Honors & Awards
» Nebraska Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year (2021)
» Academic All-Big Ten (2021, 2022, 2023)
» Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2021, 2022; Spring 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)

2023 (Sophomore)
Blaise Gunnerson played in 11 games with four starts in 2023. He set career highs with nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and one blocked punt. Gunnerson was a key part of a Blackshirt defense that posted Nebraska's best rushing defense (92.9 yards per game), total defense (303.5 yards per game) and scoring defense (18.3 points per game) since the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2011. NU ranked in the top 20 nationally in each of those three categories.

Gunnerson made his first career start at Minnesota, recording a career-high four tackles, including a fourth-quarter sack that marked his first career sack. Gunnerson had a quarterback hurry at Colorado. He tied his career high with four tackles against Louisiana Tech while breaking up the first pass of his career. At Illinois, Gunnerson blocked the first punt of his career. He had a two-yard half tackle for loss against Purdue. Gunnerson played against Michigan State, Maryland and Wisconsin but did not have a tackle. He missed the season finale against Iowa due to injury.

2022 (Redshirt Freshman)
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, and earned his degree in supply chain management in May of 2023. Gunnerson has volunteered his time with the Nebraska Football Road Race, Thanksgiving hospital visits and the Huskers’ Day of Service.