Nebraska junior running back Emmett Johnson has been named the Ameche-Dayne Big Ten Running Back of the Year as announced by the conference on Thursday. Johnson also earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from both the coaches and media for his standout 2025 season.

Johnson is Nebraska’s first winner of the Ameche-Dayne Award and the first Husker to capture a positional award since Austin Allen was named the Big Ten’s Tight End of the Year in 2021. 

Johnson’s 2025 season has been one of the best by a running back in Nebraska football history. His 1,451 rushing yards rank in the top 10 in school history and the most by a Husker since 2014. Johnson has rushed for better than 100 yards eight times this season, including six times in conference play. Johnson’s average of 120.9 rushing yards per game leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally. 

Johnson also leads all FBS running backs with 46 receptions for 370 yards. His 1,821 yards from scrimmage rank second nationally and first among Power Four Conference players. 

His season stacks up well historically with Big Ten greats. Johnson is just the seventh Big Ten player since 1956 to have 1,400 rushing yards and 350 receiving yards in a season. Johnson and Penn State’s Saquon Barkley (2015) are the only Big Ten players to reach those milestones in the past 20 years. 

Two additional offensive players were recognized by the Big Ten on Thursday. Junior tight end Luke Lindenmeyer and senior offensive guard Rocco Spindler were both honorable-mention selections by the league’s coaches and media panel.

Lindenmeyer caught 28 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns, including a career-high seven receptions against Michigan. In his only season at Nebraska, Spindler was a key part of the Husker offensive line that led the way for Johnson’s award-winning season. 

Additionally, senior tight end Heinrich Haarberg was recognized as Nebraska’s recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. A fifth-year senior, Haarberg made the move to tight end this season after playing his first four years as a quarterback. Haarberg is also a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. 

Nebraska All-Big Ten Honorees
Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year: Emmett Johnson

First-Team All-Big Ten:
Emmett Johnson, RB (Coaches, Media)

Second-Team All-Big Ten:
Kenneth Williams, Return Specialist (Media)

Third-Team All-Big Ten:
Kenneth Williams, Return Specialist (Coaches)
Jacory Barney Jr., Return Specialist (Media)

Honorable-Mention All-Big Ten:
Rocco Spindler, OG (Coaches, Media)
Luke Lindenmeyer, TE (Coaches, Media)
Andrew Marshall, CB (Coaches, Media)
DeShon Singleton, Safety (Coaches, Media)
Ceyair Wright, DB (Coaches, Media)
Javin Wright, LB (Coaches, Media)
Dasan McCullough, LB (Coaches)
Jacory Barney Jr., Return Specialist (Coaches)

Huskers Blow By Bradley

Lincoln - Britt Prince led five Huskers in double figures with 17 points, and Jessica Petrie added her first double-double of the season, as Nebraska tied a school record by hitting the 80-point scoring mark for the eighth consecutive game in a 92-53 women's basketball win over Bradley on Wednesday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Prince hit 7-of-9 shots from the field, including 2-of-3 threes, while adding five assists and four rebounds in an efficient effort to help Nebraska improve to 8-0 on the season, while Bradley slipped to 4-4.

Petrie scored all 15 of her points in the first half before grabbing her 10th rebound in the third quarter to secure her second career double-double.

Amiah Hargrove continued her strong early season play with 13 points and six rebounds in just 13 minutes off the bench. The 6-2 forward from Christopher, Ill., hit 5-of-8 shots from the floor.

Petra Bozan just missed a double-double of her own with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go along with nine rebounds in 19 minutes of work.

Logan Nissley rounded out the five Huskers in double figures with 10 points, five rebounds, a career-high seven assists, no turnovers and two steals in 17 minutes off the bench. 

Callin Hake's line was also impressive, as the senior guard finished with seven points, seven rebounds and six assists without a turnover. Eliza Maupin added seven points - all in the second quarter- to go with three boards, a steal and a blocked shot.

In all, 11 Huskers found the scoring column, nine players grabbed at least one rebound and seven players dished out at least one assist in a dominant effort for the Big Red.

As a team, Nebraska shot 56.1 percent (37-66) from the field, despite going just 6-of-21 (.286) from three-point range and 63.2 percent (12-19) from the free throw line. The Huskers produced a season-high plus-23 rebound margin (48-25) against the Braves and won the turnover battle, 17-11, while dishing out 26 assists.

The Huskers held Bradley to just 32.8 percent (20-61) shooting, including 7-of-31 (.226) from long range. The Braves hit 6-of-7 free throws.

Kaylen Nelson, who entered the game averaging nearly 20 points per contest, was the only Brave to manage double figures with 13 points. Maya Foz added nine points, and Kali Fortson contributed eight points and four rebounds.

Nebraska trailed 5-2 in the first two minutes before Hargrove scored six straight points in a one-minute span midway through the first quarter to help fuel a 15-2 surge that gave the Huskers a 17-7 lead. Nissley and Petrie hit back-to-back threes to give NU its biggest lead of the opening quarter at 20-9 with 3:15 left, before Bradley responded and trimmed the margin to 22-16 at the end of the first.

Nebraska opened the second quarter on an 11-0 run that included five straight points from Maupin to push the lead to 33-16 with 6:05 left in the half. Petrie then caught fire, scoring 10 points in just over four minutes to extend the NU lead to 47-26 with 51 seconds left in the half. 

The Huskers took a 48-28 lead to halftime. Petrie went 7-of-9 from the floor in the half to put up 15 points while grabbing four rebounds, as the Huskers hit 22-of-36 shots (.611), despite going just 2-for-11 (.182) from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes. 

Nebraska shared the ball exceptionally well in the half with 16 assists on 22 made baskets while committing just five first-half turnovers. The Huskers forced eight miscues by Bradley and limited the Braves to just four assists.

Nelson led Bradley with eight points, but the Huskers held the Braves to just 11-of-30 first-half shooting, including 2-of-11 from long range. Nebraska outrebounded Bradley 23-10 in the half.

The Big Red bolted out of the locker room after halftime on a 12-2 surge that included points from five different Huskers to take a 60-30 lead with 5:15 left in the period. Nissley scored the final five points of the quarter for NU to send the Huskers to the fourth with a 65-36 advantage.

Nebraska opens Big Ten Conference play on Saturday at Penn State. Tip-off between the Huskers and Lady Lions (6-1) is set for Noon (CT) at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College. The game can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network, including Huskers.com and the Huskers App. A live video stream will be available B1G+ subscribers.