Dave Feit's Reasons for Optimism on Nebraska Football's Prospects for 2026

Dave Feit’s “reasons for optimism” for Nebraska’s 2026 prospects centers on improvement opportunities after a defensive drop-off late in 2025. He points out that last year’s Blackshirts finished third in the nation in passing yards allowed (154.1 per game), but from Week 4 onward opponents stopped needing to throw to beat Nebraska and the Huskers went 4-6. Feit compares run defense trends: 2024 allowed 3.4 yards per attempt and 101.2 rushing yards per game, versus 2025’s 4.8 yards per attempt and 175.4 per game. He attributes part of the decline to Nebraska’s defensive line performance and criticizes the Terry Bradden coaching experiment.