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2016 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

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2016 Nebraska Cornhuskers football
Logo of the Nebraska athletic teams 2004–
Music City Bowl, L 24–38 vs. Tennessee
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
DivisionWest Division
Record9–4 (6–3 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorDanny Langsdorf (2nd season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorMark Banker (2nd season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
(Capacity: 86,047)[1]
Seasons
← 2015
2017 →
2016 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 7 Penn State xy$   8 1     11 3  
No. 6 Ohio State x^   8 1     11 2  
No. 10 Michigan   7 2     10 3  
Indiana   4 5     6 7  
Maryland   3 6     6 7  
Michigan State   1 8     3 9  
Rutgers   0 9     2 10  
West Division
No. 9 Wisconsin xy   7 2     11 3  
Iowa   6 3     8 5  
Nebraska   6 3     9 4  
Minnesota   5 4     9 4  
Northwestern   5 4     7 6  
Illinois   2 7     3 9  
Purdue   1 8     3 9  
Championship: Penn State 38, Wisconsin 31
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2016 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by second-year head coach Mike Riley and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. They were members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference.

Previous season and offseason

In the 2015 Nebraska Cornhuskers football season, the team finished 5–7 in the regular season, their 39–38 win over playoff team Michigan State being the most notable. Though not bowl eligible based on their regular-season record, the Cornhuskers went to the Foster Farms Bowl (as a result of a lack of bowl-eligible teams and their high Academic Progress Rate) and beat UCLA 37–29. The team finished 4th in the Big Ten West division at the end of the season.

On July 23, 2016, senior punter and returning starter Sam Foltz was killed in a single-car crash in Waukesha County, Wisconsin following serving as staff for a training camp for high school kickers and punters. Former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler was also killed; LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye was also in the accident but sustained only non-life-threatening injuries.[2]

Transfers

Outgoing

Name Number Pos. Destination
Derrion Grim #7 WR San Joaquin Delta
Blake Holtmeier #25 WR Nebraska-Kearney[3]
Lane Hovey #13 WR Montana[4]
Garrett McKay #33 LB Santa Ana College
Trai Mosley #2 CB Central Arkansas
Garrett Poppen #54 LB Nebraska–Kearney
Jordan Stevenson #2 RB Navarro JC[5]
Adrienne Talan #13 LB Navarro JC
Kevin Williams #92 DT Michigan State

[6] (Grad. transfer)

Paul Thurston #55 C Colorado State[7] (Grad. transfer)
AJ Bush, Jr. #6 QB Iowa Western CC[8]

Incoming

Name Number Pos. Previous School Year
Tanner Lee* #13 QB Tulane Junior
Donovan McDonald† #39 WR Fork Union Military RS Freshman
Keyan Williams** #9 WR Fresno State Sophomore
Matt Watts† #51 OL Nevada
Butte CC
Junior
Tanner Zlab† #33 DB Doane Senior

*Player is not eligible to play in 2016 season due to transfer regulations
**Son of Nebraska WR coach Keith Williams[9]

†Walk-on transfer

Coaching departures

Name Pos. Destination Replacement
Hank Hughes DL Coach unknown John Parrella

2016 recruiting class

Position key

Back B Center C Cornerback CB Defensive back DB
Defensive end DE Defensive lineman DL Defensive tackle DT End E
Fullback FB Guard G Halfback HB Kicker K
Kickoff returner KR Offensive tackle OT Offensive lineman OL Linebacker LB
Long snapper LS Punter P Punt returner PR Quarterback QB
Running back RB Safety S Tight end TE Wide receiver WR

Nebraska Football 2016 Recruiting Class[10]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40 Commit date
Quayshon Alexander
LB
Wayne, NJ De Paul Catholic 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 230 lb (100 kg) Jun 19, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 80
DiCaprio Bootle
CB
Miami, FL Miami Killian HS 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Jun 16, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 75
Bryan Brokop
OT
New Lenox, IL Lincoln Way West 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 273 lb (124 kg) Sep 27, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 79
Tre Bryant
RB
Saint Louis, MO Christian Brothers College HS 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 198 lb (90 kg) 4.53 Nov 8, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 75
Tony Butler
CB
Lakewood, OH St. Edward 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Jan 20, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 79
Marquel Dismuke
S
Calabasas, CA Calabasas 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jun 15, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 83
JoJo Domann
DB
Colorado Springs, CO Pine Creek 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Jun 26, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 77
David Engelhaupt
TE
Norfolk, NE Norfolk Catholic 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Feb 2, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPNN/A   ESPN grade: N/A
Matt Farniok
OT
Sioux Falls, SD Washington 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 297 lb (135 kg) Jan 27, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 81
Lamar Jackson
DB
Elk Grove, CA Franklin 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 205.5 lb (93.2 kg) Feb 2, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 84
Pernell Jefferson
LB
New Orleans, LA Warren Easton 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Jan 23, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 74
Caleb Lightbourn
P/PK
Camas, WA Camas 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 214 lb (97 kg) Nov 28, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 74
Collin Miller
LB
Fishers, IN Hamilton Southeastern 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Jan 24, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 72
Patrick O'Brien
QB
San Juan Capistrano, CA San Juan Hills 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 225 lb (102 kg) May 1, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 79
John Raridon
OG
West Des Moines, IA Valley 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 258 lb (117 kg) Sep 28, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 83
Greg Simmons
LB
Fort Pierce, FL Fort Pierce 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Jun 25, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 79
JD Spielman
WR
Eden Prairie, MN Eden Prairie 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Aug 15, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 78
Ben Stille
DL
Ashland, NE Ashland-Greenwood 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Jun 13, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 76
Jack Stoll
TE
Aurora, CO Regis Jesuit 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Jun 24, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 79
Boe Wilson
OG
Lee's Summit, MO Lee's Summit 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 290 lb (130 kg) Jul 6, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 78
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 28   Rivals: 25  247Sports: 24  ESPN: 26
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 3, 2016.

Walk-on recruits

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Chafin, Ty
WR
Burwell, NE Burwell 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Hamik, Creighton
LB
Kearney, NE Kearney Catholic 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 210 lb (95 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Hass, Tanner
ATH
West Point, NE Guardian Angels 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 195 lb (88 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Hohenstein, Branden
LB
Jackson, NE Bishop Heelan 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Honas, Todd
WR
Aurora, NE Aurora 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 200 lb (91 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Hunt, Tavlin
LB
Lincoln, NE North Star 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 215 lb (98 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Jordan, Grant
LB
Omaha, NE Westside 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 205 lb (93 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Jordan, Spencer
FB
Omaha, NE Westside 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 215 lb (98 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Kitten, Jake
OL
Santee, CA Santana 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 290 lb (130 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Lambert, Sean
RB
Fremont, NE Fremont 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Smith, Ne'Land
WR
Blue Springs, MO Blue Springs 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 200 lb (91 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Sullivan, Eli
DB
Longmont, CO Longmont 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Watts, Matt
OL
Stockton, CA St. Mary's HS
Butte CC
Nevada
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 270 lb (120 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

National signing day was on Wednesday, February 3, 2016.

Tryout walk-ons

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Kasun, Kyle
DB
Papillion, NE Papillion-La Vista South 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

Returning starters

Offense

Player Class Position
Tommy Armstrong Jr. Senior Quarterback
Terrell Newby Senior Running back
Jordan Westerkamp Senior Wide receiver
Brandon Reilly Senior Wide receiver
Cethan Carter Senior Tight end
Dylan Utter Senior Guard
Nick Gates Sophomore Offensive tackle
Ryker Fyfe Senior Quarterback
Devine Ozigbo Sophomore Running back
De'Mornay Pierson-El Junior Wide receiver
Stanley Morgan Jr. Sophomore Wide receiver
Sam Cotton Senior Tight end
Reference:[11]

Defense

Player Class Position
Mick Stoltenberg Sophomore Defensive tackle
Kevin Maurice Senior Defensive tackle
Freedom Akinmoladun Sophomore Defensive end
Dedrick Young Sophomore Linebacker
Josh Banderas Senior Linebacker
Marcus Newby Junior Linebacker
Joshua Kalu Junior Cornerback
Chris Jones Junior Cornerback
Aaron Williams Sophomore Strong safety
Nathan Gerry Senior Free safety
Ross Dzuris Senior Defensive end
Michael Rose-Ivey Senior Linebacker
Chris Weber Junior Linebacker
Tyrin Ferguson Sophomore Linebacker
Luke Gifford Sophomore Linebacker
Boaz Joseph Junior Cornerback
Kieron Williams Junior Free safety
Antonio Reed Sophomore Free safety
Reference:[11]

Special teams

Player Class Position
Drew Brown Junior Kicker
Jordan Ober Sophomore Long Snapper
Reference:[11]

Spring practice

2016 Red—White Spring Game
1 234Total
• White 8 8525 46
Red 11 12108 41
  • Date: April 16, 2016
  • Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
  • Game start: 1:06 P.M.
  • Elapsed time: 2h 22m
  • Game attendance: 72,992
  • Game weather: Cloudy w/ 73% humidity, 67°F; wind 11 mph SSE
  • Television network: BTN2Go

72,992 fans attended the Nebraska spring game, continuing the streak of 60,000+ in attendance for Nebraska spring games since 2008. Unlike previous spring games, the teams did not trade the ball but Team Red was the offense and Team White was the defense for the entire game. Additionally, the scrimmage used a unique scoring system that allowed the defense (White) to score and rewarded plays that would otherwise be non-scoring in a normal football game. At the end of the game, Kyle Kasun intercepted the ball as the time expired, allowing the white team to win. The final score was White 46–41. Tommy Armstrong Jr., Ryker Fyfe and Patrick O'Brien all played at quarterback for team Red.

Schedule

Nebraska announced its 2016 football schedule on July 11, 2013. The 2016 schedule consists of 7 home and 5 away games in the regular season. The Cornhuskers will host Big Ten opponents Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, and Purdue, and will travel to Indiana, Iowa, Northwestern, Ohio State, and Wisconsin.[14]

The team hosted all three of the non–conference games which are against the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Wyoming Cowboys both from the Mountain West Conference, and the Oregon Ducks from the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12). This was Nebraska's 7th game against Oregon, and head coach Mike Riley's 13th overall game against Oregon, as he previously coached for Oregon rival Oregon State.

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 37:00 p.m.Fresno State*BTNW 43–1090,013[15]
September 1011:00 a.m.Wyoming*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Lincoln, NE
ESPN2W 52–1789,895[16]
September 172:30 p.m.No. 22 Oregon*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Lincoln, NE
ABCW 35–3290,414[17]
September 246:30 p.m.at NorthwesternNo. 20BTNW 24–1340,284[18]
October 12:30 p.m.IllinoisdaggerNo. 15
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Lincoln, NE
ESPN2W 31–1690,374[19]
October 152:30 p.m.at IndianaNo. 10ABC/ESPN2W 27–2248,254[20]
October 222:30 p.m.PurdueNo. 8
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Lincoln, NE
ABC/ESPN2W 27–1490,546[21]
October 296:00 p.m.at No. 11 WisconsinNo. 7ESPNL 17–23 OT80,833[22]
November 57:00 p.m.at No. 6 Ohio StateNo. 9ABCL 3–62108,750[23]
November 126:30 p.m.MinnesotaNo. 21
BTNW 24–1790,456[24]
November 1911:00 a.m.MarylandNo. 19
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Lincoln, NE
ESPNewsW 28–789,704[25]
November 252:30 p.m.at IowaNo. 16ABCL 10–4069,814[26]
December 302:30 p.m.vs. Tennessee*No. 24ESPNL 24–3868,496[27]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game
  • All times are in Central time
  • Source: [28]

Roster and coaching staff

2016 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR 3 Lavan Alston Jr. RFr
QB 4 Tommy Armstrong Jr. Sr
WR 33 Christian Bailey Jr
OL 74 Jalin Barnett RFr
WR 40 Ty Betka Sr
OL 61 Bryan Brokop Fr
RB 18 Tre Bryant Fr
TE 11 Cethan Carter Sr
WR 45 Ty Chaffin Fr
WR 80 Brett Classen Jr
OL 62 Cole Conrad So
TE 84 Sam Cotton Sr
WR 2 Zack Darlington So
OL 79 Michael Decker RFr
TE 83 David Engelhaupt Fr
OL 63 Tanner Farmer So
OL 71 Matt Farniok Fr
OL 67 Jerald Foster So
TE 42 Trey Foster Sr
QB 17 Ryker Fyfe Sr
OL 68 Nick Gates So
OL 65 Christian Gaylord RFr
WR 7 Derrion Grimm Fr
OL 73 Sam Hahn Sr
OL 72 Zach Hannon Jr
RB 32 Tanner Hass Fr
FB 49 Austin Hemphill RFr
TE 47 Branden Hohenstein Fr
WR 43 Todd Honas Fr
TE 88 Tyler Hoppes Jr
RB 41 Noah Johnson RFr
OL 76 Dwayne Johnson Jr. Jr
FB 38 Harrison Jordan Jr
FB 36 Spencer Jordan Fr
TE 89 Connor Ketter Jr
FB 30 Bo Kitrell So
OL 59 Jake Kitten Fr
OL 77 David Knevel Jr
RB 24 Sean Lambert Fr
QB 13 Tanner Lee Jr
RB 37 Wyatt Mazour RFr
FB 44 Mitch McCann Sr
WR 39 Donovan McDonald RFr
FB 41 Luke McNitt Jr
WR 82 Alonzo Moore Sr
WR 8 Stanley Morgan Jr. So
RB 29 Graham Nabity Sr
RB 39 Jordan Nelson Sr
RB 34 Terrell Newby Sr
QB 12 Patrick O'Brien Fr
RB 22 Devine Ozigbo So
OL 54 Robby Painter Sr
WR 26 Brady Pelzer So
WR 15 De'Mornay Pierson-El Jr
WR 81 Gabe Rahn Jr
OL 50 John Raridon Fr
WR 87 Brandon Reilly Sr
WR 83 Bryan Reimers So
RB 23 Austin Rose So
WR 48 Ne'Land Smith Fr
TE 85 Matt Snyder RFr
WR 10 JD Spielman Fr
TE 86 Jack Stoll Fr
RB 28 Adam Taylor Jr
OL 66 Dylan Utter (C) Sr
OL 51 Matt Watts Jr
WR 1 Jordan Westerkamp (C) Sr
OL 58 Corey Whitaker Sr
RB 21 Mikale Wilbon So
WR 9 Keyan Williams So
OL 56 Boe Wilson Fr
WR 31 Conor Young RFr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DE 91 Freedom Akinmoladun So
LB 30 Quayshon Alexander Fr
S 4 Avery Anderson RFr
DL 75 Fyn Anderson RFr
LB 52 Josh Banderas (C) Sr
LB 7 Mohamed Barry RFr
DB 23 Dicaprio Bootle Fr
LB 53 Alex Boryca So
LB 51 Jared Brugmann RFr
DB 2 Tony Butler Fr
LB 59 Brody Cleveland RFr
LB 26 Thomas Connely So
DE 22 Alex Davis RFr
DT 96 Carlos Davis RFr
DT 94 Khalil Davis RFr
DB 19 Marquel Dismuke Fr
S 13 JoJo Domann Fr
DE 88 Ross Dzuris Sr
DE 48 Erik Evans Jr
LB 43 Tyrin Ferguson So
S 25 Nathan Gerry (C) Sr
LB 12 Luke Gifford So
DB 29 Nolan Graham So
LB 54 Creighton Hamik Fr
CB 1 Lamar Jackson Fr
DE 47 Matt Jarzynka So
LB 32 Pernell Jefferson Fr
DL 50 Garret Johns Sr
CB 8 Chris Jones Jr
LB 40 Grant Jordan Fr
CB 11 Boaz Joseph Jr
CB 10 Joshua Kalu Jr
DB 36 Reid Karel RFr
DB 14 Kyle Kasun RFr
DE 17 Sedrick King So
CB 6 Eric Lee Jr. RFr
DL 58 Joel Lopez Jr
DT 55 Kevin Maurice Sr
DE 98 Collin Miller Fr
DE 45 A.J. Natter Jr
DE 9 DaiShon Neal RFr
LB 3 Marcus Newby Jr
DT 99 Peyton Newell So
DE 76 Dylan Owen So
DT 97 Logan Rath Sr
S 16 Antonio Reed So
LB 15 Michael Rose-Ivey Sr
LB 31 Greg Simmons Fr
LB 56 Brad Simpson Sr
DE 95 Ben Stille Fr
DT 44 Mick Stoltenberg So
DB 35 Jeremiah Stovall RFr
DB 28 Eli Sullivan Fr
LB 49 Chris Weber Jr
LB 57 Jacob Weinmaster RFr
S 24 Aaron Williams So
S 26 Kieron Williams Jr
LB 5 Dedrick Young II So
DB 33 Tanner Zlab Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
P 98 Isaac Armstrong RFr
PK 34 Drew Brown Jr
P/PK 35 Caleb Lightbourn Fr
PK 95 Spencer Lindsay Sr
LS 54 Jordan Ober So
PK 26 Jamie Sutcliffe Sr
LS 92 Chase Urbach RFr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Danny Langsdorf
       11th season as OC/QB coach
       2nd year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: Linfield
  • Mark Banker
       27th season as DC coach
       2nd year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: Springfield
  • Bruce Read
       8th season as STC coach
       2nd year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: Portland State
  • Trent Bray
       7th season as LB coach
       2nd year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: Oregon State
  • Mike Cavanaugh
       28th season as OL coach
       2nd year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: S Conn St
  • Reggie Davis
       8th season as RB coach
       2nd year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: Washington
  • John Parrella
       4th season as DL coach
       1st year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: Nebraska
  • Brian Stewart
       12th season as DB coach
       2nd year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: Northern Arizona
  • Keith Williams
       17th season as WR coach
       2nd year at Nebraska
       Alma mater: San Diego State

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster
Last update: August 12, 2016

Depth chart

Game summaries

Fresno State

Fresno State at Nebraska
1 234Total
Fresno State 0 1000 10
Nebraska 7 7722 43
  • Sources:*Sources:[29]
Series Record Previous Meeting Previous Winner
2–0 September 13, 2014 Nebraska, 55–19

Nebraska opened the 2016 season with a non-conference matchup against Fresno State at Memorial Stadium. The game marked the start of the second season for head coach Mike Riley. The game marked the completion of a three-game series with Fresno State. The Huskers defeated Fresno State in Lincoln 42–29 in 2011 before winning on the road in Fresno 55–19 in 2014. These three games are the only meetings between the Huskers and Bulldogs in program history. Before the game, there was a tribute to the late Nebraska punter Sam Foltz, who was killed in a car crash in July. Before their first punt, the Huskers observed a moment of silence for Foltz by sending only 10 players onto the field with no punter waiting for the snap. A delay of game penalty was called on the Huskers, which the Bulldogs declined.

Wyoming

Wyoming at Nebraska
1 234Total
Wyoming 0 7100 17
Nebraska 7 10728 52
  • Sources:*Sources:[30]
Series Record Previous Meeting Previous Winner
7–0 August 31, 2013 Nebraska, 37–34

The 2016 edition of the Nebraska–Wyoming series marked the 8th meeting between the two neighboring state programs. Nebraska entered the game with a perfect 7–0 all-time record against the Wyoming Cowboys. Senior quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw three touchdown passes during this matchup, in which he set the record for most career touchdown passes in the Nebraska program history, surpassing Taylor Martinez's previous record of 56. The Cornhuskers defeated the Cowboys 52–17 in front of a crowd of 89,895, the stadium's 349th consecutive sellout.

Oregon

Oregon at Nebraska
1 234Total
#22 Oregon 8 1266 32
Nebraska 7 7147 35
  • Sources:*Sources:[31]
Series Record Previous Meeting Previous Winner
5–1 September 27, 1986 Nebraska, 48–14

Nebraska and Oregon played for the 7th time between the two programs on September 17, 2016 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Ducks went for the two point conversion after every touchdown, only succeeding once, early in the game. Nebraska went on to win the game 35–32, giving Oregon their first loss of the season, and Nebraska their third win to improve their record to 3–0. Nebraska had 428 total offensive yards the whole game, and the Ducks had 482. The Cornhuskers will travel to Eugene, Oregon in the 2017 season to face the Ducks at Autzen Stadium, game 2 of the home-and-home series between the two programs.

Northwestern

Nebraska at Northwestern
1 234Total
#20 Nebraska 0 10140 24
Northwestern 0 760 13
Series Record Previous Meeting Previous Winner
6–3 October 24, 2015 Northwestern, 30–28

Nebraska opened conference play with their first road game of the season in Evanston, Illinois against Northwestern. The Cornhuskers won the contest by a score of 24–13. Early in the game, I-back Terrell Newby fumbled the ball at the sideline near the end zone, resulting in a touchback, giving Northwestern the ball. In the second quarter, Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson ran the ball 42 yards for a touchdown. Thorson also had a 24-yard touchdown pass to Austin Carr in the 3rd quarter. Nebraska will play the Wildcats at home in 2017 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Illinois

Illinois at Nebraska
1 234Total
Illinois 0 1330 16
#15 Nebraska 7 3021 31
Series Record Previous Meeting Previous Winner
9–3–1 October 3, 2015 Illinois, 14–13

Nebraska played its second conference game at home against the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 1, 2016. Nebraska beat the Illini by a score of 31–16, claiming their 5th win on the season to make the Cornhuskers 5–0.

Indiana

Nebraska at Indiana
1 234Total
#10 Nebraska 17 0010 27
Indiana 0 877 22
Series Record Previous Meeting Previous Winner
7–9–3 September 30, 1978 Nebraska, 69–17

Purdue

Purdue at Nebraska
1 234Total
Purdue 7 700 14
#8 Nebraska 10 0710 27
Series Record Previous Meeting Previous Winner
2–2 October 31, 2015 Purdue, 55–45

Wisconsin

Nebraska at Wisconsin
Freedom Trophy
1 234OTTotal
#7 Nebraska 0 70100 17
#11 Wisconsin 7 3706 23
Series Record Previous Meeting Previous Winner
4–6 October 10, 2015 Wisconsin, 23–21

Nebraska played the Wisconsin Badgers on October 29, 2016 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. The Cornhuskers entered the game ranked at #7 in the AP Poll, while Wisconsin sat not far behind at #11. The game was the 11th game in the series, Wisconsin winning the previous matchup, 23–21 in Lincoln on October 10, 2015. Wisconsin won the game 23–17 in overtime. Wisconsin scored first in overtime, but missed the extra point attempt. Nebraska failed to score after, allowing Wisconsin to win the game. The all-time series record is now 7–4 in Wisconsin's favor.

Ohio State

Nebraska at Ohio State
1 234Total
#9 Nebraska 3 000 3
#6 Ohio State 14 17247 62
Series Record Previous Meeting Previous Winner
1–3 October 6, 2012 Ohio State, 63–38

Minnesota

Minnesota at Nebraska
$5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy
1 234Total
Minnesota 7 1000 17
#21 Nebraska 3 777 24
Series Record Previous Meeting Previous Winner
23–31–2 October 17, 2015 Nebraska, 48–25

Maryland

Maryland at Nebraska
1 234Total
Maryland 0 007 7
#19 Nebraska 14 770 28
Series Record Previous Meeting Previous Winner
First meeting

Nebraska went undefeated at home for the first time in 4 years thanks to their win over Maryland.

Iowa

Nebraska at Iowa
Heroes Trophy
1 234Total
#17 Nebraska 0 370 10
Iowa 13 7614 40
Series Record Previous Meeting Previous Winner
29–14–3 November 27, 2015 Iowa, 28–20

Music City Bowl

Nebraska vs. Tennessee
Music City Bowl
1 234Total
#24 Nebraska 0 7710 24
Tennessee 0 21314 38
  • Date: December 30
  • Location: Nissan Stadium
    Nashville, TN
  • Game start: 2:30 PM CST
  • Elapsed time: 3:44
  • Game attendance: 68,496
  • Game weather: Clear, 46 degrees, Wind SW @ 5 mph
  • Referee: M. Mothershed
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Tom Hart, Andre Ware, Cole Cubelic
Overall Record Previous Meeting Previous Winner
2–0 January 2, 2000 Nebraska, 31–21

Big Ten awards

Player of the Week Honors

Weekly Awards
Player Award Week Awarded Ref.
Nathan Gerry Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week Week 2 [42]
Caleb Lightbourn Big Ten Freshman of the Week Week 3 [43]
Tommy Armstrong Jr. Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Week 4 [44]
Tommy Armstrong Jr. Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Week 11 [45]

All-Conference Awards

2016 Big Ten All-Conference Honors[46]

National awards

All-America Teams

All-America Teams
Position Player Team Selector
DB Nathan Gerry First Team Pro Football Focus[47]
DB Nathan Gerry Second Team USA Today[48]
DB Nathan Gerry Third Team AP[49]
DB Nathan Gerry Third Team FOX[50]
DB Nathan Gerry Fourth Team Athlon[51]

Team awards

2016 Nebraska Football Team Awards [52]

Annual Program Awards
Award Player
Scout Team Defensive MVP Pernell Jefferson, Collin Miller
Scout Team Offensive MVP Tanner Lee, JD Spielman
Scout Team Special Teams MVP Conor Young
Walk-On of the Year Sam Hahn
Most Improved Player Carlos Davis
Newcomer of the Year Tre Bryant
Pat Clare Award De'Mornay Pierson-El
Tom Novak Trophy Tommy Armstrong Jr.
Guy Chamberlin Trophy Jordan Westerkamp
Cletus Fischer Native Son Award Josh Banderas, Sam Foltz
Lunch Bucket Award Brad Simpson
Lifter of the Year Luke McNitt
Husker Pride Award Sam Cotton

NFL Draft

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
APRVRVRV201512108792119172324RV
CoachesRVRVRV201512996102017152221RV
CFPNot released10191816Not released

References

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  6. ^ "Report: Ex-Husker DT Williams bound for Michigan State". May 15, 2016.
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  47. ^ Pro Football Focus All-America Team
  48. ^ USA Today All-America Teams
  49. ^ AP All-America Team
  50. ^ FOX Sports All-America Team
  51. ^ Athlon Sports All-America Team
  52. ^ 2016 Husker Team Awards