Honors & Awards
» Nebraska Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year (2021)
» Academic All-Big Ten (2021, 2022)
» Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2021, 2022; Spring 2020, 2021, 2022)
2022 (Redshirt Freshman)
Blaise Gunnerson played in every game in 2022, seeing action on defense and special teams. He finished with five tackles. Gunnerson made his first tackle of the season against North Dakota. He tied his career high with two tackles at Rutgers, making one stop on defense and a key tackle on a Scarlet Knight blocked punt that prevented a touchdown. He had one tackle on defense against Wisconsin. Gunnerson ended the year with one tackle back in his home state of Iowa in the Huskers' win over the Hawkeyes.
2021 (Redshirt)
Gunnerson played in three games in 2021. He made his Husker debut in the win over Fordham and saw significant snaps at No. 19 Wisconsin, finishing with his first two career tackles against the Badgers. Gunnerson also earned significant playing time in the season finale against No. 17 Iowa, recording a share of a two-yard tackle for loss for his first career TFL.
In addition to contributing on the field, Gunnerson was a standout in practice and was named Nebraska's Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year.
2020 (Covid Season)
Gunnerson did not play in a game in his first season at Nebraska.
Before Nebraska (Kuemper Catholic HS)
Gunnerson enrolled at Nebraska in January of 2020 after starring at Kuemper Catholic High School in Iowa. Gunnerson is the lone Iowa native in the Huskers’ freshman class, and he was selected to play in the 2020 All-American Bowl, which featured the country’s top 100 seniors. Gunnerson totaled 47 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks as a senior, while also catching 11 passes for 149 yards and three touchdowns. Gunnerson missed his junior season with an injury. Despite battling injuries during his prep career, Gunnerson was the first Kuemper Catholic High football player to earn an FBS scholarship in at least 20 years.
A three-star prospect, Gunnerson was ranked as the No. 13 strongside defensive end in the country by 247Sports, which also listed him among the nation’s top 350 overall recruits. Gunnerson also visited in-state schools Iowa and Iowa State, and he also had offers from Kansas State and Minnesota, among others.
Personal
Blaise is the son of Cindy Menke and Steve Gunnerson and the step-son of Carrie Gunnerson and Jarod Menke. He was born on Jan. 24, 2002. The supply chain management major earned his bachelor's degree from Nebraska in May of 2023.