Top 40 Huskers for 2023: 11-15

With Nebraska football’s 2023 season around the corner, the HuskerOnline team voted on the top 40 Huskers for Matt Rhule’s first season.

The voting criteria was to rank the players based on importance to the team, overall talent and future potential for the upcoming season. Our voters focused specifically on the 2023 season, not future seasons or a player’s long-term importance or future talent.

The voting panel consisted of HuskerOnline Publisher Sean Callahan, columnist Steven Sipple, senior writer Robin Washut and staff writer Abby Barmore. Each voter submitted their own Top 40 list from which the votes were tallied.

Next up are the top 11-15 Husker players. From linemen to skill positions, this next grouping has a wide variety of impact athletes.

RELATED: 40-36 | 35-31 | 30-26 | 25-21 | 20-16 |

15. Isaac Gifford, DB, Jr.

Sean	Sipple	Robin	Abby
19th	19th	19th	13th

After 10 starts as Nebraska’s primary nickel corner and two more at safety in 2022, Isaac Gifford is ready to tackle a new role.

The Lincoln Southeast product will be the “rover” within Tony White’s 3-3-5 defense this season. Gifford described his new spot as a position that frees the player up to make a lot of plays when accompanied by a solid understanding of both sides of the football.

Gifford’s experience as a nickel and safety translates to the rover role. He’ll play in the box this year as he did last. The sophomore was incredibly productive a season ago. Gifford racked up 70 tackles including five for a loss, a sack and three pass breakups.

That statistical output carried over into the spring game. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Gifford led the Red squad in tackles making seven tackles along with a tackle for a loss.

In 2023, Gifford figures to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Luke Gifford as another key cog in the Blackshirt defense.

14. Gabe Ervin Jr., RB, Soph.

Sean	Sipple	Robin	Abby
13th	15th	9th	20th

Nebraska’s running-back room is deep once again. Anthony Grant returns after leading the team in rushing yards last season. Plus, Rahmir Johnson and Emmett Johnson each drew positive comments during the past few months. There’s one specific back who had a standout spring above the rest.

His name is Gabe Ervin.

High praise from Rhule and others resulted in a starting nod for the spring game. There, the 6-foot, 215-pound Ervin scored the game’s first touchdown and totaled 20 rushing yards on eight carries.

Ervin ran for 94 yards on 20 carries in 2022. He played in eight games while an injury kept him out of four contests during the middle of the season. The rise of Ajay Allen pushed Ervin down the depth chart early on, too.

But now, Allen has transferred away to Miami.

That leaves the door open for Ervin to push for the starting job two years removed from a knee injury that sidelined him for the majority of the 2021 campaign. Ervin said this spring he’s beginning to feel like his high-school self in terms of his health.

That’s good news for Nebraska and Grant, who desperately needed a backfield partner after Allen went down with a season-ending injury last year.

13. Marcus Washington, WR, Sr.

Sean	Sipple	Robin	Abby
11th	13th	12th	19th

Marcus Washington was a dependable second option in the passing game last season. He appeared in every game with 10 starts while accumulating 471 receiving yards on 31 catches. Each mark set a new career high and ranked second on the team to Trey Palmer.

The senior from St. Louis, Missouri will likely play second fiddle again in 2023.

This time it’s to another transfer in Billy Kemp IV who projects as a much different type of receiver than Palmer. The 5-foot-9 Kemp is more of an interior option than an outside burner like Palmer.

However forecasts aside, Washington had the edge in the yardage department during the spring game. Kemp hauled in two catches for 39 yards compared to Washington’s three passes of 42 yards.

Nebraska needs a wideout to produce beside Kemp and Washington looks like a strong No. 2 with room for more growth in his senior year.

12. Nash Hutmacher, DL, Jr.

Sean	Sipple	Robin	Abby
18th	11th	16th	6th

Interior line depth is a question mark for the 2023 Huskers. Ty Robinson is a known quantity but many of Nebraska’s other pieces in that room are relative unknowns after the departure of Stephon Wynn in late April.

Nash Hutmacher is one of three upperclassmen defensive linemen on the Huskers’ roster. Only he and Robinson have any amount of significant playing experience. Hutmacher played in every game for Nebraska last year and started twice. In that time, he made 15 stops including a half tackle for a loss.

While Robinson will serve as the unit’s primary leader, the Huskers will need the 6-foot-4, 330-pound junior to help guide a youthful room.

The “Polar Bear” used a meaty paw in the spring game to record his only stat, a pass breakup. Hutmacher’s star has risen significantly over the past year. There’s a strong demand for a dependable lineman to join Robinson in the middle.

11. Teddy Prochazka, OL, Soph.

Sean	Sipple	Robin	Abby
15th	4th	13th	15th

Teddy Prochazka will be good to go in the fall. Music to Husker fan’s ears.

While the sophomore didn’t compete during the spring game, he told the media that he’ll be back in the game by fall camp. Prochazka has played eight games in the past two seasons before a knee injury (2021) and shoulder injury (2022) ended each campaign.

A full year with the 6-foot-10, 320-pounder would be an obvious boost for Nebraska’s offensive line. The Huskers struggled at the offensive tackle spot a year ago. Prochazka’s return allows Turner Corcoran to return to the inside of the line and gives support and depth behind Bryce Benhart on the other side. Each lineman is a previous entrant in the Top 40 Huskers list.

Prochazka has spent much of the spring coaching his teammates from the sidelines which he said has helped him raise his own standards. It’s critical that the Elkhorn South product remains healthy throughout the season for the Nebraska offensive line to be at its best.

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