The Huskers have faced numerous challenges in their 2025 season, with multiple starters on offense sidelined for the long term, including star sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola. Despite the setbacks, Nebraska remains 7-3 heading into its final bye week of the season, with just Penn State and Iowa remaining on the schedule.
Before going down with a broken fibula against USC, Raiola was having a slight down year in the PFF grades. His season ends with an overall grade of 63.6, down from 71.5 from last year. His highest grade came against Akron, where he posted an overall grade of 87.5.
In relief of Raiola, freshman quarterback T.J. Lateef currently has a 65.8, slightly higher than Raiola. His 29.4 grade against USC is weighing him down significantly, and taking out his performance against the Trojans raises his grade to a 75.0. There are still two games left in the regular season for Lateef to improve, but the Nittany Lions and Hawkeyes’ defenses will be perfect tests for the young signal caller.
Lateef won’t be without help down the stretch, as he has the highest graded starting Husker right next to him in the backfield. Junior running back Emmett Johnson has garnered national recognition for his performance thus far and has really hit his stride since the first bye week.
Last time we checked in on him, his grade was at 71.1, a slight improvement from last year’s 70.7. His grade has shot up to an 84.2, putting him at No. 26 in the country amongst qualified running backs. He is fourth in the country in explosive runs (runs of 10+ yards) with 31 and is sixth in forced missed tackles after the rush with 56.
The offensive line has figured out the starting five, which had been up for debate at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, it came with injuries, forcing players to step up. Tackles Teddy Prochazka and Gunnar Gottula both suffered season-ending knee injuries, forcing Elijah Pritchett and Turner Corcocan to replace them.
Prochazaka finished his season as the second-lowest graded pass blocker on the team, ahead of Johnson. Gottula was the highest graded pass blocking tackle, which makes his absence felt. The run blocking grades have stayed consistent, as that area is both Pritchett and Corcocan’s highest graded area.
The interior offensive linemen have been the backbone of the trenches, with all three linemen consistently excelling in both run and pass blocking. Senior guard Henry Lutovsky is the lowest graded of the three, with a 64.6 season grade.
The pass catchers have been an improvement from last year, with two marquee transfers in Dane Key and Nyziah Hunter performing well, and both have around the same grades as their past seasons. The highest graded pass catcher is actually fourth string running back Kwinten Ives, who has an 89.2 receiving grade. The highest overall graded receiver is tight end Heinrich Haarberg, who has a 73.3 overall grade.
Defensively, reserve linebacker Derek Wacker (93.8) remains the highest graded player on the team; however, he’s only played two games. The next highest graded player is defensive back Jamir Conn (83.3), who has played significantly more snaps. The highest graded starter is linebacker Javin Wright, who has a 78.8, the highest season grade in his career.
The Huskers’ run defense ranks at 57 in the country, with an 84.3 run defense grade. The pass defense ranks T-27 with Notre Dame and Louisville, having an 89.5 coverage grade. The overall tackling grade ranks 29th, right behind Alabama, and is graded at 80.6. The defensive struggles, according to PFF, fall onto the pass rush, which ranks 115th in the country with a 63.6.
Nebraska’s offense ranks 30th, with an 81.0; the pass offense ranks 80th with a 66.8 grade and the run offense ranks 75th nationally with an 80.5.
Finally, Nebraska falls to No. 19 in the country with PFF’s overall grades, tied with Alabama with an overall team grade of 91.1.
