Nebraska Football Roster
Meet the 2026 Husker Players
Check out the complete Nebraska Football Roster for the 2026 season. See all the star players, new additions, and the full team lineup in one place. Find out who’s ready to lead the Husker to victory this season!
Nebraska Football Roster for 2026
Javin Wright
Player Bio
Javin Wright is a senior linebacker for Nebraska from Chandler, Arizona. Standing 6-5 and weighing 230 pounds, he’s known for his strength and leadership. In 2025, he leads the team with 51 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. Wright has earned honors like the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award and multiple citizenship team recognitions. A former standout at Hamilton High School, he chose Nebraska over several top programs. His father, Toby Wright, played for Nebraska and in the NFL. Javin is admired for his hard work, community service, and consistency on and off the field.
Ceyair Wright
Player Bio
Ceyair Wright is a senior defensive back for Nebraska from Los Angeles, California. Standing 6 feet tall and weighing 190 pounds, he is known for his speed, coverage skills, and leadership. In 2025, he has played in every game, recording six tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, and four pass breakups. He was named a Midseason Second-Team All-American by The Athletic. Before joining Nebraska, he played at USC and starred at Loyola High School. Off the field, he’s a film and TV actor, appearing in Space Jam: A New Legacy and Grown-ish. Wright is also a Nebraska Scholar-Athlete.
Jacory Barney Jr.
Player Bio
Jacory Barney Jr. is a sophomore wide receiver for Nebraska from Florida City, Florida. Standing 6 feet tall and weighing 170 pounds, he’s known for his speed, agility, and playmaking skills. In 2025, he leads Nebraska in punt return yards and is tied for the team lead with three receiving touchdowns. As a freshman, he caught 55 passes—tying the school record for most by a freshman—and earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. A former standout at Miami Palmetto High School, Barney is a two-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete and one of the team’s rising offensive stars.
Marques Buford Jr.
Player Bio
Marques Buford Jr. is a senior defensive back for Nebraska from Chicago, Illinois. Standing 5-11 and weighing 190 pounds, he’s known for his toughness, discipline, and football IQ. In 2025, he has played in every game, making 14 tackles as part of a top-ranked Nebraska secondary. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Buford is also an eight-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete and a member of both the Brook Berringer and Tom Osborne Citizenship Teams. Before Nebraska, he starred at Trinity Christian High School in Texas and St. Thomas More Prep. Buford earned his degree in child, youth, and family studies in 2024.
Janiran Bonner
Player Bio
Janiran Bonner is a junior wide receiver for Nebraska from Ellenwood, Georgia. Standing 6-2 and weighing 225 pounds, he’s known for his strength, versatility, and consistency. In 2025, Bonner appeared in one game before a season-ending injury, recording a four-yard catch and two carries for four yards against Cincinnati. As a sophomore, he played all 13 games, posting 11 receptions for 67 yards and two total touchdowns. A former four-star recruit from Cedar Grove High School, Bonner helped his team win three Georgia state titles. Off the field, he’s a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a Nebraska Scholar-Athlete majoring in human development and family science.
Riley Van Poppel
Player Bio
Riley Van Poppel is a sophomore defensive lineman for Nebraska from Argyle, Texas. At 6-5 and 295 pounds, he’s known for his strength, quickness, and disruptive presence on the defensive front. In 2025, Van Poppel has played in every game, recording six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, a forced fumble, and a blocked field goal. A former four-star recruit from Argyle High School, he totaled 19 sacks and 37 tackles for loss in his prep career. Off the field, he’s an Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Tom Osborne Citizenship Team member, and management major. His father, Todd Van Poppel, pitched 11 years in Major League Baseball.
Dane Key
Player Bio
Dane Key is a senior wide receiver for Nebraska from Lexington, Kentucky. At 6-3 and 210 pounds, he’s a dynamic playmaker known for his reliable hands and clutch performances. In 2025, Key has started every game, tying for the team lead with four touchdown catches and ranking third with 269 receiving yards. A transfer from Kentucky, he totaled 126 receptions, 1,870 yards, and 14 touchdowns in three seasons as a Wildcat. A former four-star recruit and Paul Hornung Award winner, Key was Kentucky’s top receiver in 2024. Off the field, he’s a Nebraska Scholar-Athlete majoring in child, youth, and family studies.
Malcolm Hartzog Jr.
Player Bio
Malcolm Hartzog Jr. is a senior defensive back for Nebraska from Silver Creek, Mississippi. At 5-9 and 185 pounds, he’s a tough, versatile defender known for his instincts, ball skills, and ability to make plays in crucial moments. In 2025, Hartzog started the first two games before undergoing season-ending surgery, recording one tackle, one pass breakup, and one interception in that span. A key transfer-era leader and returning starter, he earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors in 2024 after leading the Huskers with four interceptions and adding 45 tackles and four pass breakups. A former Class 3A Mr. Football and Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Game MVP, Hartzog was Nebraska’s Male Freshman Athlete of the Year in 2022–23. Off the field, he’s a five-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete majoring in child, youth, and family studies.
DeShon Singleton
Player Bio
DeShon Singleton is a senior defensive back for Nebraska from Greensburg, Louisiana. At 6-3 and 210 pounds, he’s a physical, hard-hitting safety known for his leadership, range, and ability to change games with big plays. In 2025, Singleton has started every game, leading Nebraska with two interceptions and ranking third on the team with 45 tackles, two pass breakups, and a fumble recovery. He earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and Shrine Bowl Defensive Breakout Player of the Week honors after a two-interception performance against Michigan State. A reliable veteran presence, Singleton started all 13 games in 2024, posting a career-high 71 tackles, three pass breakups, one interception, and a fumble recovery after returning from injury. Before Nebraska, he starred at Hutchinson Community College and St. Helena High School in Louisiana, where he played both quarterback and safety. Off the field, Singleton is a five-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete and member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team, majoring in child, youth, and family studies.
Vincent Shavers Jr.
Player Bio
Vincent Shavers Jr. is a sophomore linebacker for Nebraska from Miami, Florida. At 6-1 and 225 pounds, he’s an explosive, high-motor defender known for his speed, instincts, and ability to disrupt plays behind the line of scrimmage. In 2025, Shavers has played in every game with eight starts, recording 38 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble — ranking second on the team in TFLs. A breakout performer, he had a career-high nine tackles and two tackles for loss against Michigan State and added a 10-yard sack versus USC. As a true freshman in 2024, Shavers appeared in all 13 games with two starts, finishing with 25 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, one sack, and a forced fumble while being rated by PFF College as the nation’s highest-graded true freshman linebacker. A former four-star recruit from Miami Central High School, he totaled over 170 tackles, 30 TFLs, and 20 sacks during his prep career. Off the field, Shavers is a two-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete majoring in criminology and criminal justice.
Heinrich Haarberg
Player Bio
Heinrich Haarberg is a senior tight end for Nebraska from Kearney, Nebraska. At 6-5 and 230 pounds, he’s a versatile playmaker known for toughness and leadership. In 2025, Haarberg has played in every game, totaling eight catches for 52 yards and one touchdown, including a three-yard touchdown against Michigan, while adding six carries for five yards. A converted quarterback who started in 2023, he moved to tight end in 2024 and contributed as a runner, receiver and occasional passer. Off the field, he’s also a seven-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten honoree who earned a finance degree in May 2024.