# 2017 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

The 2017 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska during the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by third-year head coach Mike Riley and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. They competed as members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 4–8, 3–6 in Big Ten play to finish in fifth place in the West Division.
At the conclusion of the regular season, head coach Mike Riley was fired. On December 2, the school hired UCF head coach and Nebraska alumnus Scott Frost as head coach.

## Offseason
### Transfers
#### Outgoing

| Name | No. | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Destination |
| Lavan Alston | #3 | WR | 6'0" | 175 | Sophomore | Oxnard, CA | Ventura CC |
| Zach Hannon | #72 | OG | 6'5" | 320 | Senior | Kansas City, MO | Kansas |
| Dwayne Johnson Jr. | #76 | OL | 6'6" | 310 | Senior | Houston, TX | Texas Tech |
| Greg Simmons | #31 | LB | 6'2" | 240 | RS Freshman | Fort Pierce, FL | Duquesne |
| Keyshawn Johnson Jr. | #3 | WR | 6'1" | 195 | Freshman | Los Angeles, CA | Arizona |

#### Incoming

| Name | No. | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Prev. School |
| Kramer Rath | #95 | K | 6'1" | 175 | Senior (Grad Transfer) | Lincoln, NE | Nebraska Wesleyan |

### Coaching departures & replacements

| Name | Pos. | Destination | Replacement |
| Mark Banker | Defensive Coordinator | Hawai'i (2018) (LB/Asst. HC) | Bob Diaco |
| Brian Stewart | Defensive Backs coach | Rice (DC) | Bob Elliott (S) and Donte Williams (CB) |
| Bruce Read | Special Teams Coordinator | Montreal Alouettes (STC) | Scott Booker but role largely divided up. |
| Bob Elliott | Safeties | Nebraska (defensive analyst) | Scott Booker |

### Other headlines

* February 22 – WR coach Keith Williams pleaded no contest to a criminal charge of driving under the influence (DUI), steming from his August 14, 2016 car accident and arrest. It is his third DUI conviction in 13 years but his first in Nebraska. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail, 3 years of probation, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, with his driver's license revoked and given the option to apply to have his jail sentence converted to house arrest. His jail sentence was converted to house arrest on March 1.
* May 26 – Junior WR Stanley Morgan Jr. and Junior DB Antonio Reed were arrested and charged in Port Orange, Florida with misdemeanor possession of marijuana, following a traffic stop. Charges against Morgan were dropped on July 17 after he successfully completed a drug treatment program.
* June 10 – Freshman early-enrollee WR Keyshawn Johnson Jr. (son of former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson) was cited for possession of marijuana in his dorm room by UNL campus police. On June 20, Johnson reportedly had left the program on a "leave of absence" and will likely not participate with the team during the season, potentially returning in January after the season.
* July 8 – Nebraska defensive analysis and former safeties assistant coach Bob Elliott died in hospice care at age 64. Elliott had been hired as the team's safeties coach in mid-February 2017 but had stepped down from his position to an off-field analysis position on June 20 for "personal reasons." He had been diagnosed in 1998 with polycythemia vera (a rare blood cancer) and received a blood marrow transplant soon after. He had been suffering from health issues in recent years that had limited him to an off-field role for the 2015 and 2016 seasons at Notre Dame before coming to Nebraska.
* July 16 – Incoming freshmen CB Elijah Blades and DL Deiontae Watts failed to academically qualify to attend Nebraska, and joined junior colleges as a result.

## Recruiting
### 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 |

### Recruits

As of National Signing Day (February 7, 2017), Nebraska's 2017 recruiting class consisted of 20 commits, 8 walk-ons, and 1 JUCO walk-on transfer. On, February 16, 2017, Kade Warner, son of NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, joined the team as a preferred walk-on. 5 non-recruited walk-ons joined the team via tryout on March 29, 2017. One additional preferred walk-on was added in late April.

#### Scholarship recruits

College recruiting information (2017) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Willie Hampton LB | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | American Heritage HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Mar 9, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Jaevon McQuitty WR | Columbia, MO | Battle HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 191 lb (87 kg) | Mar 12, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Keyshawn Johnson, Jr. WR | Calabasas, CA | Calabasas HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Mar 23, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Tristan Gebbia QB | Calabasas, CA | Calabasas HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Apr 4, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Austin Allen TE | Aurora, NE | Aurora | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Apr 14, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 75 |||||||
| Brenden Jaimes OT | Austin, TX | Lake Travis HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 250 lb (110 kg) | Apr 16, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Avery Roberts LB | Wilmington, DE | Concord HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Apr 21, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Deontre Thomas DT | Mustang, OK | Mustang HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | Apr 30, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Matt Sichterman OT | Kings Mills, OH | Kings HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 266 lb (121 kg) | May 15, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Broc Bando OG | Lincoln, NE | IMG Academy | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | Jun 17, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Ben Miles FB | Baton Rouge, LA | Catholic HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Jul 31, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Guy Thomas DE | Miami, FL | Booker T. Washington HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 202 lb (92 kg) | Aug 8, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Deiontae Watts DT | Plano, TX | Plano East HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 302 lb (137 kg) | Sep 18, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Andrew Ward LB | Muskegon, MI | Muskegon HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Dec 25, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 75 |||||||
| Jaylin Bradley RB | Bellevue, NE | Bellevue West HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jan 5, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 73 |||||||
| Tyjon Lindsey WR | Las Vegas, NV | Bishop Gorman HS | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 161 lb (73 kg) | Jan 14, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 84 |||||||
| Chris Walker OT | Lincoln, NE | Lincoln East HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 275 lb (125 kg) | Jan 16, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 74 |||||||
| Kurt Rafdal TE | Carmel, IN | Carmel HS | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Jan 29, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Elijah Blades CB | Pasadena, CA | John Muir HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Feb 1, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| Damion Daniels DT | Dallas, TX | Bishop Dunne HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 315 lb (143 kg) | Feb 1, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 18 Rivals: 20 247Sports: 23 ESPN: 21 |||||||
| 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: "Nebraska Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 2, 2017. "2017 Nebraska Football Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved February 2, 2017. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 2, 2017. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved February 2, 2017. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 2, 2017. |||||||

#### Walk-on recruits

College recruiting information (2017) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Banker, Christian WR | Omaha, NE | Skutt HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Apr 28, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Bunch, Andrew QB (Soph.) | Thompson's Station, TN | Independence (TN) HS Scottsdale (AZ) CC | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 182 lb (83 kg) | Jan 19, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Cox, Ethan WR | Blair, NE | Blair HS | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Nov 28, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Frahm, Cole K | Omaha, NE | Omaha Burke HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Dec 21, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Hixson, Trent OG/DT | Omaha, NE | Skutt HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 275 lb (125 kg) | Dec 15, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Lingenfelter, Ben OG | Cherokee, IA | Washington (Cherokee, IA) HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 270 lb (120 kg) | Dec 12, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Liske, Cody LB | Bennington, NE | Bennington HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Nov 27, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Miller, Hunter OG | Stromsburg, NE | Cross Country (NE) HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 275 lb (125 kg) | Dec 16, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Paup, Jordan DE | Central City, NE | Central City HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Feb 1, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Reynolds, Dylan ATH | Broken Bow, NE | Broken Bow HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Nov 26, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Warner, Kade WR | Scottsdale, AZ | Desert Mountain HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Feb 16, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 68 |||||||
| 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: "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. |||||||

#### Tryout walk-ons

College recruiting information (2017) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Jackson, Damian LB | Las Vegas, NV | Shadow Ridge HS US Navy SEALs | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | Mar 29, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Marquez, Jose DB | Crete, NE | Crete HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Mar 29, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Robbins, Brandon WR | Bellevue, NE | Bellevue East HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Mar 29, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Walker, Jackson P (Junior) | Overland Park, KS | Blue Valley Northwest HS Johnson County CC Coffeyville CC | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 250 lb (110 kg) | Mar 29, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Zimmerman, Derek WR/P (Junior) | Adams/Filley, NE | Freeman HS Arkansas (Track & Field) | N/A | N/A | Mar 29, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Chad Alioth Jr. WR | Omaha, NE | Omaha North HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Aug 28, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Johnny Richard WR | Austell, GA | South Cobb HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 203 lb (92 kg) | Aug 28, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Bradley Bunner DB | Clarkson, NE | Clarkson-Leigh HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Aug 31, 2017 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/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: "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. |||||||

### Returning starters
#### Offense

| Player | Class | Position |
| Cole Conrad | Junior | Offensive tackle |
| Tanner Farmer | Junior | Offensive guard |
| Jerald Foster | Junior | Offensive guard |
| Nick Gates | Junior | Offensive tackle |
| Devine Ozigbo | Junior | Running back |
| De'Mornay Pierson-El | Senior | Wide receiver |
| Luke McNitt | Senior | Fullback |
| Stanley Morgan Jr. | Junior | Wide receiver |
| David Knevel | Senior | Offensive tackle |
| Bryan Reimers | Junior | Wide receiver |
| Reference: |||

#### Defense

| Player | Class | Position |
| Freedom Akinmoladun | Junior | Defensive end |
| Carlos Davis | Sophomore | Defensive tackle |
| Tyrin Ferguson | Junior | Linebacker |
| Luke Gifford | Junior | Linebacker |
| Chris Jones | Senior | Cornerback |
| Boaz Joseph | Senior | Cornerback |
| Joshua Kalu | Senior | Cornerback |
| Marcus Newby | Senior | Linebacker |
| Antonio Reed | Junior | Free safety |
| Mick Stoltenberg | Junior | Defensive tackle |
| Aaron Williams | Junior | Strong safety |
| Kieron Williams | Senior | Free safety |
| Chris Weber | Senior | Linebacker |
| Dedrick Young | Junior | Linebacker |
| Reference: |||

#### Special teams

| Player | Class | Position |
| Drew Brown | Senior | Kicker |
| Tre Bryant | Sophomore | Kick Returner |
| Zack Darlington | Junior | Holder |
| Caleb Lightbourn | Sophomore | Punter |
| Jordan Ober | Junior | Long Snapper |
| De'Mornay Pierson-El | Senior | Punt Returner |
| Reference: |||

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 7:00 p.m. | Arkansas State* | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE | BTN | W 43–36 | 90,171 |
| September 9 | 3:30 p.m. | at Oregon* | Autzen StadiumEugene, OR | FOX | L 35–42 | 58,389 |
| September 16 | 11:00 a.m. | Northern Illinois* | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE | FS1 | L 17–21 | 89,664 |
| September 23 | 2:30 p.m. | Rutgers | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE | BTN | W 27–17 | 89,775 |
| September 29 | 7:00 p.m. | at Illinois | Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL | FS1 | W 28–6 | 43,058 |
| October 7 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 9 Wisconsin | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE (Freedom Trophy) | BTN | L 17–38 | 89,860 |
| October 14 | 6:30 p.m. | No. 9 Ohio State | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE | FS1 | L 14–56 | 89,346 |
| October 28 | 6:30 p.m. | at Purdue | Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN | BTN | W 25–24 | 41,411 |
| November 4 | 2:30 p.m. | Northwestern | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE | BTN | L 24–31 $^{OT}$ | 89,721 |
| November 11 | 11:00 a.m. | at Minnesota | TCF Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN ($5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy) | FS1 | L 21–54 | 39,933 |
| November 18 | 3:00 p.m. | at No. 13 Penn State | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | FS1 | L 44–56 | 106,722 |
| November 24 | 3:00 p.m. | Iowa | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE (Heroes Game) | FS1 | L 14–56 | 90,046 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to gameAll times are in Central timeSource: ||||||||

## Roster and coaching staff
### Depth chart

Defense :
* FS
* Aaron Williams
* Kieron Williams Marquel Dismuke
| OLB | ILB | ILB | OLB |
| Alex Davis | Chris Weber | Dedrick Young | Marcus Newby Luke Gifford |
| Ben Stille | Avrey Roberts | Mohamed Barry | Tyrin Ferguson |
| Sedrick King | ⋅ | ⋅ | ⋅ |
* SS
* Joshua Kalu
* Antonio Reed
* CB
* Lamar Jackson
* Dicaprio Bootle
| DE | NT | DE |
| Freedom Akinmoladun | Mick Stoltenberg | Carlos Davis |
| Khalil Davis | Deontre Thomas | Daishon Neal |
* CB
* Chris Jones Eric Lee
* Avrey Anderson
Offense :
* WR
* Stanley Morgan Jr.
* Bryan Reimers
* WR
* De'Mornay Pierson-El
* Tyjon Lindsey
| LT | LG | C | RG | RT |
| Brenden Jaimes | Jerald Foster | Cole Conrad Michael Decker | Tanner Farmer | Nick Gates |
| David Kneval Matt Farniok | John Raridon | John Raridon | Boe Wilson | Christian Gaylord |
* TE
* Tyler Hoppes
* Connor Ketter
* Jack Stoll
* WR
* JD Spielman
* Conor Young Gabe Rahn
* QB
* Tanner Lee
* Patrick O'Brien
* Tristan Gebbia
* Key reserves
* FB Luke Mcnitt
* FB Austin Rose
* Season-ending injury Number of games played RB Tre Bryant (2) S JoJo Domann (0) OLB Luke Gifford (7)
* Special teams
* PK Drew Brown
* P Caleb Lightbourn
* KR JD Spielman
* PR De'Mornay Pierson-El
* LS Jordan Ober
* RB
* Devine Ozigbo Mikale Wilbon
* Jaylin Bradley

## Game summaries
### Spring practice

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| White | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| • Red | 6 | 21 | 7 | 21 | 55 |

### Arkansas State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Arkansas State | 14 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 36 |
| • Nebraska | 17 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 43 |
Arkansas State Game starters
| Position | Player |
| Quarterback | Tanner Lee |
| Running Back | Tre Bryant |
| Wide Receiver | Stanley Morgon |
| Wide Receiver | De'mornay Pierson-El |
| Wide Receiver | JD Speilman |
| Tight End | Tyler Hoppes |
| Left Tackle | David Kneval |
| Left Guard | Jerlad Foster |
| Center | Cole Conrad |
| Right Guard | Tanner Farmer |
| Right Tackle | Nick Gates |
| Position | Player |
| Defensive End | Carlos Davis |
| Nose Tackle | Mick Stoltenberg |
| Defensive End | Freedom Akinmoladun |
| Outside Linebacker | Luke Gifford |
| Inside Linebacker | Dedrick Young |
| Inside Linebacker | Chris Weber |
| Outside Linebacker | Marcus Newby |
| Cornerback | Eric Lee |
| Strong Safety | Joshua Kalu |
| Free Safety | Aaron Williams |
| Cornerback | Lamar Jackson |

### At Oregon

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nebraska | 7 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
| • Oregon | 21 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 42 |
Oregon Game starters
| Position | Player |
| Quarterback | Tanner Lee |
| Running Back | Tre Bryant |
| Wide Receiver | Stanley Morgon |
| Wide Receiver | De'mornay Pierson-El |
| Wide Receiver | JD Speilman |
| Tight End | Tyler Hoppes |
| Left Tackle | Matt Farnoik |
| Left Guard | Jerlad Foster |
| Center | Cole Conrad |
| Right Guard | Tanner Farmer |
| Right Tackle | Nick Gates |
| Position | Player |
| Defensive End | Carlos Davis |
| Nose Tackle | Mick Stoltenberg |
| Defensive End | Freedom Akinmoladun |
| Outside Linebacker | Luke Gifford |
| Inside Linebacker | Dedrick Young |
| Inside Linebacker | Chris Weber |
| Outside Linebacker | Marcus Newby |
| Cornerback | Eric Lee |
| Strong Safety | Joshua Kalu |
| Free Safety | Aaron Williams |
| Cornerback | Lamar Jackson |

### Northern Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Northern Illinois | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Nebraska | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
Northern Illinois Game starters
| Position | Player |
| Quarterback | Tanner Lee |
| Running Back | Mikale Wilbon |
| Wide Receiver | Stanley Morgon |
| Wide Receiver | De'mornay Pierson-El |
| Wide Receiver | JD Speilman |
| Tight End | Tyler Hoppes |
| Left Tackle | Matt Farnoik |
| Left Guard | Jerald Foster |
| Center | Cole Conrad |
| Right Guard | Tanner Farmer |
| Right Tackle | Nick Gates |
| Position | Player |
| Defensive End | Carlos Davis |
| Nose Tackle | Mick Stoltenberg |
| Defensive End | Freedom Akinmoladun |
| Outside Linebacker | Luke Gifford |
| Inside Linebacker | Dedrick Young |
| Inside Linebacker | Chris Weber |
| Outside Linebacker | Marcus Newby |
| Cornerback | Eric Lee |
| Strong Safety | Antonio Reed |
| Free Safety | Aaron Williams |
| Cornerback | Lamar Jackson |

### Rutgers

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rutgers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| • Nebraska | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 27 |
Rutgers Game starters
| Position | Player |
| Quarterback | Tanner Lee |
| Running Back | Mikale Wilbon |
| Wide Receiver | Gabe Rahn |
| Wide Receiver | De'mornay Pierson-El |
| Wide Receiver | JD Speilman |
| Tight End | Tyler Hoppes |
| Left Tackle | Branden Jaimes |
| Left Guard | Jerlad Foster |
| Center | Michael Decker |
| Right Guard | Tanner Farmer |
| Right Tackle | Nick Gates |
| Position | Player |
| Defensive End | Carlos Davis |
| Nose Tackle | Mick Stoltenberg |
| Defensive End | Freedom Akinmoladun |
| Outside Linebacker | Luke Gifford |
| Inside Linebacker | Dedrick Young |
| Inside Linebacker | Chris Weber |
| Outside Linebacker | Marcus Newby |
| Cornerback | Eric Lee |
| Strong Safety | Antonio Reed |
| Free Safety | Aaron Williams |
| Cornerback | Lamar Jackson |

### At Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Nebraska | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Illinois | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
Illinois Game starters
| Position | Player |
| Quarterback | Tanner Lee |
| Running Back | Devine Ozigbo |
| Wide Receiver | Stanley Morgan |
| Wide Receiver | De'mornay Pierson-El |
| Wide Receiver | JD Speilman |
| Tight End | Tyler Hoppes |
| Left Tackle | Branden Jaimes |
| Left Guard | Jerald Foster |
| Center | Michael Decker |
| Right Guard | Tanner Farmer |
| Right Tackle | Nick Gates |
| Position | Player |
| Defensive End | Carlos Davis |
| Nose Tackle | Mick Stoltenberg |
| Defensive End | Freedom Akinmoladun |
| Outside Linebacker | Luke Gifford |
| Inside Linebacker | Dedrick Young |
| Inside Linebacker | Chris Weber |
| Outside Linebacker | Sedrick King |
| Cornerback | Eric Lee |
| Strong Safety | Antonio Reed |
| Free Safety | Aaron Williams |
| Cornerback | Lamar Jackson |

### Wisconsin

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #9 Wisconsin | 10 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
| Nebraska | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
Wisconsin Game starters
| Position | Player |
| Quarterback | Tanner Lee |
| Running Back | Devine Ozigbo |
| Wide Receiver | Stanley Morgon |
| Wide Receiver | De'mornay Pierson-El |
| Wide Receiver | JD Speilman |
| Tight End | Tyler Hoppes |
| Left Tackle | Branden Jaimes |
| Left Guard | Jerlad Foster |
| Center | Michael Decker |
| Right Guard | Tanner Farmer |
| Right Tackle | Nick Gates |
| Position | Player |
| Defensive End | Carlos Davis |
| Nose Tackle | Mick Stoltenberg |
| Defensive End | Freedom Akinmoladun |
| Outside Linebacker | Luke Gifford |
| Inside Linebacker | Dedrick Young |
| Inside Linebacker | Chris Weber |
| Outside Linebacker | Ben Stille |
| Cornerback | Eric Lee |
| Strong Safety | Joshua Kalu |
| Free Safety | Aaron Williams |
| Cornerback | Lamar Jackson |

### Ohio State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #9 Ohio State | 14 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 56 |
| Nebraska | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
Ohio State Game starters
| Position | Player |
| Quarterback | Tanner Lee |
| Running Back | Mikale Wilbon |
| Wide Receiver | Conor Young |
| Wide Receiver | De'mornay Pierson-El |
| Wide Receiver | JD Speilman |
| Tight End | Tyler Hoppes |
| Left Tackle | Branden Jaimes |
| Left Guard | Jerald Foster |
| Center | Michael Decker |
| Right Guard | Tanner Farmer |
| Right Tackle | Nick Gates |
| Position | Player |
| Defensive End | Carlos Davis |
| Nose Tackle | Mick Stoltenberg |
| Defensive End | Freedom Akinmoladun |
| Outside Linebacker | Luke Gifford |
| Inside Linebacker | Dedrick Young |
| Inside Linebacker | Chris Weber |
| Outside Linebacker | Sedrick King |
| Cornerback | Chris Jones |
| Strong Safety | Joshua Kalu |
| Free Safety | Dicaprio Bootle |
| Cornerback | Lamar Jackson |

### At Purdue

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Nebraska | 3 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 25 |
| Purdue | 0 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
Purdue Game starters
| Position | Player |
| Quarterback | Tanner Lee |
| Running Back | Devine Ozigbo |
| Wide Receiver | Stanley Morgan |
| Wide Receiver | De'mornay Pierson-El |
| Wide Receiver | Tyjon Linsdey |
| Tight End | Tyler Hoppes |
| Left Tackle | Branden Jaimes |
| Left Guard | Jerald Foster |
| Center | Michael Decker |
| Right Guard | Tanner Farmer |
| Right Tackle | Nick Gates |
| Position | Player |
| Defensive End | Carlos Davis |
| Nose Tackle | Mick Stoltenberg |
| Defensive End | Freedom Akinmoladun |
| Outside Linebacker | Marcus Newby |
| Inside Linebacker | Mohamed Barry |
| Inside Linebacker | Chris Weber |
| Outside Linebacker | Alex Davis |
| Cornerback | Chris Jones |
| Strong Safety | Joshua Kalu |
| Free Safety | Aaron Williams |
| Cornerback | Lamar Jackson |

### Northwestern

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| • Northwestern | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Nebraska | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
Northwestern Game starters
| Position | Player |
| Quarterback | Tanner Lee |
| Running Back | Devine Ozigbo |
| Wide Receiver | Stanley Morgan |
| Wide Receiver | De'mornay Pierson-El |
| Wide Receiver | JD Speilman |
| Tight End | Tyler Hoppes |
| Left Tackle | Branden Jaimes |
| Left Guard | Jerald Foster |
| Center | Cole Conrad |
| Right Guard | Matt Farniok |
| Right Tackle | Nick Gates |
| Position | Player |
| Defensive End | Carlos Davis |
| Nose Tackle | Mick Stoltenberg |
| Defensive End | Freedom Akinmoladun |
| Outside Linebacker | Marcus Newby |
| Inside Linebacker | Dedrick Young |
| Inside Linebacker | Chris Weber |
| Outside Linebacker | Alex Davis |
| Cornerback | Chris Jones |
| Strong Safety | Joshua Kalu |
| Free Safety | Marquel Dismuke |
| Cornerback | Lamar Jackson |

### At Minnesota

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nebraska | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| • Minnesota | 14 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 54 |
Minnesota Game starters
| Position | Player |
| Quarterback | Tanner Lee |
| Running Back | Mikale Wilbon |
| Wide Receiver | Stanley Morgan |
| Wide Receiver | De'mornay Pierson-El |
| Wide Receiver | JD Speilman |
| Tight End | Tyler Hoppes |
| Left Tackle | Branden Jaimes |
| Left Guard | Jerlad Foster |
| Center | Cole Conrad |
| Right Guard | Matt Farniok |
| Right Tackle | Nick Gates |
| Position | Player |
| Defensive End | Carlos Davis |
| Nose Tackle | Mick Stoltenberg |
| Defensive End | Freedom Akinmoladun |
| Outside Linebacker | Marcus Newby |
| Inside Linebacker | Dedrick Young |
| Inside Linebacker | Chris Weber |
| Outside Linebacker | Alex Davis |
| Cornerback | Chris Jones |
| Strong Safety | Joshua Kalu |
| Free Safety | Antonio Reed |
| Cornerback | Lamar Jackson |

### At Penn State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nebraska | 10 | 0 | 14 | 20 | 44 |
| • #13 Penn State | 14 | 28 | 0 | 14 | 56 |
Penn State Game starters
| Position | Player |
| Quarterback | Tanner Lee |
| Running Back | Mikale Wilbon |
| Wide Receiver | Stanley Morgan |
| Wide Receiver | De'mornay Pierson-El |
| Wide Receiver | JD Speilman |
| Tight End | Tyler Hoppes |
| Left Tackle | Branden Jaimes |
| Left Guard | Jerald Foster |
| Center | Cole Conrad |
| Right Guard | David Kneval |
| Right Tackle | Nick Gates |
| Position | Player |
| Defensive End | Carlos Davis |
| Nose Tackle | Mick Stoltenberg |
| Defensive End | Freedom Akinmoladun |
| Outside Linebacker | Marcus Newby |
| Inside Linebacker | Dedrick Young |
| Inside Linebacker | Chris Weber |
| Outside Linebacker | Alex Davis |
| Cornerback | Chris Jones |
| Strong Safety | Joshua Kalu |
| Free Safety | Kieron Williams |
| Cornerback | Lamar Jackson |

### Iowa

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Iowa | 7 | 7 | 28 | 14 | 56 |
| Nebraska | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Iowa Game starters
| Position | Player |
| Quarterback | Tanner Lee |
| Running Back | Mikale Wilbon |
| Wide Receiver | Stanley Morgan |
| Wide Receiver | Keyan Williams |
| Wide Receiver | De'mornay Pierson-El |
| Tight End | Tyler Hoppes |
| Left Tackle | Branden Jaimes |
| Left Guard | Jerald Foster |
| Center | Cole Conrad |
| Right Guard | David Kneval |
| Right Tackle | Nick Gates |
| Position | Player |
| Defensive End | Carlos Davis |
| Nose Tackle | Mick Stoltenberg |
| Defensive End | Freedom Akinmoladun |
| Outside Linebacker | Marcus Newby |
| Inside Linebacker | Dedrick Young |
| Inside Linebacker | Chris Weber |
| Outside Linebacker | Alex Davis |
| Cornerback | Chris Jones |
| Strong Safety | Joshua Kalu |
| Free Safety | Aaron Williams |
| Cornerback | Lamar Jackson |

## Big Ten awards
### Player of the Week Honors

Weekly Awards :
| Player | Award | Week Awarded | Ref. |
| Ben Stille | Big Ten Freshman of the Week | Week 5 | |

### All-Conference awards

2017 Big Ten All-Conference Teams and Awards
| Media All-Big Ten |
| Position | Player | Team |
| WR | Stanley Morgan Jr. | Second Team |
| WR | JD Spielman | Third Team |
| OL | Jerald Foster | Honorable Mention |
| OL | Nick Gates | Honorable Mention |
| K | Drew Brown | Honorable Mention |
| PR | De'Mornay Pierson-El | Honorable Mention |
| KR | JD Spielman | Honorable Mention |
Coaches All-Big Ten :
| Position | Player | Team |
| WR | Stanley Morgan Jr. | Second Team |
| WR | JD Spielman | Honorable Mention |
| OL | Jerald Foster | Honorable Mention |
| OL | Nick Gates | Honorable Mention |
| K | Drew Brown | Honorable Mention |
| KR | JD Spielman | Honorable Mention |

## National awards

USA Today Freshman All-American JD Spielman
FWAA Freshman All-American JD Spielman

## Team awards

2016 Nebraska Football Team Awards
| Annual Program Awards |
| Award | Player |
| Scout Team Defensive MVP | – |
| Scout Team Offensive MVP | – |
| Scout Team Special Teams MVP | – |
| Walk-On of the Year | – |
| Most Improved Player | – |
| Newcomer of the Year | – |
| Pat Clare Award | – |
| Tom Novak Trophy | Chris Weber |
| Guy Chamberlin Trophy | Drew Brown |
| Cletus Fischer Native Son Award | Luke McNitt |
| Lunch Bucket Award | – |
| Lifter of the Year | – |
| Husker Pride Award | – |

## Players in the 2018 NFL Draft

| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
| Tanner Lee | QB | 6 | 203 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
Source:

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Coaches | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |