Locked On Nebraska - Daily Podcast on the Nebraska Cornhuskers

Big Ten powers gear up for a season of high stakes and sky-high expectations. Oregon’s fans are asking: Is this finally the year Dan Lanning leads the Ducks to a national championship? Ohio State faces questions about the Arthur Smith-led offense and Ryan Day’s fourth-quarter strategy, while USC and Washington both eye playoff runs amidst roster shakeups and the spotlight on Demond Williams’ development. The Big 10 Squad breaks down the top moments from the past decade, celebrate the network’s 10-year anniversary, and debate the biggest 2026 storylines for each program. From Chip Kelly’s bold play-calling and Jack Sawyer’s breakout performances for the Buckeyes to Washington’s Pac-12 dominance and USC’s championship-or-bust mentality, this conversation tackles coaching philosophies, high-impact transfers, and the relentless drive for a Big Ten crown.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’re getting funky on this Friday in the Nebraska mailbag. A late-arriving email asked this question: What if Nebraska had hired Kirk Ferentz in the late ‘90s? Isn’t he everything in a coach that the Huskers valued in a post-Tom Osborne world? Well, yes. And no. We explain. 

Has Nebraska high school football ever seen the hype that Trae Taylor is set to deliver this spring? Does the Nebraska offense have a “go to?” Now that Brendan Sorsby is gone from Texas Tech, will Nebraska still refuse to schedule the Red Raiders? We’ve got more talk about the Nebraska basketball re-seat and the 2025 College Basketball Crown, of all things. And we offer some final bits of speculation on the announcement coming Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Join us.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The 19th and latest commitment for Nebraska football in the 2027 recruiting class gives the Huskers four in the defensive backfield. All are four-star prospects, a first for Nebraska in one class. We take a historical look at the best groups in the secondary ever to sign with Nebraska – and compare those classes to the work that Addison Williams and the Huskers’ recruiting staff are doing this year.

Also, you can see Trae Taylor in a 7-on-7 tournament this week before his official visit to Lincoln. Nebraska basketball is planning a dreaded re-seat of Pinnacle Bank Arena after the 2026-27 season. Nebraska volleyball, as usual, scored very big at the start of recruiting season. And we look at the CWS finals. What does it mean for Nebraska baseball and comparable programs that Oklahoma rolled to the championship series after starting the NCAA postseason as an afterthought? Join us. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s a special Tuesday for us at the Locked On Nebraska podcast. We’re celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Locked On Podcast Network with an episode that feels appropriate for mid-June – just as the heat starts to build ahead of training camp and Big Ten media days next month.

We are counting down 10 topics that are sure to move the meter in 2026, 10 issues for Matt Rhule’s Nebraska football program that will keep fans and media talking throughout the season ahead. What’s No. 1? Join us for the full countdown. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What day is it? We’re back to start another week, weary but full of excitement after the opening weekend of the College World Series and all kinds of excitement in the sporting world,  nationally and locally. Nebraska football picked up two more commitments, including a flip. There was a flavor of barbeque with the latest additions. Another big weekend of visits on campus awaits. What can Matt Rhule and the Huskers still accomplish in June? 

We are remembering George Darlington, the 30-year Nebraska football assistant who passed away on Sunday. Darlington was one of a kind, in his coaching style and with his connection to the Huskers – even long after his 2002 retirement. Finally, we review the weekend of Savannah Bananas baseball at Memorial Stadium, CWS traffic patterns and food possibilities. Join us. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’re here on this glorious College World Series Friday to answer your questions in a mailbag episode. We start with deep thoughts about the proliferation of gambling and its impact on sports as college football grapples with the Brendan Sorsby issue at Texas Tech. Are we part of the problem?

What if you could pick the teams for Nebraska’s new, make-believe conference? If the Huskers are doing everything right in NIL, how do things look when a program does it wrong? Could Nebraska have altered the course of its recent football history just by winning a few of the one-score games that it lost over the past decade against ranked opponents? Lots to ponder today. Join us.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Big Ten powers rally against Texas Tech over Brendan Sorsby’s controversial eligibility fight. As the Red Raiders attempt to play Sorsby despite NCAA regulations, Big Ten schools refuse all non-conference competition, igniting a heated debate about integrity, NIL chaos, and the role of judges in college football. Is this a Texas Tech scandal, an NCAA crisis, or a sign the sport is spinning out of control? The Locked On Big Ten Squad breaks down why Sorsby’s 9,000 betting violations set off a conference-wide backlash, if conferences—not the NCAA—hold the real power, and how coaches like Joey McGuire are stoking national outrage. Can streamlining rules, stricter enforcement, or a new governing body save the sport? Plus, get bold predictions as FanDuel sets Minnesota’s win total at 6.5—will the Golden Gophers beat expectations this season?

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Big movement on Wednesday in recruiting rankings. Nebraska commitment Trae Taylor jumped to the No. 1 spot among quarterbacks on the 247 Sports list. That’s a big deal. He’s a big deal. The Chicago-area transplant, gearing up for his senior season at Millard South in Omaha, now possesses an even greater opportunity to affect the Huskers’ recruiting class for 2027.

We discuss Taylor’s jump and look more deeply at his class of recruits. What do the Huskers still need? Where have they scored? And who’s coming into town on this second weekend of June? Also, Matt Rhule is promising that Nebraska will announce something “really special” at its Boneyard Bash on June 20. What could it be? Join us as we recklessly speculate.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The shift underway at Nebraska in this offseason is perhaps more dramatic than it at first appeared. In addition to swapping out two coordinators and a quarterback whose styles lend to altered systems, Matt Rhule’s messaging is different in 2026. His coaching staff has a new vibe.

The first weekend in June left no doubt that Rhule is building the Nebraska roster in a new way — doubling down in areas that Geep Wade and Addison Williams find fruitful. We step back and look at the big picture while considering the stakes in 2026 for the fourth-year coach and his team. Nebraska basketball is scheduling more aggressively as Fred Hoiberg adds a nonconference game in Chicago. And the Nebraska baseball offseason roster shuffle has begun. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After an unscheduled bye, we’re back on this Tuesday to review the first big recruiting push of summer for Nebraska football. Five commits? That’ll do. But what about Ahmad Hudson, the five-star tight end out of Louisiana who committed in the spring to LSU? It seems that he’s back in play for Nebraska. Either that or he’s playing the Huskers. Regardless, Nebraska will take the publicity and work to run with it.

Elsewhere, Brendan Sorsby and Texas Tech are doing their best to ruin college sports. Nebraska has vowed not to compete against the Red Raiders in any sport after a judge in Lubbock handed the QB an injunction that makes him eligible in 2026 despite his sports gambling issues. This story has all kinds of relevance for Nebraska. We finish with a little talk about the College World Series, set to begin Friday in our backyard. Join us.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.