Summer break is over, paving the way for a new school year that will bring thousands of new faces to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in search of a new community. While that can be intimidating, there’s no better way to become a Husker than by embracing the community that Nebraska sports have to offer.
Saturdays in Memorial Stadium and nights at the Bob Devaney Sports Center rule the fall, before a rocking Pinnacle Bank Arena carries students through the grind of winter and sets up a spring semester unrivaled on the baseball and softball diamonds.
So, to the newcomers, before the classroom dominates your time, take a moment to become familiar with these five fan-favorite Nebraska athletes:
Football: Nyziah Hunter
It’s difficult to stay away from incoming transfer quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who checks every box as a likely fan-favorite behind center next season. The former Virginia and UNLV gunslinger should wow Memorial Stadium with his dual-threat ability time and time again, leading an offense that will look quite different from the Dylan Raiola-led teams of the past two years.
But Colandrea presents some unknowns, and this list is to get you, the new face on campus, acclimated beyond the quarterback position. That’s where wide receiver Nyziah Hunter enters the conversation.
Hunter prepares for his junior season with the Huskers after a 2025 campaign where he led NU with 617 receiving yards and tied a team-high five receiving touchdowns. After transferring from California ahead of last season, a full offseason in Lincoln will give the big-play threat time to cement himself as Colandrea’s No. 1 option on the outside.
Along with his blazing speed and explosiveness in the receiving game, Hunter brings significant energy in the run-blocking game; something that resonated well with the “run the ball” Nebraska faithful last season.
“New fans should keep an eye on him after he’s had a full year in offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen’s system,” Jacob Fricke, a senior mechanical engineering major, said. “His run-after-the-catch ability makes him dangerous on short-yardage throws, so I expect to see some 50-yard-plus receptions from him this season.”
Hunter’s play is a mix of hard-nosed football and a constant home run threat. For the new fan, he’s a name worth learning as the Huskers’ top offensive weapon this fall.
Women’s basketball: Britt Prince
If you want to follow a homegrown favorite on the basketball court, then Britt Prince is your answer.
The accolades have been piling up for Prince since she was a four-time state champion at Elkhorn North High School, and her success has continued during her time with Nebraska.
At the point guard position, Prince has been the full package for head coach Amy Williams. She led an offense that was one of the most efficient in the conference last season, averaging just under 18 points per game on 53/45/91 shooting splits on her way to First Team All-Big Ten honors.
“What really makes Britt special is that she is so versatile,” Williams said after last season’s Big Ten Tournament. “She can be a pass-first point guard that can make things happen for everybody else. But also, she’s such a capable scorer at all three levels. I love the way she’s so efficient offensively and impacts the game in so many ways.”
More than the numbers, the junior is one of the smoothest guards in the country, highlighted by her handles that led to one of the best ankle-breakers in college basketball last season. If you’re in search of pure guard play and creative scoring, Prince offers just that.
Men’s basketball: Pryce Sandfort
Few can light up the arena in the same way that Nebraska men’s basketball star Pryce Sandfort can. Among the storylines surrounding head coach Fred Hoiberg’s program last season, Sandfort was at the forefront as he led the Huskers to their first NCAA Tournament win in school history.
The former Iowa transfer broke onto the scene with his elite sharpshooting ability. Sandfort finished the season ranked third nationally with 129 3-pointers made, shattering NU’s single-season record in the process.
With one of the quickest releases in the country, there’s not a spot on the floor that he can’t score from, making Sandfort one of the most exciting watches in the Big Ten. He boasts a rare ability to catch fire and take over a game at any given moment, something that made him beloved among the fanbase last season.
“I never really thought he was going to have the season he had this year when I saw we got him in the transfer portal,” Kyle Greve, a junior sports media and communications major at UNL, said. “I thought he would be a guy to get us a couple of shots when we needed them, but I didn’t know he’d be the star of our team. By mid-December, that’s when I knew he was the real deal.”
For those who plan to attend Pinnacle Bank Arena this winter, Sandfort is the one to watch.
Wrestling: Christopher Minto
Beyond football and basketball, Mark Manning’s Nebraska wrestling program offers a winning product for those looking to dig deeper into Husker athletics.
Manning has propelled Nebraska into the national wrestling landscape in his time with the program, earning back-to-back top-three finishes at the NCAA Championships over the last two seasons for the first time in program history. Much of that success can be attributed to Christopher Minto.
An All-American in each of his first two seasons, Minto built on a 24-6 (15-4 Big Ten) regular-season record with dominant performances at the Big Ten and NCAA Championships last spring. Reaching the finals of both tournaments, the 174-pounder fell to Penn State’s No. 1-ranked Levi Haines each time, coming up just short of a Big Ten title and national championship.
Entering his junior season, Minto appears poised for a championship run this winter. His emotion on the mat and powerful wrestling style make him one of the most exciting and intriguing wrestlers Manning has coached in recent memory.
There’s hardly a more electric atmosphere than a sold-out Devaney Center in late January as postseason aspirations begin to take shape. With the Huskers’ newly added student section, fans shouldn’t hesitate to watch one of Nebraska’s premier programs.
Softball: Alexis Jensen (Two-Way)
There’s no better way to conclude this list than with one of the young breakout stars on a Husker softball team that advanced all the way to the Women’s College World Series last May.
Despite being just a freshman, Alexis Jensen quickly established herself as one of the top arms in the country last season. The left-hander was instrumental to Nebraska’s success in the circle behind Jordy Frahm, tossing 153.2 innings with a 2.32 ERA while slashing .315/.412/.616 with six home runs at the plate.
While her two-way ability didn’t rival that of Frahm, it sets up the 2026 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and NFCA Third-Team All-American with an opportunity to cement herself as one of the best players in the country this spring.
Jensen’s development will be aided as Frahm is set to stay with the program next season as an assistant coach, something that will certainly help the Huskers’ ace take a key next step. Her potential is evident to the fans, too.
“Alexis brings the fire and spark our team needs,” Xavian Suarez-Moorehead, a senior business administration major, said. “While she may struggle to hit her spots occasionally, her elite confidence and swagger allow her to push through those moments. I believe she will develop into one of the elite pitchers in the country and fill the void left by [Frahm’s] departure.”