NFL Stars Taylor-Britt, Gerry Headline 15 Husker Football Graduates

Lincoln - A school-record 103 Husker student-athletes will earn degrees this weekend during the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s commencement ceremonies, with graduate commencement occurring on Friday at 3 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena, before undergraduate commencement is held at Memorial Stadium Saturday at 9 a.m. 

 

The elite group of Huskers is powered by 18 student-athletes who combined for 47 All-America awards in collegiate competition during their careers. The class features a pair of NCAA Champions in Rhema Otabor (javelin, 2023) and Cecelia Ossi (smallbore rifle, 2023), and two NCAA silver medalist men’s gymnasts in Taylor Christopulos (floor, 2024; all-around, 2023) and Zac Tiderman (high bar, 2024).

 

Nebraska’s largest class of student-athlete graduates in history also features a pair of NFL players who returned to Lincoln to complete their degrees. Current Cincinnati defensive back Cam Taylor-Britt, who helped the Bengals to the 2022 AFC Championship Game, will claim his degree as a criminology and criminal justice major. Taylor-Britt has started 20 games in his first two professional seasons after being chosen in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft by Cincinnati.

 

Nathan Gerry, who was a fifth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2017 NFL Draft, completed his degree as a sociology major. The linebacker/safety from Sioux Falls, S.D., helped the Eagles to a championship in Super Bowl LII, while also playing for San Francisco and Washington during his career.

 

Taylor-Britt, Gerry, 2024 Nebraska Outstanding Male Student-Athlete Ethan Piper and Husker dual-sport star Nash Hutmacher are among 15 current or former Husker football players in the huge class of May graduates. In addition, punter Brian Buschini earned his master's degree on Friday - his second degree from Nebraska  - and is expected to play the 2024 season with his bachelor's degree in criminology and criminal justice and his master's degree in construction engineering and management in hand. Buschini is not included among the official count of Husker graduates, which includes only student-athletes earning their first degrees from the University.

 

Former Husker baseball star Ryan Boldt also returned to Lincoln for his degree. Boldt, who was a two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-American (2015, 2016) as an outfielder for the Huskers, was a second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2016 MLB Draft following his junior season. The Red Wing, Minn., native overcame injuries to advance to a pair of seasons with the AAA Durham Bulls, where he played a total of 152 games in 2021 and 2022. He earned his bachelor’s degree as a nutrition and health sciences major.

 

Boldt is one of eight current and former Husker baseball players to graduate on Saturday, including Nebraska ace Brett Sears, who pitched the Big Red to a 2-1 win at Michigan State on Thursday night. Sears, who was announced as a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Award earlier this week, is 8-0 with a 2.05 ERA and is the leading contender for Big Ten Pitcher-of-the-Year honors. Garrett Anglim, Cole Evans, Trey Frahm, Bryce Hughes, Will Walsh and former teammate Luke Sartori will also graduate this weekend while the Huskers battle for the Big Ten regular-season title.

 

A huge collection of 33 men’s and women’s track and field student-athletes make up nearly one-third of Nebraska’s graduating class. The Husker track and field graduates include nine athletes who have combined for 18 first- or second-team All-America honors as collegians, including 2023 NCAA champion and two-time Big Ten javelin champion Rhema Otabor. The two-time first-team All-American from the Bahamas is joined by four-time All-Americans and three-time Big Ten champions Jenna Rogers (high jump) and Darius Luff (hurdles) in the graduating class.

 

Nebraska’s graduating track and field All-Americans also include Mirta Kulisic (javelin), Micaylon Moore (triple jump), Lorenzo Paissan (4x100), Arthur Petersen (javelin), Brithton Senior (4x100) and La’Qwasia Stepney (high jump).

 

A group of five Husker men’s gymnasts also add big accomplishments in competition to the graduating class with four athletes who combined for 13 career NCAA All-America honors. Taylor Christopulos, the 2023 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year, was an eight-time All-American and the NCAA runner-up in the all-around (2023) and floor exercise (2024). Zac Tiderman added a pair of All-America honors, including a runner-up trophy on high bar in 2024. Sam Phillips also contributed two All-America awards, while Cooper Giles added an All-America honor.

 

The Nebraska volleyball team adds more impressive credentials to the class with three-time All-American and two-time CSC Academic All-American Lexi Rodriguez leading the way. Rodriguez, who earned first-team All-America honors on and off the court as a junior libero in 2023, claims her degree as an advertising and public relations major. She is joined by fellow 2023 first-team All-American Merritt Beason among five volleyball players in the class.

 

Cecelia Ossi, the 2023 NCAA Champion in the smallbore, adds elite level performance to the group. The seven-time All-American and 2023 Nebraska Female Athlete of the Year is among three rifle student-athletes in the class.

 

Two-time All-American and 2024 Big Ten 149-pound champion Ridge Lovett contributes more honors among three wrestlers in the class, while three-time NTCA All-American Kayla Verstraete also headlines a trio of bowling graduates.

 

Nebraska’s 2024 Outstanding Female Student-Athlete and 2022 Female Athlete of the Year Billie Andrews leads a group of eight graduates from the softball program, while 2024 College Three-Point Champion Keisei Tominaga adds recognition for the men’s basketball program. Five swimmers, four women’s gymnasts, three men’s and women’s golfers, a pair of soccer student-athletes and a member of the men’s tennis team round out Nebraska’s 2024 class.

 

The May graduates came from near and far to call Nebraska home during their careers. The group came to Lincoln from 24 states, including 32 native Nebraskans, while 16 more Huskers journeyed to Nebraska from 11 foreign countries (Bahamas, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, England, Germany, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Slovakia, South Africa).

 

Nebraska continues to feature one of the highest graduation rates in the country, while leading the Big Ten with 354 CSC Academic All-Americans and NCAA Top 10 Award winners (18) across all sports.

 

Trevor Acton, Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country (Lincoln, Nebraska) - Marketing

Matthias Algarin, Men’s Track & Field (Pierz, Minnesota) - Management

Billie Andrews, Softball (Gretna, Nebraska) - Graphic Design

Brooke Andrews, Softball (Gretna, Nebraska) - Psychology

Garrett Anglim, Baseball (La Vista, Nebraska) - Management

Camyl Armendariz, Softball (La Verne, California) - Criminology & Criminal Justice

Sarah Barton, Swimming & Diving (Huntersville, North Carolina) - Hospitality, Restaurant & Tourism Management

Ally Batenhorst, Volleyball (Houston, Texas) - Communication Studies

Merritt Beason, Volleyball (Gardendale, Alabama) - Child, Youth & Family Studies

Cory Berg, Men’s Track & Field (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) - Construction Management

Lindsey Blehm, Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country (Lincoln, Nebraska) - Environmental Science

Nate Boerkircher, Football (Aurora, Nebraska) - Finance

Ryan Boldt, Baseball (Red Wing, Minnesota) - Nutrition & Health Sciences

Chief Borders, Football (Chicago, Illinois) - Child, Youth & Family Studies

Nick Bryant, Men’s Track & Field (Memphis, Tennessee) - Political Science

Alexis Buchert, Bowling (San Antonio, Texas) - Child, Youth & Family Studies

Ru’Quan Buckley, Football (Wyoming, Michigan) - Criminology & Criminal Justice
***Brian Buschini, Football (Helena, Montana) - Construction Engineering & Management - Master's

Lauren Buzzell, Soccer (St. Francis, Minnesota) - Criminology & Criminal Justice

Caitlin Cairns, Swimming & Diving (Colorado Springs, Colorado) - Management

Adam Christopher, Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country (Park Ridge, Illinois) - Business Administration

Taylor Christopulos, Men’s Gymnastics (Layton, Utah) - Agribusiness

Joseph Clifford, Men’s Track & Field (New Concord, Ohio) - Emerging Media Arts

Kendall Coley, Women’s Basketball (Minneapolis, Minnesota) - Advertising & Public Relations

Clara Colombo, Women’s Gymnastics (Caravaggio, Italy) - Biochemistry

Martina Comin, Women’s Gymnastics (Vicenza, Italy) - Business Administration

Marissa Cosentini, Bowling (Wayne, New Jersey) - Criminology & Criminal Justice

Kinsey Davis, Women’s Gymnastics (Huntersville, North Carolina) - Communication Studies

Gabriela Donahue, Swimming & Diving (Oviedo, Florida) - Management/Marketing

Madelynn Erickson, Rifle (Sutter, California) - Nutrition & Health Sciences

Gabe Ervin, Football (Buford, Georgia) - Management

Cole Evans, Baseball (Grand Island, Nebraska) - Child, Youth & Family Studies

Trey Frahm, Baseball (Elkhorn, Nebraska) - Child, Youth & Family Studies

James Friedman, Men’s Gymnastics (Salem, Oregon) - Accounting

Jessica Gardner, Women’s Track & Field (Lincoln, Nebraska) - Advertising & Public Relations

Nathan Gerry, Football (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) - Sociology

Cooper Giles, Men’s Gymnastics (Lake Zurich, Illinois) - Nutrition & Health Sciences

Sydney Gray, Softball (Tucson, Arizona) - Finance

Heinrich Haarberg, Football (Kearney, Nebraska) - Finance

Ty Hahn, Football (Johnson, Nebraska) - Management

Emily Haimes, Swimming & Diving (Enfield, London, England) - History/Psychology

Lena Hassert, Women’s Golf (Kreuzau, Germany) - Business Administration

Ashton Hausmann, Football (Roca, Nebraska) - Management

Kolby Heinerikson, Men’s Track & Field (Kansas City, Missouri) - Biological Sciences

Bryce Hughes, Baseball (Channelview, Texas) - Child, Youth & Family Studies

Nash Hutmacher, Football/Wrestling (Oacoma, South Dakota) - Management

Jacob Hyde, Men’s Track & Field (Rapid City, South Dakota) - Management

Jerry Jorgenson, Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country (Treynor, Iowa) - Marketing/Advertising & Public Relations

Kaylin Kinney, Softball (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) - Child, Youth & Family Studies

Lindsay Krause, Volleyball (Papillion, Nebraska) - English

Lexi Kucera, Swimming & Diving (Hutchinson, Minnesota) - Nutrition & Health Sciences

Mirta Kulisic, Women’s Track & Field (Split, Croatia) - Biochemistry

Ridge Lovett, Wrestling (Post Falls, Idaho) - Communication Studies

Trevin Luben, Football (Wahoo, Nebraska) - Management

Darius Luff, Men’s Track & Field (Lincoln, Nebraska) - Criminology & Criminal Justice

Seth Malcom, Football (Tabor, Iowa) - Management

Dais Malebana, Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country (Pretoria, South Africa) - Child, Youth & Family Studies

Reed Malleck, Men’s Golf (York, Nebraska) - Finance

Will Marshall, Men’s Golf (Elburn, Illinois) - Mathematics

Shunya Maruyama, Men’s Tennis (Nagano, Japan) - Psychology

Riley Masten, Women’s Track & Field (Highlands Ranch, Colorado) - Child, Youth & Family Studies

Ashley McElmurry, Women’s Track & Field (Missoula, Montana) - Child, Youth & Family Studies

Kalynn Meyer, Women’s Track & Field (Superior, Nebraska) - Agricultural Engineering

Karlie Moore, Women’s Track & Field (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) - Broadcasting/Sports Media & Communication

Micaylon Moore, Men’s Track & Field (Fort Collins, Colorado) - Biological Sciences

Tanessa Morris, Women’s Track & Field (Brooks, Alberta, Canada) - Natural Resource Sciences - Master’s

Katelyn Mullinax, Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country (Naperville, Illinois) - Management/Marketing

Caitlynn Neal, Softball (Dewey, Arizona) - Child, Youth & Family Studies

Abbey Newlun, Softball (The Woodlands, Texas) - Child, Youth & Family Studies

Jack Nolley, Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country (Lincoln, Nebraska) - Software Engineering

Kennedi Orr, Volleyball (Eagan, Minnesota) - Communication Studies

Cecelia Ossi, Rifle (Annandale, New Jersey) - Finance

Rhema Otabor, Women’s Track & Field (Nassau, Bahamas) - Actuarial Science

Lorenzo Paissan, Men’s Track & Field (Trento, Italy) - Finance/Management

Arthur Petersen, Men’s Track & Field (Hellerup, Denmark) - Management

Sam Phillips, Men’s Gymnastics (Woodland Hills, California) - Hospitality, Restaurant & Tourism Management

Ethan Piper, Football (Norfolk, Nebraska) - Science Education (7-12)

Hannah Preissler, Women’s Track & Field (Giltner, Nebraska) - Sports Media & Communication

Cal Puskar, Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country (Orchard Park, New York) - Educational Psychology - Master’s

Emma Ralston, Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country (Papillion, Nebraska) - Nutrition & Health Sciences

Lexi Rodriguez, Volleyball (Sterling, Illinois) - Advertising & Public Relations

Jenna Rogers, Women’s Track & Field (Rutherford, New Jersey) Communication Sciences & Disorders

Luke Sartori, Baseball (Lincoln, Nebraska) - Nutrition & Health Sciences

Gentry Scheve, Men’s Golf (Emporia, Kansas) - Child, Youth & Family Studies

Brett Sears, Baseball (Westphalia, Iowa) - Child, Youth & Family Studies

Brithton Senior, Men’s Track & Field (Hanover, Jamaica) - Child, Youth & Family Studies

Erik Snell, Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country (Mount Prospect, Illinois) - Nutrition & Health Sciences

Abbie Squier, Softball (Lincoln, Nebraska) - Finance

La’Qwasia Stepney, Women’s Track & Field (Belleville, Illinois) - Criminology & Criminal Justice

Annika Stewart, Women’s Basketball (Plymouth, Minnesota) - Nutrition & Health Sciences

Katie Stoneburner, Soccer (Omaha, Nebraska) - Business Administration

Mackenzie Strauch, Rifle (Belgrade, Montana) - Criminology & Criminal Justice

Grant Tagge, Football (Omaha, Nebraska) - Finance

Cam Taylor-Britt, Football (Montgomery, Alabama) - Criminology & Criminal Justice

Lindsey Thiele, Women’s Golf (Wahoo, Nebraska) - Psychology

Alex Thomsen, Wrestling (Neola, Iowa) - Biological Systems Engineering

Zac Tiderman, Men’s Gymnastics (Wilsonville, Oregon) - Business Administration

Keisei Tominaga, Men’s Basketball (Moriyama, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan) - Child, Youth & Family Studies

Michaela Vavrova, Women’s Golf (Bojnice, Slovakia) - Hospitality, Restaurant & Tourism Management

Kayla Verstraete, Bowling (Loves Park, Illinois) - Criminology & Criminal Justice

Bennet Vinken, Men’s Track & Field (Hamburg, Germany) - Management

Will Walsh, Baseball (Leawood, Kansas) - Management

Caroline Williams, Women’s Gymnastics (Roswell, Georgia) - Communication Sciences & Disorders

Camden Witucki, Football (Grand Blanc, Michigan) - Management