Nebraska Fall Camp Preview for 2025: Wide receivers
Matt Rhule’s third fall football camp at Nebraska is right around the corner. The HuskerOnline team dives into what to expect from the Huskers with our position-by-position fall camp previews.
Today, we zone in on the team’s wide receivers as the Huskers prepare to open up fall camp later this month.
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What we know right now: Nebraska invested heavily in the wideout position
Nebraska must take full advantage of quarterback Dylan Raiola, a uniquely gifted passer. That constantly has to be prominent in the minds of the Husker coaching staff.
It clearly was on their minds during the offseason, as the Nebraska staff invested significantly in acquiring Dane Key and Nyziah Hunter from the transfer portal. If you’re a Husker fan, you hope they can consistently win against man-to-man coverage, an area where NU receivers often struggled in 2024.
In terms of roster retention, Nebraska made a significant commitment to retain 2024 starter Jacory Barney, who made 55 catches for 447 yards (8.1 ypc). The fleet and leather-tough Barney (6-0, 170) is working on making more plays down field. He’s also poised to be a mainstay on special teams.
In terms of incoming freshmen, a player the caliber of Cortez Mills doesn’t come cheaply. Plus, don’t forget Jeremiah Jones, who arrived on campus earlier this summer. He makes an immediate impression with his 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame. He has the coaches’ attention, that’s for sure.
Bottom line, Raiola has some material with which to work.
Key stats and numbers from 2024
The key stat of them all offensively: Nebraska averaged only 23.5 points, which was 103rd nationally.
That won’t cut it.
Barney didn’t catch a touchdown pass. Look for that to change quickly.
Along those lines, Nebraska hasn’t thrown for double-digit touchdowns inside the opponents’ 20-yard line since 2017 (Raiola threw for nine last year). The nation’s top teams usually average about 15 per season, according to Lindy’s college football preview.
Key surely will be, well, a key in any offensive discussion. In his three years as a Kentucky Wildcat, the 6-3, 210-pounder played in 38 games with 35 starts, catching 126 passes for 1,870 yards and 14 touchdowns. In 2024, at the end of his UK run, Key ranked fifth on the school’s all-time receptions list and 13th in career receiving yards.
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Biggest question: What’s a realistic expectation for Cortez Mills?
As you assess the totality of Nebraska’s receiver group, it’s difficult to imagine Mills being outside the rotation.
It’s fairly easy to imagine him starting games, come to think of it.
What exactly should we expect from the 6-foot, 180-pounder from Homestead, Florida?
One of the most dynamic prep receivers in the country, Mills earned a spot in the 2025 Navy All-American Bowl as a high school All-American.
A four-year varsity player, Mills helped Homestead High School to back-to-back state finals as a sophomore and junior. Mills was limited to five games as a senior, but he still posted 466 receiving yards and six touchdowns. In his junior season, he caught 79 passes for 1,640 yards and 18 touchdowns, averaging more than 20 yards per catch. He was a Miami Herald All-Dade County selection as a junior.
Mills also helped Homestead to a state final as a sophomore when he scored more than 10 touchdowns.
A four-star recruit, Mills was a consensus choice as one of the top 25 wide receivers in the country.
Projected fall camp WR depth chart:
Top group: Dane Key (sr.), Nyziah Hunter (so.), Jacory Barney (so.), Cortez Mills (fr.), Janiran Bonner (jr.).
Others to watch: Quinn Clark (rfr.), Keelan Smith (rfr.), Jeremiah Jones (fr.), Jaidyn Doss (so.), Demitrius Bell (so.), Roman Mangini (jr.).
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