Tag: Rahmir Johnson

Is Rahmir Johnson playing today? Injury updates for Huskers RB

Nebraska running back Rahmir Johnson is dealing with an injury. Here are the latest updates.

Nebraska running back Rahmir Johnson will not play on Saturday against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Johnson had to exit last Saturday’s loss to Indiana after recording only two carries for six yards and three receptions for 19 yards. For the season, the senior has recorded 38 carries for 153 rushing yards and made 19 catches for 165 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Rahmir Johnson injury update

On Thursday, head coach Matt Rhule confirmed that the Husker running back would not be available this weekend. Earlier in the week, he had been more optimistic about Johnson’s ability to play this Saturday, but the progress made during the week was not enough to be cleared for the game.

How long will Rahmir Johnson be out?

The head coach did not specify how long the running back would be out. With Rhule hoping that Johnson could play this Saturday, you would have to imagine that the injury will not be a long-term issue for the senior.

Nebraska Running Back depth chart

Nebraska still has Dante Dowdell and Emmett Johnson to carry the load in the backfield. While Johnson has been the best receiver of the three, the unit should not see a significant drop in production against the Buckeyes with his absence.

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Nebraska to be without RB Rahmir Johnson against Ohio State

Nebraska’s running back depth for their week nine matchup agianst Ohio State has taken a hit.

If the Nebraska Cornhuskers are going to pull off the upset of No. 4 Ohio State on Saturday afternoon, they’ll have to do it shorthanded in the backfield. 

On Thursday, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule told the media that Husker senior tailback Rahmir Johnson will not be available for this weekend’s game.

This season, Johnson has recorded 38 carries for 153 yards but has not found the back of the endzone. 

Johnson suffered an undisclosed injury during the Huskers 56-7 loss to Indiana last weekend. In the defeat, the New York native recorded just two carries for six yards.

While Johnson is expected to miss the game, the Huskers will still have their top two tailbacks at their disposal in Dante Dowdell and Emmett Johnson.

The Cornhuskers and Buckeyes will kickoff at 11:00 a.m. CT on Saturday, and the game will be nationally televised on Fox.

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PFF releases top Huskers grades for Week 2

It was a successful day for several Nebraska players in their victory over Colorado. .

Nebraska football is still riding high after its 28-10 victory over the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday night. Pro Football Focus released its overall grades on Monday and picked its top five for Nebraska.

Corner Tommi Hill earned the top grade with an 83.4. Running back Rahmir Johnson had an overall grade of 78.2. Defensive tackle Ty Robinson had a stout game and earned a 72.4. Tight end Nate Boerkircher earned a 70.1 while running back Dante Dowdell earned a 69.6.

Hill had a memorable game for Nebraska, as he recorded a pick-six interception to give the program a 14-0 lead following the extra point. Robinson had four tackles and two sacks on the evening. Johnson was able to help pace the running back room as he carried the ball nine times for 33 yards. He also made a stellar impact in the receiving game, catching eight passes for 49 yards and a touchdown.

Dowdell carried the ball 17 times for 74 yards and two touchdowns in a breakout game for him. Boerkircher caught a pass for 25 yards.

Overall, it was a strong day for Nebraska football. If anything, it’s evident that contributions from everybody were needed for the win.

 

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Matt Rhule pleased with the running game in Nebraska’s win

Nebraska’s rushing attack was a key component in Saturday’s victory.

Nebraska’s running backs room played a significant role in Saturday’s 40-7 win over the UTEP Miners. Coach Matt Rhule talked about their contributions following the win.

The running backs had 47 carries for 223 yards and three touchdowns. Emmett Johnson was the leader in the game, carrying the ball eight times for 71 yards. Dante Dowdell had eight carries for 55 yards, while Rahmir Johnson had 11 carries for 50 yards. Gabe Ervin Jr. was the red zone weapon, scoring two touchdowns on six carries.

All told the Nebraska running backs room got the job done, averaging 4.7 yards per carry as a group. Rhule was pleased with the effort the running backs put in, as he said in his press conference following the game.

“They all made plays. It was a shame that Dante (Dowdell) had that fumble, but he was really running well. Dante has done such a good job. At the end of the spring, I probably would have put him fourth. He was the second back in the game today. Dante, I thought he was really playing well, running the ball well, and then had that fumble. I’m happy to see him come back. Gabe (Ervin Jr.) had some plays, Emmett (Johnson) with the long run, Rahmir (Johnson), I thought he ran hard. I was pleased with the whole group, and Maurice (Mazzccua Jr.) came in and did really well too.”

If anything, Saturday’s game spoke to the depth of the Huskers’ unit. All running backs played well and perfectly balanced the Huskers’ passing attack. It also gave fans a preview of what the running back room can look like for the rest of the season.

If Saturday was any indication, Nebraska should have one of the best rushing attacks in the Big Ten yet again.

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Nebraska Football Countdown to Kickoff: No. 14 Rahmir Johnson

The countdown until August 31 is down to 14 days.

The countdown until Nebraska’s season opener on August 31 against the UTEP Miners is down to just 14 days, moving Huskers senior running back Rahmir Johnson into today’s player spotlight.

The Harlem, New York native is entering his sixth season with the program and is hoping for a healthier 2024 campaign after suffering a season ending injury last September against Northern Illinois. Prior to his injury, Johnson had totaled 12 carries for 65 yards and was also showing promise on kick returns with three returns totaling 102 yards.

In his first five seasons in Lincoln, Johnson has totaled 172 rushing attempts for 739 yards and six touchdowns. He also has 27 career receptions for 258 yards and an additional pair of touchdowns.

This fall if Johnson can stay healthy, he’ll have the opportunity to be a mainstay once again in the Huskers running back rotation, likely backing up Gabe Ervin Jr.

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Nebraska running back to return in 2024

A Nebraska running back has announced that he will return for his senior season.

A Nebraska running back has announced that he will return for his senior season. Rahmir Johnson will be in uniform for the 2024 season.

Johnson had his 2023 season cut short after dislocating his hip in Nebraska’s 35-11 win over Northern Illinois. He only had 12 carries on the year for 65 yards, with a long of 44 yards.

His best season came in 2021 when he had 495 rushing yards on 112 carries with four touchdowns. The Huskers did not have a single-player gain over 500 rushing yards on the season.

Heinrich Haaarberg led the way with 477 yards, followed by Anthony Grant at 413 rushing yards and Emmett Johnson with 411. This will obviously be good news for the Huskers in 2024 as the Huskers look to have early depth in the running back room.

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Nebraska’s plan at running back moving forward

Nebraska has been dealing with a rash of injuries on the offensive side of the ball during the 2023 season.

Nebraska has been dealing with a rash of injuries on the offensive side of the ball during the 2023 season. The running back position has been impacted as heavily as any Husker unit.

Gabe Ervin Jr. and Rahmir Johson are both done for the year after suffering injuries earlier in the season. Ervin dislocated his hip and Johnson dislocated his shoulder.

Ervin started the first two games for the Huskers and totaled 196 yards on 38 carries. He has 95 carries for 414 yards and three touchdowns for his career.

Johnson had 12 carries on the season for 65 yards, including a 44-yard run against Northern Illinois before his season ended. He’s amassed 739 yards in five seasons on 172 carries with six touchdowns.

The position has seen a three-man rotation of Emmett Johnson, Anthony Grant and Josh Fleeks. The leading rusher for Nebraska is quarterback Heinrich Haarberg, who has 424 rushing yards on the year.

Matt Rhule told the media that it’s still a work in progress.

“It’s one of those deals where Emmett (Johnson) can kind of do everything for us and Emmett had some good plays for us. Anthony (Grant) held on to the ball, Anthony had a great run on a run. Josh Fleeks is a guy we want to continue to get in the game so I think all three of those guys are going to continue to play and I’d like to have more plays. I’d like to have more tailback runs so hopefully we can continue to get those guys more involved but it’ll be all three of those guys pending a good week of practice and pending ball security.”

Nebraska will take the field again on Saturday when the Huskers welcome Purdue to Memorial Stadium. Find a gallery of Nebraska’s running backs below.

Does Nebraska have enough depth at running back after pair of injuries

Where does the Husker offense go from here?

Through Nebraska’s first three games of the season, there haven’t been positives to take away after each game. The offense looked sloppy in the first week before getting dominated by Colorado the following week and then beating up on a team they should be beating up in Northern Illinois. However, the winning celebration was very short-lived, as the announcement noted that Gabe Ervin and Rahmir Johnson were both done for the season due to injuries.

Both players sustained their respective injuries in the Cornhuskers win over Northern Illinois (Ervin – dislocated hip, Johnson – dislocated shoulder) and will require surgery. Against Northern Illinois, Ervin accounted for 67 yards on the ground and added one touchdown while adding 20 yards receiving to his game total. This brings his total season yardage to 199, with his 20 receiving yards taking him to 219 all-purpose.

The second best is quarterback Jeff Sims, but with his appearance questionable due to injury, you have to go through Heinrich Haarberg before you get to Anthony Grant’s 67-yard total on the season. Rahmir Johnson accounted for 65 rushing yards before his season was cut short.

So, with two of the top three running backs out for the season, does Nebraska have enough in the backfield to carry them the rest of the way?

One point to the favor of the Huskers is the added benefit of having Haarberg and Sims as options at quarterback, as both have shown they can pull the ball down and run on their own. This is the better dynamic to Sims’ game and what makes him so effective, but his lack of a passing threat makes him a bit of a liability. Haarberg had 122 yards rushing against the Huskies, but that’s likely the worst team they will face the rest of the way, so is this production expectation sustainable?

Looking at pure running backs that have taken snaps this season, Nebraska only has two. Anthony Grant has taken 24 total snaps this season and carried the ball 16 times for 67 yards and one touchdown. So far, his involvement in the offense has been 19 percent of all offensive snaps.

Trevin Luben has one snap all season, one carry, but it went for 18 yards. Despite getting 18 yards, you know nothing of what Luben can bring now that his name will be called. He has essentially not been involved in the offense all season long.

However, in his Monday press conference, head coach Matt Rhule noted that Emmett Johnson and Kwinten Ives will back up Grant this week despite neither player having played on offense all season. Both running backs are freshmen.

Johnson is a three-star running back from Minnesota, and Ives was a three-star athlete from New Jersey. Ives totaled over 1,600 yards as a senior in high school, averaged over 10 yards per carry, and totaled over 3,000 yards combined in his final two years in high school. Johnson ranked number one in Minnesota, totaled over 2,500 yards his senior season, and scored 42 that season. Those are massive eye-popping numbers to consider as we look to lean on him some this season.

Nebraska Cornhuskers Snapshot Profile: RB Rahmir Johnson

Nebraska Cornhuskers Profile: RB Rahmir Johnson

Leading up to the 2022 season, Cornhuskers Wire will be taking a closer look at many players on Nebraska’s current roster.

Each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, their career statistics, and what role they will play for head coach Scott Frost this season.

First up is a productive returning running back: Rahmir Johnson. Johnson is a dynamic offensive playmaker, and he could be one of the most impactful offensive players for the Cornhuskers this season.

Without further ado, let’s dive in. Here is Rahmir Johnson’s snapshot player profile.

Rahmir Johnson’s Player Profile

247Sports’ Nick Kosko predicts Nebraska to upset Iowa in the 2022 season finale

247Sports’ Nick Kosko likes the Nebraska Cornhuskers to upset the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2022 regular season finale.

Iowa has owned the series against Nebraska, winning the past seven contests against the Cornhuskers. It looked like the Hawkeyes’ dominance over Nebraska was set to come to a close last year in Lincoln, Neb., but a fourth-quarter Iowa rally was jumpstarted by Henry Marchese’s blocked punt that Kyler Fisher returned 14 yards for a touchdown.

That sliced Iowa’s deficit from 21-9 to 21-16. The Hawkeyes followed that special teams game-changer up by forcing Huskers backup quarterback Logan Smothers into an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone for a safety. Iowa’s Caleb Shudak added a 44-yard field goal on the ensuing possession and suddenly the game was tied.

Then, Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras capped off a six-play, 76-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown plunge to give the Hawkeyes its first lead with 2:58 remaining. Hawkeyes cornerback Jermari Harris sealed the victory, intercepting Smothers to end any final threat from the Huskers.

In the process, Iowa registered its fifth consecutive victory in Lincoln, captured the Big Ten West crown and notched a 10-win season. 247Sports’ Nick Kosko isn’t buying into any of the recent series history in his game-by-game predictions for Nebraska’s 2022 season, though.

Kosko likes Nebraska to upset Iowa, 24-21, to end the 2022 regular season.

Yes, we’re picking an upset here. Nebraska puts a stamp on its bowl game date, whenever and wherever it might be. The upset over the Hawkeyes on the road will be the defining game of the 2022 season for Scott Frost. There’s gotta be one in there somewhere, and why not the final regular season game of the upcoming fall? Let’s do it. A late field goal puts Nebraska up by 10 (24-14) and the defense holds on as Iowa fails a late comeback. With the 7-5 record, Frost ensures a 2023 campaign and has a chance to win an eighth game in the postseason. – Kosko, 247Sports.

Obviously, this would be a reversal of what fans have seen in recent years. There’s a good chance that it has serious division implications for the Hawkeyes, too. The West feels like it’s wide open, and Iowa just might be hosting Nebraska for a return trip to Indianapolis in the 2022 edition to determine the fate of the Heroes Trophy.

If that’s the circumstances going in for Iowa’s Senior Day game, then the Huskers will have earned a difficult to come by victory, and it would further signal that Nebraska has made progress as a football program in 2022.

While Iowa is an interesting team heading into next season given the disparity between the team’s offensive and defensive production in 2021, Nebraska might have been the most intriguing, hardest to figure out team in all of the Big Ten last season. The Huskers finished 3-9, which is by definition bad. Still, Nebraska lost eight one-score games, which could indicate that the Huskers are ripe for a quick turnaround.

Time will tell on that front. One thing is for certain: Scott Frost needs 2022 to show tangible results if he’s to remain the Huskers’ head football coach. Frost brought in offensive coordinator Mark Whipple from Pittsburgh to help try and rejuvenate Nebraska’s offense. Last season’s backup quarterback in Smothers returns for Nebraska, but longtime starter Adrian Martinez is off to Kansas State.

Nebraska went ahead and brought former Texas quarterback Casey Thompson in to be the likely starter, and the Huskers added Florida State transfer signal-caller Chubba Purdy as well. The wide receiving corps features a series of transfers as well with Trey Palmer arriving from LSU, Marcus Washington from Texas and Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda from New Mexico State.

Palmer had 30 grabs for 344 yards and three scores in 2021, Washington registered 18 receptions for 277 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Garcia-Castaneda hauled in 37 passes for 578 yards and four scores. Add that in with Omar Manning’s returning 26 grabs for 380 yards and two touchdowns.

In the backfield, Nebraska will be looking for Rahmir Johnson, Gabe Ervin Jr. and Jaquez Yant to combine for the Huskers’ rushing attack. Last season, Johnson carried 112 times for 495 yards and four scores, Ervin Jr. rushed 37 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns and Yant tallied 47 totes for 294 yards and one trip to the end zone.

Defensively, Nebraska added two-time All-Big 12 second-team selection Ochaun Mathis at defensive end. Mathis has 135 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks over the course of his college career. He’ll team with Garrett Nelson, Ty Robinson and Alabama transfer Stephon Wynn Jr. At the second level, Nebraska linebackers Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich combined for 189 tackles last season.

The Huskers’ defensive backfield has its fair share of transfer additions as well, featuring Tommi Hill from Arizona State, DeShon Singleton from Hutchinson Community College and Omar Brown from Northern Iowa. That trio will join safety Myles Farmer and cornerback Quinton Newsome.

For a head coach in Frost that frankly is desperate for success heading into 2022, it makes sense to replenish the roster with a series of transfer portal additions and see if it works. While Iowa hopes to be fighting for the Big Ten West in the season finale, Frost just might be coaching for his job.

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