NEW EPISODE: Has Nebraska Found Their QB of the Future? TJ Lateef Leads Huskers Past UCLA

The Common Fans discuss Nebraska’s bounce-back win against UCLA, TJ Lateef’s coming out party, Emmett Johnson’s continued dominance, and much more. 

On true freshman quarterback TJ Lateef: 

• Lateef sparkled in his debut as Nebraska’s quarterback, leading the Big Red past the Bruins in front of 20,000+ Husker fans at the Rose Bowl. 

• The offense seemed to find a spark they have been missing in recent games.

• Lateef’s ability to run with the football is such a benefit to the offense.

On do-everything running back Emmett Johnson: 

• What can’t Emmett Johnson do? EJ continues to shine. 

• He continues to top his own performance from previous games, seemingly getting better, stronger, and faster as the season goes on. 

• Will Johnson return for his senior year in 2026? The Common Fans speculate on the pros and cons from a player’s perspective. Hopefully, the prospect of more money in college, being a potential Heisman candidate, and drastically improving his draft stock are enough to bring him back for one more season. 

On the performance by the defense:

• It wasn’t a perfect performance by the Blackshirts, and they were gashed by running quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

• That said, they made critical stops when the Huskers absolutely had to have them, and they did enough for Nebraska to win the game. 

• John Butler’s unit has a lot of young talent, and optimism is sky high for the future. 

On the Nebraska crowd at the Rose Bowl: 

• Husker Nation does it again! 20,000+ fellow Common Fans take over the Rose Bowl in what was an electric night to be a Cornhusker.

• Common Fan co-host T.J. Birkel was in the house, and shares his experiences on the night. 

On the future of Nebraska football:

• Vibes are sky high among the Common Fans right now. 

• No, it hasn’t been a perfect season, but the Big Red continues to improve, and Matt Rhule is committed to being in Lincoln for the long term. 

• The Huskers have a real chance to finish strong this season, and they have one of the youngest rosters in all of college football. 

• Rhule will have to figure out how to get over the hump, and go from being good to great, but it feels like a strong culture and foundation are in place for much future success. 

This and so much more on the latest episode of the Common Fan Podcast! As always, GBR for LIFE! 

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