234 mini games So ends one of the wildest weeks in recent memory for the Nebraska football program. The one-week overlap of high school recruiting, transfer portal entries, coaching changes and bowl game decisions meant there were highs and lows for Nebraska fans to go through — but the program’s leader wasn’t bothered by the departures and changes that hit the Huskers. “If we have good players and we have good coaches, then people are gonna come try to get them,” Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said on Wednesday. “If no one’s trying to take our players, it means we’re in trouble.” With news to break down in each of those areas, let’s drop into coverage: Nebraska’s defensive coaching staff will look much different in 2025 compared to 2024, but Rhule is hopeful that the defense itself won’t change much. Defensive coordinator Tony White is off to Florida State and has taken defensive line coach Terrance Knighton with him, a major blow to a Nebraska defense that ranked inside the top 20 nationally each of the last two seasons. Knighton was one of Rhule’s best hires for his initial Nebraska coaching staff. The defensive line, presumed to be a question mark in 2023, instead became a strength of the team. Players like Ty Robinson and Nash Hutmacher reached new heights under Knighton’s coaching, while several young Huskers also made an impact up front. There’s plenty of returning talent in the defensive line room even after some roster turnover, but NU’s next defensive line coach will have big expectations to continue Knighton’s good work at the position. As for White, he implemented his 3-3-5 scheme to great success a year ago, but Nebraska lined up slightly differently this fall with a four-man rush utilized far more often than in 2023. He’ll be a good fit at Florida State, while Nebraska has turned to John Butler in the interim to lead its defense. There’s no doubting Butler’s pedigree as a former NFL defensive mind, and his influence showed up in the way the Nebraska defense operated this season. Whether it’s Butler or an external hire who leads the Nebraska defense next season, continuity on that side of the ball is the expectation. “The defense isn’t going to change, but the offense is going to be better,” Rhule said. That optimism is underscored by the return of Dana Holgorsen as Nebraska’s offensive coordinator. Having brought in his own wide receivers coach, Daikiel Shorts Jr., Holgorsen will begin transforming the Nebraska offense this spring after the team’s bowl game. Nebraska signed a 20-player recruiting class on Wednesday that is loaded with talent across the board. While recruits can still sign with teams in February, expect Nebraska to be finished along the recruiting trail — and that means it’s time to take stock of the players in its 2025 recruiting class. Here are five of those signees who should impact the long-term future of the Husker football team. First up is linebacker Dawson Merritt. The highest-ranked signee in NU’s 2025 class was an Alabama commit for a reason, and it’s because the pass-rushing potential he shows. Set to be an off-ball linebacker and hybrid edge rusher at Nebraska, Merritt is the type of player who can make an impact early in his collegiate career. If he reaches his long-term potential, Merritt should be an NFL prospect when he leaves Nebraska. Nebraska also landed a top playmaking prospect in wide receiver Cortez Mills. Another wide receiver recruit, Isaiah Mozee, will provide an impact — but Mills is the all-around prospect who could dominate targets in a year or two’s time. The fast, athletic pass-catcher knows how to run himself open against coverage and excels at winning in one-on-one situations. Quarterback Dylan Raiola will like playing with Mills. In the secondary, cornerback Bryson Webber should be a starter down the road. His status as a former wide receiver gives him the ball skills Nebraska is after the spot, and Webber’s long, athletic frame will help him against opposing wide receivers. He may not be a day-one starter at cornerback, but Webber will make the position his own in the years which follow. Another explosive playmaker on offense is running back Jamarion Parker. Having signed alongside Bishop Neumann’s Conor Booth, Parker could be the lightning to Booth’s thunder as a one-two running back punch in the years which follow. A big-play threat and tough runner, Parker is an all-around talent who Nebraska and Holgorsen will find a way to utilize. The final pick is linebacker Christian Jones. Hard-nosed, athletic inside linebackers are hard to come by, but Jones is one of the rare few who could have a future at the position. He’s a top athlete who could push for playing time early in his career. For those interested, here are the five players I identified from NU’s 2024 class one year ago: Dylan Raiola, Carter Nelson, Willis McGahee IV, Mario Buford and Grant Brix. While Jacory Barney Jr. is a notable miss from that list, all but Brix played in at least 10 games and had an impact as freshmen. Nebraska’s transfer portal entrants have begun trickling out, and there will be many more which follow as a result of the 105-player roster limit teams must abide with next season. Many of the toughest departures to stomach have come on defense, where a veteran-heavy group will look much different in terms of its personnel next season. Defensive lineman Jimari Butler, a two-year starter at the position, has decided to move on. So have linebackers Mikai Gbayor and Stefon Thompson — who might’ve been starters next season — and rising young defenders Princewill Umanmielen, James Williams and Kai Wallin. Williams, Wallin and Umanmielen were all impactful defenders for Nebraska this fall, but their status as pass-rushing specialists still left room for improvement as all-around defenders. Butler and Gbayor, however, would’ve been pegged as no-doubt veteran starters, so their choice to move on will impact NU’s defensive strength. No entry was more surprising than that of running back Emmett Johnson, a player who emerged as NU’s top rusher late in the 2024 season. The up-and-down nature of Johnson’s Nebraska career — he showed flashes down the stretch in 2023 and was hardly utilized this fall prior to Holgorsen taking over — may have impacted his decision to seek out a new opportunity. Nebraska’s transfer portal targets will become clearer in the coming days, but one player has already stated his interest in the Huskers. Fresno State linebacker Phoenix Jackson, a multi-year starter at the position, announced on social media that Auburn, Indiana, Nebraska and SMU are the four teams he’s considering transferring to. Prior to learning its bowl opponent, Nebraska had a light week of practice before things get intense later this month. The Huskers practiced on Tuesday and Thursday last week with its veterans sitting out as younger players got reps in front of their coaches instead. Rhule said he expects Nebraska to practice from Tuesday to Thursday this week, with another day on Saturday during which the Huskers could bring transfer portal visitors to campus. “Being in bowl practice right now is exactly what this team needs, exactly what we need moving forward,” Rhule said. “I saw guys practice (Tuesday) and look like I haven’t seen them look all year.” After his firing at Nebraska, former head coach Scott Frost didn’t need to rush into his next coaching job, instead waiting for a situation and school that made sense for him. While it didn’t work out in Lincoln, there’s no denying the success Frost had at UCF. The in-state talent around the school and Frost’s offense made for a great fit, even if he only had two seasons to show it. The Knights are no longer in the AAC, though, instead having moved to a new-look Big 12 which has the makings of a difficult conference. It’s a good fit for Frost, but there’ll still be an element of pressure for him to deliver results and show that he can rebuild the program once again. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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Uruguay's political landscape sees a shift as conservative President Luis Lacalle Pou extends his congratulations to leftist candidate Yamandu Orsi, who is predicted to win the presidential election. Lacalle Pou's gesture signifies a willingness to ensure a smooth transition of power. His announcement came via a post on X, made even before the official election results were released, based on exit poll predictions. This preliminary recognition of Orsi comes after predictions that he would defeat ruling coalition candidate Alvaro Delgado, marking a potential change in leadership dynamics within the South American nation. (With inputs from agencies.)Patna, Dec 26 (PTI) Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor on Thursday gave a three-day time to the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar to resolve issues related to the alleged question paper leak of a recent PSC exam. The state has been witnessing a widespread demonstration by civil service aspirants over the issue and the police faced criticism for using force on protesters. Kishor, whose Jan Suraaj party had last week written to Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena for cancellation of the examination held by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on December 13, warned the police of protests if job seekers are baton-charged in future. The Jan Suraaj party chief on Thursday reached Gardani Bagh, the designated place for organising protests or dharna, where civil service aspirants have been holding a sit-in for the last several days and demanding cancellation of the December 13 exam. "The government must meet protesting students or their representatives and consider their demand for re-examination. I am giving an ultimatum to the state government. The administration must resolve this issue within three days," Kishor said. He extended support to the protesters and said he would join a march on Monday. "I am always here to support the students. I will also join protest march of the students tomorrow. I will be at the forefront. If the police resort to baton-charge, I will be the first to face that. The police action against students on Wednesday is highly condemnable," he said while addressing the protesting aspirants. Chaos erupted outside the BPSC office on Wednesday when police baton-charged the protesters who were seeking cancellation of the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024. The demonstrators alleged irregularities in the exam, including paper leaks, and sought re-examination. A group of protesters marched towards the BPSC office to press their demands, and a confrontation between police personnel and the job seekers ensued after they were stopped. RJD supremo Lalu Prasad also condemned the police action against protesting job aspirants. "Police action against protesting students was wrong. Police should not have done this", Lalu told reporters in Patna on Thursday. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)

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