Insights from Nebraska football’s post-graduate camp

After hosting specialist and high school camps over the weekend, Husker coaches returned to the Hawks Championship Center on Monday for a post-graduate event. More than 50 recent high school graduates, transfers and junior college players worked out in front of NU coaches hoping to earn an opportunity with the team.

Coaches from Peru State and Midland also took in the event, chatting with head coach Matt Rhule as participants went through initial measurements in the Nebraska weight room. The setup mirrored that of NU’s other camps this June, with that first step followed by testing in the broad jump and 40-yard dash.

A large group of coaches placed themselves at midfield, the finish line for the 40-yard dash, holding stopwatches. Defensive coordinator Tony White and running backs coach EJ Barthel moved almost in unison as they extended their arm to begin the timer, then pivoted to the finish line awaiting the runner.

Rhule was involved in the action, too, timing participants as defensive back Koby Bretz recorded the times and offensive line coach Donovan Raiola watched on nearby.

Many current Huskers helped organize the participants and manned the drills during the two-hour camp. Quarterback Dylan Raiola made a brief appearance, tossing a football with defensive backs coach Evan Cooper off to the side.

During a break in the action, as campers stretched, punter Brian Buschini and linebacker Danny Pasko entertained themselves by playing a creative game of catch. The players skipped a football off the turf field as though they were baseball players, trying other creative underhand throws as they carried on.

Nebraska coaches hope to identify any promising walk-on or scholarship candidates out of the event in the coming days. James Williams’ camp performance at the same event last summer led to the defensive lineman making the Nebraska football roster and then appearing in four games last season.

Next up in Nebraska’s camp schedule is a fullback camp on Tuesday and a second Friday Night Lights camp this week. While NU coaches have extended many 2026 offers in the aftermath of their first FNL camp, they were selective when approaching the upcoming 2025 class.

Just two 2025 recruits, Gilbert (Iowa) linebacker Will Hawthorne and Columbus (Ohio) Beechcroft cornerback Tyrell Russell, earned offers following their camp performances last week.

A 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker recruit who is a three-star prospect according to 247Sports, Hawthorne was an all-state selection after recording 63 tackles and 4 1/2 sacks as a junior. Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State are the other schools leading his recruitment thus far.

Russell, who is an unranked prospect on all major recruiting services, has the track and field speed that often catches the eye of Nebraska coaches. Russell set a school record by running a 10.55-second 100-meter race this spring, also running the 200-meter race in 21.44 seconds. The 5-11, 175-pound recruit also holds offers from Akron, Marshall and Toledo.