D1 · Big Ten Conference

Nebraska Men’s Basketball Recruiting: Roster & Openings

KenPom #17 · 28–7 · 2025–26 · Division 1 · Big Ten Conference · Lincoln, NE

Nebraska finished 28–7 (Big Ten 5th, KenPom #17) in 2025–26. 15 players hold the 2026–27 roster; 8 are new this season.

Roster data through 2026–27

Roster15 players
New this season8
Transfer additions6
Clearest projected openingGuards · 2027
Most common home stateNE (6)

Where the door opens

our roster projection · your arrival year

Guards: open from 2027 — 5 ahead.

Forwards: blocked until 2028.

2027
Gopening5 ahead
Fbalanced9 ahead
2028
Gopening2 ahead
Fopening5 ahead
2029
Gopening1 ahead · multi-yr
Fopen3 ahead
2030
Gopen1 ahead
Fopen0 ahead

Projections for 2029, 2030 are low-confidence reads.

Guards in that room (6)
Jacob Lanier6′6″Fr
Colin Rice6′9″Fr
Taj DeGourville6′6″Jr
Cale Jacobsen6′4″RS-Sr
Trevan Leonhardt6′6″RS-Sr
Connor Essegian6′4″RS-Sr
Forwards in that room (9)
Sam Orme6′10″RS-Jr
Will Cooper6′7″RS-So
Damon Wilkinson6′11″RS-Jr
Pryce Sandfort6′7″Sr
Leo Curtis7′2″So
Boden Kapke7′0″Sr
Braden Frager6′7″RS-So
Henry Burt6′8″RS-Sr
Kadyn Betts6′8″RS-Sr
Those openings are for the roster in general. See whether your position, size and profile fit them →

If you want to play at Nebraska

How to get recruited here

For 2027 arrivals the roster projection reads: G opening (5 ahead), F balanced (9 ahead).

Of the latest cycle's 8 arrivals, 2 came straight from high school and 6 from the transfer portal.

Most arrivals come from NE, IA, IN.

9 of 15 recent arrivals held a national ranking — 9 of 15 appear in our cross-checked rankings ledger; players absent from the ledger are not necessarily unranked.

49% of last season's scoring returns.

The roster, as a depth chart

2026–27 · 15 players

Guards 6 of 15

Colin Rice6′9″Fr
Jacob Lanier6′6″Fr
Taj DeGourville6′6″Jr
Trevan Leonhardt6′6″RS-Sr · final yr
Cale Jacobsen6′4″RS-Sr · final yr4.6 PPG
Connor Essegian6′4″RS-Sr · final yr5.4 PPG

Frontcourt 9 of 15 · forwards + centers

Leo Curtis7′2″So · F1.6 PPG
Boden Kapke7′0″Sr · F · final yr
Damon Wilkinson6′11″RS-Jr · F
Sam Orme6′10″RS-Jr · F
Henry Burt6′8″RS-Sr · F · final yr
Kadyn Betts6′8″RS-Sr · F · final yr
Will Cooper6′7″RS-So · F
Pryce Sandfort6′7″Sr · F · final yr18.1 PPG
Braden Frager6′7″RS-So · F11.8 PPG
freshman final year — spot opens returning

Returning production

49%of recorded scoring returns
2 of 5top scorers returning
Top returning scorers
Pryce Sandfort18.1 PPG in 2025–26 · returning
Braden Frager11.8 PPG in 2025–26 · returning
Connor Essegian5.4 PPG in 2025–26 · returning

Computed from 12 of 16 players on the 2025–26 roster with recorded stats; "returning" means listed on the 2026–27 roster.

Who actually gets onto this roster?

How players arrive

2from high school6via the portal

9 of 15 roster spots were filled out of high school or held over.

Rankings

9 of 15

9 of 15 appear in our cross-checked rankings ledger; players absent from the ledger are not necessarily unranked.

Best-ranked: Pryce Sandfort #95.

Where from

NE 6 · IA 2 · IN 2 · MN 2 · NV 2 · AR 1

4 international: Alytus, Lithuania; Groningen; Reykjavik; Bursa, Turkey

High schools: Lincoln Southwest; Ashland-Greenwood; Elkhorn South and 2 more

Transfer flow

named arrivals and departures

2025–26 → 2026–27 · in

→Sam Orme
→Damon Wilkinson
→Taj DeGourville
→Boden Kapke
→Kadyn Betts
→Trevan Leonhardt

2025–26 → 2026–27 · out

←Quentin Rhymes
←Justin Bolis
←Berke Buyuktuncel

How this roster compares

Big Ten Conference (18 programs, 2025–26 medians)
MeasureNebraskaConference
Average guard height6′6″6′4″+2″
Average frontcourt height6′9″6′9″
Roster size1515
Freshman share13%29%−16pp

The five-year arc

kenpom rank · wins · conference finish
#1132021–22#942022–23#262023–24#572024–25#172025–26
10–22 · Big Ten 14th16–16 · Big Ten 13th23–11 · Big Ten 5th21–14 · Big Ten 13th28–7 · Big Ten 5th

Coaching staff

Fred HoibergHead coach
Nate LoenserAssociate head coach
Ernie ZeiglerAssistant coach
Pat MonaghanAssistant coach
Padyn BordersAssistant coach
Emmanuel TommyAssistant coach
Staff changes6 on-court staff changes in 1 offseasons — 6 before 2026–27.

Academics

published admissions data
Acceptance rate87%
SAT midpoint1205
ACT midpoint25

How this page is made: Rosters: official Nebraska rosters, 2025–26 and 2026–27, read from the athletic department's own site · Season: Nebraska's 2026–27 roster is posted, so this page reads it; the conference comparison uses 2025–26, the newest season every program has on file. · Stats: 2025–26, the last season played — the 2026–27 season has no games yet. · New this season: players not listed on the 2025–26 roster; a newcomer who is not a freshman counts as a transfer addition · Ratings: KenPom, five seasons; conference finish computed among same-conference teams by rating · Openings: Depth Chart's roster projection from listed class years; confidence stated per year · Sample: among players who made a college roster — the data cannot see who didn't. Among players who made a college roster. Model judgments describe positions and cohorts, never a named player's future. Refreshed automatically when the rosters change. Corrections: research@mydepthchart.com.

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