Nebraska Depth Chart: Malachi Coleman to make first start vs. Northwestern

Nebraska football and coach Matt Rhule have released the Huskers' official depth chart for their Week 8 game against Northwestern.

Keep in mind that "anybody that’s an ‘OR’ we just put them alphabetically," Rhule has said about the depth chart. "Just, for me, the depth chart is an organism. It’s ever-changing. I’m not a big ‘set it in stone’ kind of guy. We’re going to play guys, and the competition is always there and you have the power to change your situation. That’ll kind of be a weekly thing."

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There are several notable changes to this week’s depth chart, mainly regarding some of the Huskers’ true freshmen:

>> Receiver Malachi Coleman is now a starter. It will be the first career start for the Huskers' true freshman, who was the No. 60 overall player in the country and their top signee in the 2023 recruiting class. He played 18 snaps across his first four games but played 57 snaps – and caught his first career pass – in the win over Illinois as he filled in for injured veteran Marcus Washington (ACL).

>> Receivers Jaylen Lloyd and Jaidyn Doss are now listed as the co-backups to Alex Bullock. Doss, who was recovering from a broken arm injury suffered in August during fall camp, had not yet appeared on the official depth chart but saw his first career snaps against Illinois.

>> Defensive tackle Riley Van Poppel, alongside Ru’Quan Buckley, is now listed as a co-backup to Nash Hutmacher after he had not yet appeared on the team’s official depth chart yet.

>> Gunnar Gottula is no longer listed on the depth chart as the No. 3 offensive tackle.

>> Walk-on Luke Lindenmeyer, a redshirt freshman, is now listed as the No. 3 tight end behind co-starters Thomas Fidone and Nate Boerkircher.

>> Veteran linebacker Luke Reimer, who Rhule announced on Monday will return for the Northwestern game, is back in the lineup after a two-game absence. Reimer, who Rhule said had suffered from a MRSA infection in his arm, is listed as a co-starter alongside Nick Henrich.

>> Tommi Hill replaces Emmett Johnson as the No. 1 kick returner on the depth chart with Johnson’s increased role in the Huskers’ backfield. Hill and Alex Bullock each moved up one spot at kick return while Johnson slides to third.