Voting Criteria: Player's importance to the team in 2016, talent and potential for the upcoming season. A player's long term/NFL potential was not taken into consideration.
Voting Panel: Publisher Sean Callahan and HuskerOnline.com staff Robin Washut, Nate Clouse, Mike Matya, Bryan Munson, and Gregg Peterson.
15. Michael Rose-Ivey, LB, Sr.
After a terrific 2013 campaign in which he set the school record for tackles by a freshman (66), Michael Rose-Ivey has been bitten hard by the injury bug. He missed all of 2014 with a preseason ACL tear and was severely limited for much of last year with a groin injury.
The senior was full-go all spring, though, and his health would be a major boon for the Blackshirts in 2016. Rose-Ivey is an instinctual tackling machine when at full strength and is an emotional leader for the group.
Though Nebraska discovered some serious depth at linebacker last year, as long as Rose-Ivey can stay on the field, he will make an impact.
14. Terrell Newby, RB, Sr.
It remains unclear how Nebraska's rotation at running back will unfold once the 2016 season gets underway, but as far as experience and production go, Terrell Newby has a clear advantage over the rest of the pack.
Newby finished last season as NU's leading rusher with 765 yards (5.2 yards per carry), and his six rushing touchdowns ranked second on the team. He also added 24 catches for 159 yards and another score.
However, he'll have to work for every carry he gets even as the lone senior in the Huskers' backfield this season. The competition with Devine Ozigbo and Mikale Wilbon will certainly be heated, but it should make both Newby and NU's running game much better as a result.
13. Brandon Reilly, WR, Sr.
Last season was a breakout campaign for Brandon Reilly in becoming a major piece to Nebraska's passing game.
The former walk-on emerged as a perfect complement to Jordan Westerkamp by displaying his tremendous speed and leading the Big Ten in yards per catch (18.9).
Even with Nebraska's loaded wide receiver corps, most expect Reilly to continue his rapid ascent and once again be a favorite target of quarterback Tommy Armstrong.
The one bit of bad news is that Reilly will likely miss some game time this season after being cited for a DUI earlier this spring. We don't know how much time, if any Reilly will miss, but conventional wisdom says it will be no more than one game.
12. Dedrick Young, LB, So.
At a position that was considered maybe the biggest question mark on the defense going into the 2015 season, Dedrick Young ended up being the mainstay of the group as just a true freshman.
Young saw significant action in 12 games with 11 starts, and he tied with Josh Banderas for fourth on the team with 61 tackles.
The key for him heading into 2016 is transforming from the quiet underclassmen who's focused more on making the sound, solid play to becoming a bigger playmaker for Nebraska's defense.
Young didn’t have a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery or interception last season, so the Huskers are counting on him making that jump as a sophomore.
11. Sam Foltz, P, Sr.
Despite missing one game and being significantly hampered in several others with an ankle injury last year, Sam Foltz still posted one of the best seasons ever by a Nebraska punter - and that's saying something.
Along with earning first-team All-Big Ten honors, Foltz won the Eddleman-Fields Big Ten Punter of the Year award after averaging 45.0 yards per punt, two yards longer than any other punter in the league. He also booted 16 punts of 50 yards or longer and pinned 15 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
Given that Foltz was the Huskers’ most decorated player last season, it’s certainly not out of the question that he could have a legitimate chance to win the Ray Guy Award as the best punter in all of college football.
