlook: Senior. “Wood” as Holgorsen calls him is a multi-talented player that is vital to what the OC wants to do. Bonner started his career as a running back and played 12 games as a redshirt freshman before making a position switch to receiver as a sophomore. He started three games and played in all 13. As a Junior he played in the opening game against Cincinnati and suffered a season ending knee injury. Holgorsen talked about Bonner’s loss.
“It Changed what we did offensively. So, he’s a guy if you add him to those three receivers, that’s a ‘10’ personnel set. He can run down the field and make plays down the field,” Holgorsen said. “But then I can kind of motion him around and he’ll get in there and start thumping D-ends and linebackers. So, he’s a receiving/tight end. That’s what he’s done since he’s been here and he’s very, very effective.”
There is excitement in Holgorsen’s voice when he talks about Bonner and his return this season. “Having Wood back is just like my safety blanket,” Holgorsen said. “He’s a fourth-year, fifth-year guy that has a lot of experience in this offense. He knows what to do, and I can put him in a bunch of different spots.”
Keelan Smith – 6’3”, 210-pounds
Experience: Sophomore (10 games, 0 starts)
Outlook: Smith red shirted his first year and only saw action in one game with 1 reception for 5 yards. Last season he played 9 games with 2 receptions for 18 yards. Before coming to Nebraska from high school, Smith was the Missouri Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 with 74 receptions for 1,268 yards and 17 TDs. The prior two seasons he had a total of 66 receptions for 1,171 yards and 14 TDs. With Smith’s size he was looked at as a tight end prospect, but Nebraska told him he would play wide receiver. While Smith has had limited opportunities, he’s shown he can use his height and speed to run after the catch. He also has displayed a high level of competitiveness and production.
Demitrius Bell – 6’0”, 190-pounds
Experience: Junior (0 games, 0 starts)
Outlook: I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Bell. A 4-star high school standout out of Nashville, he had 1,200 yards receiving and 15 TDs in his final two years of high school. Ranked as one of the top 40 wide receiver prospects, he received offers from schools like Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Ole Miss. Bell came in at Nebraska as a freshman and tuned heads while redshirting in 2023. In the spring of 2024, he again garnered attention and looked like someone who could be a big contributor before suffering a season ending knee injury in the spring game. He was out all of 2024 and continued to rehab through the 2025 season. He’s back to seeing limited action and if he stays healthy is expected to get back on the field.
Nebraska’s top three receivers have 74 games of playing experience with 55 starts. The next four have 53 games of playing time and 7 starts.
Up and Coming
Nalin Scott – 6’2”, 210-pound Freshman. Was a 3-Star recruit who was ranked as a top 70 wide receiver by ESPN. Playing his high school ball in Georgia, Scott had 43 receptions for 829 yards and 5 TDs his last two seasons. He also ran 10.98 100-meters and 22.91 200-meters as a Junior.
Maurice Purify II – 6’4”, 190-pound Freshman. A 3-Star recruit out pf Omaha, Purify is a legacy player. His father Murice Purify Sr. had 91 receptions for 1,444 yards and 16 TDs as a Cornhusker in 2006-07. The younger Purify had 41 catches for 589 yards and 10 TDs as a Senior. He also had 242 kickoff return yards. However, it was his track times that got the Husker’s attention. He ran 10.87 100-meter sprint, 22.20 200-meter sprint, and 7.25 indoor 60-yard dash.
Jamari Brown – 5’11”, 180-pound Freshman. A 3-Star prospect out of Mount Carmel in Illinois, Brown played wide receiver with 2027 Nebraska QB Trae Taylor and fellow freshman OT Claude Mopuma. He had 46 receptions for 697 yards and 9 TDs as a high school senior.
Larry Miles – 5’11”, 185-pound Freshman. A 3-Star recruit out of Florida. Miles was ranked as a top 70 wide receiver by Rivals. He had more than 200 catches for 3,000 yards and 28 TDs in high school. Miles had a lower leg injury in the first week of fall practice and will be in a walking boot for the next 6 to 8 weeks.
Holgorsen on the Wide Receivers
Holgorsen commented that he’s noticed more speed from the wide receivers and singled out Quinn Clark, who made a tough contested catch this week in practice. The addition of Gilmer also brings a deep threat that wasn’t seen before.
“There’s a speed element to it that we really haven’t had since I’ve been here,” Holgorsen said. “We’ve done some good things and executed a lot of good stuff, but just the threat of going by you hasn’t existed. From what I see out there, it’s starting to show up.”
Wide receivers must make the defense realize there are at least two of them that can take the top off the defense. They need the defense to worry about guys running past them and getting behind them. The Huskers were never a true threat last season of throwing deep. Because of poor pass blocking there was limited time to throw and a quarterback unwilling to throw deep. That’s changed with the addition of Colandrea who seems to have made a connection with several of his new receivers. A stat to be aware of, Colandrea threw the ball 20-yards or further down the field 70-85 times last season. Dylan Raiola made 28 attempts at throwing the ball deeper than 20-yards.
With Colandrea at quarterback, Nebraska’s wide receivers have had to learn the play is never over. Because of Colandrea’s scrambling ability and being able to make something from nothing, they need to continue to run while finding open holes or come back to help their quarterback.
It’s a new ball game in Lincoln and I’ll be curious to see how often Colandrea lines up under center and utilizes the play action. All bets are off with what Husker fans will see from Holgorsen and the passing game. With the wide receiver’s room being what I think is the strength of the 2026 team, it’s going to be an entertaining season.
GO BIG RED!! SIMPLE, FAST, VIOLENT!!
Photos courtesy of the Falls City Journal Home – Falls City Journal – Falls City, NE
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