# 2021 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

The 2021 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska as a member of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by fourth-year head coach Scott Frost and played its games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The 2021 Nebraska Cornhuskers were the first team in Division I history to lose nine games by single digits.

## Offseason
### 2021 NFL Draft

The following players declared for the 2021 NFL draft:
| Name | Number | Position | Height | Weight | Class | Hometown |
| Dicaprio Bootle | #7 | CB | 5'10" | 195 | Senior | Miami, FL |
| Matt Farniok | #71 | OL | 6'6" | 330 | Senior | Sioux Falls, SD |
| Brenden Jaimes | #76 | OT | 6'5" | 300 | Senior | Austin, TX |
| Dedrick Mills | #26 | RB | 5'11" | 220 | Senior | Waycross, GA |
| Jack Stoll | #86 | TE | 6'4" | 260 | Senior | Lone Tree, CO |

### Transfers
#### Outgoing

| Name | Number | Position | Height | Weight | Class | Hometown | Destination |
| David Alston | #45 | LB | 6'4" | 235 | Junior | St. Paul, MN | Montana State |
| Matthew Anderson | #72 | OL | 6'6" | 255 | Sophomore | Leesville, LA | Louisiana-Lafayette |
| Jared Bubak | #80 | TE | 6'5" | 245 | Graduate | Lincoln, NE | Central Missouri |
| Niko Cooper | #32 | LB | 6'5" | 225 | Junior | Memphis, TN | Western Kentucky |
| Ronald Delancy III | #0 | CB | 5'11" | 160 | Freshman | Miami, FL | Toledo |
| Will Farniok | #68 | OL | 6'3" | 295 | Junior | Sioux Falls, SD | Tulsa |
| Marcus Fleming | #6 | WR | 5'10" | 160 | Freshman | Miami, FL | Maryland |
| Jimmy Fritzsche | #78 | OL | 6'7" | 290 | Sophomore | Greenville, SC | TBD |
| Jamin Graham | #89 | DL | 6'4" | 265 | Sophomore | Attalla, AL | Jacksonville State |
| Keem Green | #4 | DL | 6'4" | 320 | Senior | Sumter, SC | South Carolina |
| Demariyon Houston | #10 | WR | 6'0" | 180 | Sophomore | Oklahoma City, OK | Missouri |
| Austin Jablonski | #47 | WR | 6'2" | 215 | Sophomore | Lincoln, NE | Concordia (NE) |
| Luke McCaffrey | #7 | QB | 6'2" | 200 | Sophomore | Highlands Ranch, CO | Rice |
| Caden McCormack | #59 | LB | 6'0" | 235 | Sophomore | Lincoln, NE | Nebraska–Kearney |
| Jamie Nance | #3 | WR | 6'0" | 180 | Sophomore | Blanchard, OK | Utah State |
| Ryan Novosel | #32 | K | 6'0" | 160 | Freshman | Wilmette, IL | Georgetown |
| Kurt Rafdal | #82 | TE | 6'7" | 245 | Senior | Carmel, IN | Boise State |
| Wan'Dale Robinson | #1 | WR | 5'10" | 185 | Junior | Frankfort, KY | Kentucky |
| Ronald Thompkins | #25 | RB | 5'11" | 195 | Sophomore | Loganville, GA | Retired |
| Kade Warner | #81 | WR | 6'1" | 210 | Senior | Scottsdale, AZ | Kansas State |
| Boe Wilson | #56 | OL | 6'3" | 300 | Graduate | Lee's Summit, MO | Western Kentucky |
| Branson Yager | N/A | OL | 6'8" | 330 | Freshman | Grantsville, UT | TBD |

#### Incoming

| Name | Position | Height | Weight | Class | Hometown | Previous |
| Chancellor Brewington | WR | 6'3" | 185 | Junior | Chandler, AZ | Northern Arizona |
| Kyan Brumfield | DB | 6'0" | 185 | Senior | San Antonio, TX | Texas Tech |
| Brendan Franke | K | 6'3" | 235 | Sophomore | Gretna, NE | Morningside |
| Josh Jasek | K | 6'1" | 175 | Sophomore | Iowa City, IA | Iowa Western |
| Tyreke Johnson | DB | 6'1" | 190 | Junior | Jacksonville ,FL | Ohio State |
| Chris Kolarevic | LB | 6'1" | 225 | Junior | Traverse City, MI | Northern Iowa |
| Markese Stepp | RB | 6'0" | 235 | Junior | Indianapolis, IN | USC |
| Samori Toure | WR | 6'3" | 190 | Graduate | Portland, OR | Montana |

### Recruits

The Cornhuskers signed a total of 20 scholarship recruits and 20 walk-ons during national signing period.

#### Scholarship recruits

College recruiting information (2021) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Koby Bretz DB | Omaha, NE | Omaha Westside | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Aug 24, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 73 |||||||
| Ru'Quan Buckley DE | Wyoming, MI | Godwin Heights | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | Dec 6, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Marques Buford Jr. DB | DeSoto, TX | Trinity Christian School / St. Thomas More | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Jul 18, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| James Carnie TE | Roca, NE | Norris | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Oct 12, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Gabe Ervin Jr. RB | Buford, GA | Buford | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Jun 23, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Thomas Fidone II TE | Council Bluffs, IA | Lewis Central | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Aug 26, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| Mikai Gbayor LB | Irvington, NJ | Irvington | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Sep 4, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Kamonte Grimes WR | Naples, FL | Palmetto Ridge | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Aug 16, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Heinrich Haarberg QB | Kearney, NE | Kearney Catholic | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | May 9, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Shawn Hardy II WR | Kingsland, GA | Camden County | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | May 29, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Wynden Ho'ohuli LB | Mililani, HI | Mililani | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Jan 2, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 83 |||||||
| Randolph Kpai LB | Sioux Falls, SD | Sioux Falls Washington | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Jan 2, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 83 |||||||
| Henry Lutovsky OL | Crawfordsville, IA | Mount Pleasant | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 320 lb (150 kg) | Nov 17, 2019 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Seth Malcolm LB | Tabor, IA | Fremont-Mills | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Jun 6, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 73 |||||||
| Latrell Neville WR | Fresno, TX | Hightower | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Jul 4, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Teddy Prochazka OL | Omaha, NE | Elkhorn South | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | Sep 28, 2019 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| AJ Rollins TE | Omaha, NE | Creighton Prep | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Aug 28, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Jailen Weaver DL | Antioch, CA | Antioch | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 320 lb (150 kg) | Oct 31, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 74 |||||||
| Malik Williams DB | Atlanta, GA | Buford | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Jul 21, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 73 |||||||
| Branson Yager OL | Grantsville, UT | Grantsville | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 330 lb (150 kg) | Apr 27, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 19 247Sports: 24 ESPN: 39 |||||||
| 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 December 18, 2020. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 18, 2020. "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 18, 2020. |||||||

#### Walk-on recruits

College recruiting information (2021) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Michael Booker III DB | Grand Prairie, TX | South Grand Prairie | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Feb 1, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Derek Branch DB | Lincoln, NE | Lincoln Southeast | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Sep 28, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Grant Buda WR/LB | Lincoln, NE | Lincoln Southwest | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Jan 30, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Alex Bullock WR | Omaha, NE | Creighton Prep | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Nov 23, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Maddox Burton DL | Lincoln, NE | Lincoln Southeast | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 290 lb (130 kg) | Jan 30, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Blake Closman DB | Omaha, NE | Millard North | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Dec 1, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| AJ Collins DB | Omaha, NE | Creighton Prep | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Oct 31, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Sam Hoskinson OL | Omaha, NE | Elkhorn South | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | Dec 14, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| CJ Lilienkamp S | Bellevue, NE | Bellevue West | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Jan 2, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Grant Lohr RB/S | Jenks, OK | Jenks | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Feb 2, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Joey Mancino OL | Holmdel, NJ | Holmdel | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 300 lb (140 kg) | Jan 30, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Kelen Meyer PK | Ord, NE | Ord | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Oct 12, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Evan Meyersick TE | Omaha, NE | Millard West | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Nov 5, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Weston Reiman OL | Weeping Water, NE | Weeping Water | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 290 lb (130 kg) | Nov 1, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Beau Schaller OL | Waukee, IA | Waukee | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 265 lb (120 kg) | Dec 11, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Matthew Schuster RB | Cozad, NE | Cozad / Ashland-Greenwood | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Sep 29, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Jarrett Synek QB | Hastings, NE | Hastings | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Nov 18, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Taveon Thompson WR/LB | Lincoln, NE | Lincoln Southeast | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Jan 21, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Payton Weehler DB | Blockton, IA | Mount Ayr | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Nov 20, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Aiden Young RB | Omaha, NE | Elkhorn | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Nov 15, 2020 |
| Star ratings: 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: "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. |||||||

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Johnny Unitas Award | Adrian Martinez | QB | JR |
| Groza Award | Connor Culp | K | SR |
| Mackey Award | Austin Allen | TE | JR |
| Maxwell Award | Adrian Martinez | QB | JR |
| Nagurski Trophy | JoJo Domann | LB | SR |
| Rimington Trophy | Cam Jurgens | C | JR |

### Preseason Big Ten Media poll and awards

Below are the results of the preseason Big Ten media poll with total points received next to each school and first-place votes in parentheses. For the 2021 poll, Ohio State was voted as the favorite to win both the East Division and the Big Ten Championship Game. This is the 11th iteration of the preseason media poll conducted by Cleveland.com, which polls at least one credentialed media member for each Big Ten team. Only three times in the last 11 years has the media accurately predicted the Big Ten champion.
East :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Ohio State | 238 (34) |
| 2 | Penn State | 192 |
| 3 | Indiana | 169 |
| 4 | Michigan | 144 |
| 5 | Maryland | 79 |
| 6 | Rutgers | 77.5 |
| 7 | Michigan State | 52.5 |
West :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Wisconsin | 233 (29) |
| 2 | Iowa | 202 (5) |
| 3 | Northwestern | 160 |
| 4 | Minnesota | 146 |
| 5 | Nebraska | 91.5 |
| 6 | Purdue | 72.5 |
| 7 | Illinois | 47 |
Media poll (Big Ten Championship) :
| Rank | Team | Votes |
| 1 | Ohio State over Wisconsin | 28 |
| 2 | Ohio State over Iowa | 5 |
| 3 | Wisconsin over Ohio State | 1 |
Below are the results of the annual Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year awards conducted by Cleveland.com.
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year :
| Rank | Player | Position | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Chris Olave | WR | Ohio State | 58 (11) |
| 2 | Michael Penix Jr. | QB | Indiana | 44.5 (8) |
| 3 | Mohamed Ibrahim | RB | Minnesota | 36 (4) |
| 4 | Tyler Linderbaum | C | Iowa | 13 (1) |
| 5 | Garrett Wilson | WR | Ohio State | 12 (1) |
| 6 | David Bell | WR | Purdue | 10 (1) |
| 7 | C. J. Stroud | QB | Ohio State | 6 (2) |
| 7 | Jahan Dotson | WR | Penn State | 6 (1) |
| 7 | Graham Mertz | QB | Wisconsin | 6 (1) |
| 10 | Tyler Goodson | RB | Iowa | 5 (1) |
| 11 | Ty Fryfogle | WR | Indiana | 4 (1) |
| 12 | Tanner Morgan | QB | Minnesota | 3.5 (1) |
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year :
| Rank | Player | Position | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Brandon Joseph | S | Northwestern | 49 (11) |
| 2 | George Karlaftis | DE | Purdue | 33 (8) |
| 3 | Haskell Garrett | DT | Ohio State | 30.5 (5) |
| 4 | Micah McFadden | LB | Indiana | 28 (6) |
| 5 | Olakunle Fatukasi | LB | Rutgers | 18 (3) |
| 6 | Aidan Hutchinson | DE | Michigan | 11 |
| 7 | Jack Sanborn | LB | Wisconsin | 7 |
| 7 | Tiawan Mullen | CB | Indiana | 7 (1) |
| 9 | Zach Harrison | DE | Ohio State | 3.5 |
| 10 | Jaquan Brisker | S | Penn State | 3 |
| 10 | Sevyn Banks | CB | Ohio State | 3 |
| 12 | Boye Mafe | DE | Minnesota | 2 |
| 12 | Chris Bergin | LB | Northwestern | 2 |
| 12 | Cam Taylor-Britt | CB | Nebraska | 2 |
| 12 | Jake Hansen | LB | Illinois | 2 |
| 16 | JoJo Domann | S/LB | Nebraska | 1 |
| 16 | Tyshon Fogg | LB | Rutgers | 1 |
| 16 | Owen Carney | LB | Illinois | 1 |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 28 | 12:00 p.m. | at Illinois | Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL | FOX | L 22–30 | 41,064 |
| September 4 | 11:00 a.m. | Fordham* | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE | BTN | W 52–7 | 85,938 |
| September 11 | 2:30 p.m. | Buffalo* | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE | BTN | W 28–3 | 85,663 |
| September 18 | 11:00 a.m. | at No. 3 Oklahoma* | Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial StadiumNorman, OK (rivalry/Big Noon Kickoff) | FOX | L 16–23 | 84,659 |
| September 25 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 20 Michigan State | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | FS1 | L 20–23 $^{OT}$ | 70,332 |
| October 2 | 6:30 p.m. | Northwestern | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE | BTN | W 56–7 | 87,364 |
| October 9 | 6:30 p.m. | No. 9 Michigan | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE | ABC | L 29–32 | 87,380 |
| October 16 | 11:00 a.m. | at Minnesota | Huntington Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN ($5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy) | ESPN2 | L 23–30 | 45,436 |
| October 30 | 2:30 p.m. | Purdue | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE | ESPN2 | L 23–28 | 85,902 |
| November 6 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 5 Ohio State | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE | FOX | L 17–26 | 84,426 |
| November 20 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 15 Wisconsin | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI (Freedom Trophy) | ABC | L 28–35 | 67,888 |
| November 26 | 12:30 p.m. | No. 16 Iowa | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE (Heroes Game) | BTN | L 21–28 | 86,541 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 2) - Released prior to gameAll times are in Central time |||||||
* ↑ Nebraska and Illinois were originally scheduled to play at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. The game was moved back to the United States due to travel concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Big Ten released a revised conference schedule on February 5, 2021 to correct home/away matchups that were altered from the 2020 COVID-stricken season.

## Personnel
### Roster

* Due to COVID-19, the NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility to student-athletes who competed during the 2020-21 season where it would not count against a student's years of eligibility. As a result, all returning players are listed as the same class as 2020.

### Depth chart

Defense :
* FS
* Marquel Dismuke
* Myles Farmer
| NICKEL | LB | LB |
| JoJo Domann | Nick Henrich | Luke Reimer |
| Isaac Gifford | Chris Kolarevic | Garrett Snodgrass |
* SS
* Deontai Williams
* Noa Pola-Gates
* CB
* Cam Taylor-Britt
* Tyreke Johnson
* Marques Buford
| DE | DT | DT | DE |
| Garrett Nelson | Damion Daniels | Ben Stille | Caleb Tannor |
| Damian Jackson | Ty Robinson | Deontre Thomas | Pheldarius Payne |
* CB
* Quinton Newsome
* Braxton Clark
Offense :
* WR
* Omar Manning
* Levi Falck
* Wyatt Liewer
* WR
* Samori Toure
* Alante Brown
| LT | LG | C | RG | RT |
| Turner Corcoran | Nouredin Nouili | Cam Jurgens | Matt Sichterman | Bryce Benhart |
| Teddy Prochazka Brant Banks | Ethan Piper | Trent Hixson | Broc Bando | Ian Boerkircher |
* TE
* Austin Allen
* Travis Vokolek
* Chancellor Brewington Chris Hickman
* WR
* Zavier Betts
* Oliver Martin
* QB
* Adrian Martinez
* Logan Smothers
* Key reserves
* Season-ending injury Number of games played RB Gabe Ervin (4) OT Teddy Prochazka (5) ILB Will Honas (0) NB Javin Wright (0)
* Special teams
* PK Connor Culp
* P William Przystup
* KR Zavier Betts
* PR Oilver Martin
* LS Cade Mueller
* RB
* Rahmir Johnson
* Jaquez Yant
* Markese Stepp Sevion Morrison

## Game summaries
### at Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cornhuskers | 7 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 29 |
| Fighting Illini | 2 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 30 |
at Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL
* Date: August 28, 2021
* Game time: 12:20 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 94 °F (34 °C)
* Game attendance: 41,064
* Referee: John O'Neill
* TV announcers (FOX): Joe Davis (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analyst)
* Sources: huskers.com
| Statistics | NEB | ILL |
| First downs | 19 | 18 |
| Total yards | 392 | 326 |
| Rushes/yards | 39–160 | 48–167 |
| Passing yards | 232 | 159 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 16–32–0 | 15–19–0 |
| Time of possession | 25:05 | 34:55 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Nebraska | Passing | Adrian Martinez | 16/32, 232 yards, 1 TD |
| Nebraska | Rushing | Adrian Martinez | 17 carries, 111 yards, 1 TD |
| Nebraska | Receiving | Oliver Martin | 6 receptions, 103 yards, 1 TD |
| Illinois | Passing | Artur Sitkowski | 12/15, 124 yards, 2 TD |
| Illinois | Rushing | Mike Epstein | 16 carries, 75 yards, TD |
| Illinois | Receiving | Deuce Spann | 1 reception, 45 yards |

### vs Fordham

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Cornhuskers | 7 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 52 |
at Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE
* Date: September 4, 2021
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy, 68 °F (20 °C)
* Game attendance: 85,938
* Referee: Bryan Banks
* TV announcers (BTN): Mark Followill (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst), Elise Menaker (sideline)
* Sources: huskers.com
| Statistics | FORD | NEB |
| First downs | 12 | 34 |
| Total yards | 292 | 633 |
| Rushes/yards | 28–129 | 65–329 |
| Passing yards | 163 | 304 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18–30–3 | 21–30–0 |
| Time of possession | 23:39 | 35:21 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Fordham | Passing | Tim DeMorat | 17/29, 165 yards, TD, 3 INT |
| Fordham | Rushing | Trey Wilson III | 13 carries, 75 yards |
| Fordham | Receiving | DeQuece Carter | 5 receptions, 69 yards |
| Nebraska | Passing | Adrian Martinez | 17/23, 254 yards, 1 TD |
| Nebraska | Rushing | Markese Stepp | 18 carries, 101 yards |
| Nebraska | Receiving | Samori Toure | 8 receptions, 133 yards |

### vs Buffalo

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulls | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Cornhuskers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
at Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE
* Date: September 11, 2021
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 91 °F (33 °C)
* Game attendance: 85,663
* Referee: Greg Blum
* TV announcers (BTN): Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), Damon Benning (analyst), Rick Pizzo (sideline)
* Sources: huskers.com
| Statistics | BUFF | NEB |
| First downs | 19 | 19 |
| Total yards | 359 | 516 |
| Rushes/yards | 33–135 | 41–220 |
| Passing yards | 224 | 296 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 27–50–1 | 14–20–0 |
| Time of possession | 32:00 | 28:00 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Buffalo | Passing | Kyle Vantrease | 27/50, 224 yards, INT |
| Buffalo | Rushing | Kevin Marks Jr. | 21 carries, 85 yards |
| Buffalo | Receiving | Quian Williams | 8 receptions, 93 yards |
| Nebraska | Passing | Adrian Martinez | 13/19, 242 yards, 2 TD |
| Nebraska | Rushing | Adrian Martinez | 9 carries, 112 yards |
| Nebraska | Receiving | Samori Toure | 2 receptions, 136 yards, 2 TD |

### at No. 3 Oklahoma

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cornhuskers | 3 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 16 |
| No. 3 Sooners | 7 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 23 |
at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK
* Date: September 18, 2021
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 84 °F (29 °C)
* Game attendance: 84,659
* Referee: Reggie Smith
* TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst), Jenny Taft (sideline)
* Sources: huskers.com
| Statistics | NEB | OKLA |
| First downs | 18 | 21 |
| Total yards | 384 | 408 |
| Rushes/yards | 38–95 | 35–194 |
| Passing yards | 289 | 214 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 19–25–1 | 24–34–0 |
| Time of possession | 29:10 | 30:50 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Nebraska | Passing | Adrian Martinez | 19/25, 289 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Nebraska | Rushing | Rahmir Johnson | 11 carries, 42 yards |
| Nebraska | Receiving | Zavier Betts | 6 receptions, 31 yards |
| Oklahoma | Passing | Spencer Rattler | 24/34, 214 yards, TD |
| Oklahoma | Rushing | Eric Gray | 15 carries, 84 yards |
| Oklahoma | Receiving | Jadon Haselwood | 6 receptions, 61 yards |

### at No. 20 Michigan State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Cornhuskers | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| No. 20 Spartans | 0 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
at Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI
* Date: September 25, 2021
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Sunny, 60 °F (16 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,332
* Referee: Jeffrey Servinski
* TV announcers (FS1): Aaron Goldsmith (play-by-play), Mark Helfrich (analyst)
* Sources: huskers.com
| Statistics | NEB | MSU |
| First downs | 26 | 12 |
| Total yards | 442 | 254 |
| Rushes/yards | 50–194 | 30–71 |
| Passing yards | 248 | 183 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 25–36–1 | 14–23–1 |
| Time of possession | 37:28 | 22:32 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Nebraska | Passing | Adrian Martinez | 24/34, 244 yards, INT |
| Nebraska | Rushing | Rahmir Johnson | 19 carries, 76 yards |
| Nebraska | Receiving | Zavier Betts | 5 receptions, 62 yards |
| Michigan State | Passing | Payton Thorne | 14/23, 183 yards, TD, INT |
| Michigan State | Rushing | Kenneth Walker III | 19 carries, 61 yards |
| Michigan State | Receiving | Tre Mosley | 6 receptions, 70 yards |

### vs Northwestern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Cornhuskers | 21 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 56 |
at Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE
* Date: October 2, 2021
* Game time: 6:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy, 67 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 87,364
* Referee: Larry Smith
* TV announcers (BTN): Cory Provus (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst), Elise Menaker (sideline)
* Sources: huskers.com
| Statistics | NW | NEB |
| First downs | 17 | 28 |
| Total yards | 293 | 657 |
| Rushes/yards | 26–37 | 53–427 |
| Passing yards | 256 | 230 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 25–40–0 | 15–21–0 |
| Time of possession | 25:55 | 34:05 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Northwestern | Passing | Ryan Hilinski | 29/35, 256 yards, TD |
| Northwestern | Rushing | Evan Hull | 7 carries, 31 yards |
| Northwestern | Receiving | Stephon Robinson Jr. | 8 receptions, 116 yards, TD |
| Nebraska | Passing | Adrian Martinez | 11/17, 202 yards, 1 TD |
| Nebraska | Rushing | Jaquez Yant | 13 carries, 127 yards |
| Nebraska | Receiving | Samori Toure | 2 receptions, 108 yards, 1 TD |

### vs No. 9 Michigan

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 9 Wolverines | 0 | 13 | 6 | 13 | 32 |
| Cornhuskers | 0 | 0 | 22 | 7 | 29 |
at Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE
* Date: October 9, 2021
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 94 °F (34 °C)
* Game attendance: 87,380
* Referee: Reggie Smith
* TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), Molly McGrath (sideline)
* Sources: huskers.com
| Statistics | MICH | NEB |
| First downs | 26 | 19 |
| Total yards | 459 | 431 |
| Rushes/yards | 42–204 | 32–140 |
| Passing yards | 255 | 291 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 22–39–1 | 18–28–1 |
| Time of possession | 34:24 | 25:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Michigan | Passing | Cade McNamara | 22/38, 255 yards, 3 TD |
| Michigan | Rushing | Hassan Haskins | 21 carries, 123 yards, 2 TD |
| Michigan | Receiving | Daylen Baldwin | 6 receptions, 64 yards |
| Nebraska | Passing | Adrian Martinez | 18/28, 291 yards, 3 TD |
| Nebraska | Rushing | Rahmir Johnson | 17 carries, 67 yards |
| Nebraska | Receiving | Rahmir Johnson | 6 receptions, 105 yards, 1 TD |

### at Minnesota

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cornhuskers | 3 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 23 |
| Golden Gophers | 7 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 30 |
at Huntington Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN
* Date: October 16, 2021
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 51 °F (11 °C)
* Game attendance: 45,436
* Referee: Ron Snodgross
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Brian Custer (play-by-play), Kelly Stouffer (analyst), Lauren Sisler (sideline)
* Sources: huskers.com
| Statistics | NEB | MINN |
| First downs | 19 | 22 |
| Total yards | 377 | 396 |
| Rushes/yards | 31–136 | 43–182 |
| Passing yards | 241 | 214 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18–33–0 | 21–25–2 |
| Time of possession | 21:59 | 38:01 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Nebraska | Passing | Adrian Martinez | 18/33, 241 yards, 1 TD |
| Nebraska | Rushing | Rahmir Johnson | 11 carries, 83 yards, 2 TD |
| Nebraska | Receiving | Austin Allen | 5 receptions, 121 yards, 1 TD |
| Minnesota | Passing | Tanner Morgan | 20/24, 209 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Minnesota | Rushing | Bryce Williams | 17 carries, 127 yards, TD |
| Minnesota | Receiving | Chris Autman-Bell | 11 receptions, 103 yards, TD |

### vs Purdue

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Boilermakers | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Cornhuskers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 23 |
at Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE
* Date: October 30, 2021
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 66 °F (19 °C)
* Game attendance: 85,902
* Referee: John O'Neill
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Kelly Stouffer (analyst), Lauren Sisler (sideline)
* Sources: huskers.com
| Statistics | PUR | NEB |
| First downs | 23 | 19 |
| Total yards | 349 | 399 |
| Rushes/yards | 41–116 | 29–130 |
| Passing yards | 233 | 269 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 34–45–0 | 14–29–4 |
| Time of possession | 38:38 | 21:22 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Purdue | Passing | Aidan O'Connell | 34/45, 233 yards, 2 TD |
| Purdue | Rushing | King Doerue | 17 carries, 74 yards |
| Purdue | Receiving | David Bell | 9 receptions, 74 yards |
| Nebraska | Passing | Adrian Martinez | 14/29, 269 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT |
| Nebraska | Rushing | Jaquez Yant | 6 carries, 60 yards |
| Nebraska | Receiving | Omar Manning | 4 receptions, 75 yards, 1 TD |

### vs No. 5 Ohio State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 5 Buckeyes | 0 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 26 |
| Cornhuskers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE
* Date: November 6, 2021
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 50 °F (10 °C)
* Game attendance: 84,426
* Referee: Michael Cannon
* TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst), Jenny Taft (sideline)
* Sources: huskers.com
| Statistics | OSU | NEB |
| First downs | 25 | 18 |
| Total yards | 495 | 361 |
| Rushes/yards | 30–90 | 34–113 |
| Passing yards | 405 | 248 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 36–54–2 | 16–31–1 |
| Time of possession | 33:52 | 26:08 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Ohio State | Passing | C. J. Stroud | 36/54, 405 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Ohio State | Rushing | TreVeyon Henderson | 21 carries, 92 yards |
| Ohio State | Receiving | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 15 receptions, 240 yards, TD |
| Nebraska | Passing | Adrian Martinez | 16/31, 248 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Nebraska | Rushing | Rahmir Johnson | 16 carries, 62 yards |
| Nebraska | Receiving | Samori Toure | 4 receptions, 150 yards, 1 TD |

### at No. 15 Wisconsin

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cornhuskers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| No. 15 Badgers | 14 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
at Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI
* Date: November 20, 2021
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Cloudy, 47 °F (8 °C); Wind at W 7 MPH
* Game attendance: 67,888
* Referee: Jerry McGinn
* TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), Tom Luginbill (sideline)
* Sources: huskers.com
| Statistics | NEB | WISC |
| First downs | 22 | 15 |
| Total yards | 452 | 397 |
| Rushes/yards | 35–101 | 31–252 |
| Passing yards | 351 | 145 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 23–35–2 | 12–18–0 |
| Time of possession | 33:17 | 26:43 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Nebraska | Passing | Adrian Martinez | 23/35, 351 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| Nebraska | Rushing | Brody Belt | 7 carries, 31 yards |
| Nebraska | Receiving | Austin Allen | 7 receptions, 143 yards |
| Wisconsin | Passing | Graham Mertz | 12/18, 145 yards, TD |
| Wisconsin | Rushing | Braelon Allen | 22 carries, 228 yards, 3 TD |
| Wisconsin | Receiving | Jake Ferguson | 8 receptions, 92 yards |

### vs No. 17 Iowa

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 17 Hawkeyes | 0 | 3 | 6 | 19 | 28 |
| Cornhuskers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
at Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE
* Date: November 26, 2021
* Game time: 12:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 57 °F (14 °C)
* Game attendance: 86,541
* Referee: Mark Kluczynski
* TV announcers (BTN): Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), James Laurinaitis (analyst), Rick Pizzo (sideline)
* Sources: huskers.com
| Statistics | IOWA | NEB |
| First downs | 19 | 18 |
| Total yards | 364 | 327 |
| Rushes/yards | 37–186 | 43–129 |
| Passing yards | 178 | 198 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 13–27–0 | 16–22–1 |
| Time of possession | 31:53 | 28:07 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Iowa | Passing | Spencer Petras | 7/13, 102 yards |
| Iowa | Rushing | Tyler Goodson | 23 carries, 156 yards |
| Iowa | Receiving | Sam LaPorta | 3 receptions, 61 yards |
| Nebraska | Passing | Logan Smothers | 16/22, 198 yards, INT |
| Nebraska | Rushing | Logan Smothers | 24 carries, 64 yards, 2 TD |
| Nebraska | Receiving | Samori Toure | 6 receptions, 67 yards |

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

Weekly Awards :
| Player | Award | Week Awarded | Ref. |
| Luke Reimer | Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week | Week 2 | |
| JoJo Domann | Big Ten Co-defensive Player of the Week | Week 5 | |

### All-Conference awards

2021 Big Ten Offense All-Conference Teams and Awards
Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year :
| Position | Player |
| TE | Austin Allen |
Coaches All-Big Ten :
| Position | Player | Team |
| TE | Austin Allen | Second Team |
| LB | JoJo Domann | Second Team |
| DB | Cam Taylor-Britt | Second Team |
| C | Cam Jurgens | Third Team |
| DL | Damion Daniels | Honorable Mention |
| QB | Adrian Martinez | Honorable Mention |
| DL | Ben Stille | Honorable Mention |
| LB | Luke Reimer | Honorable Mention |
| DB | Marquel Dismuke | Honorable Mention |
| DB | Deontai Williams | Honorable Mention |
| Media All-Big Ten |
| Position | Player | Team |
| TE | Austin Allen | First Team |
| DB | Cam Taylor-Britt | Second Team |
| LB | JoJo Domann | Third Team |
| WR | Samori Toure | Honorable Mention |
| C | Cam Jurgens | Honorable Mention |
| DL | Damion Daniels | Honorable Mention |
| DL | Ben Stille | Honorable Mention |
| LB | Luke Reimer | Honorable Mention |
| DB | Deontai Williams | Honorable Mention |

## National awards
### All-America awards

Associated Press All-America Team :
| Position | Player | Team |
| DB | JoJo Domann | Second Team |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
| 2 | 51 | Cam Jurgens | C | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2 | 60 | Cam Taylor-Britt | CB | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 7 | 258 | Samori Toure | WR | Green Bay Packers |
Source: