Nebraska Professional Athletes

Nebraska's NFL alumni class had a quiet summer — then the final week of August delivered two genuine storylines worth watching heading into the regular season.

Maliek Collins Ends His 'Long Journey' Back

The bigger news out of the Husker diaspora belongs to Cleveland. Defensive tackle Maliek Collins, whose 2025 season was cut short by injury, has been activated by the Browns and is back on the practice field — a moment Collins himself described as the end of a "long journey."

Collins' return is significant for a Cleveland defense that missed his interior presence last year. The Browns had gone the entire summer without him at practice, making his activation in the final stretch of the preseason a notable development for a team still searching for its defensive identity. Collins doesn't have to rebuild his reputation — he just has to stay healthy. If he can do that, he slots back in as a legitimate starter along Cleveland's defensive line.

The timing gives him a narrow window to get up to speed before the regular season, but Collins has made clear he's not easing back in gingerly. By all indications from the Browns' camp, he intends to pick up exactly where he left off.

Ty Robinson Turning Heads in Philadelphia

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the country, former Husker Ty Robinson is generating buzz for a very different reason: All-22 film doesn't lie, and Eagles analysts reviewing Philadelphia's second preseason game against the Patriots liked what they saw from the big defensive tackle.

Robinson, competing for snaps in what is a crowded but talented Eagles defensive front, showed "signs of life" according to film-room analysis of the game — the kind of granular praise that matters more than preseason box scores. For a player working to carve out a role on a roster with legitimate Super Bowl ambitions, standing out on film review is how you survive final cuts.

Robinson has the size and the pedigree — Nebraska's defensive line pipeline has fed the NFL for years — but translating college production to a competitive Eagles depth chart requires more than potential. The early film suggests he may be doing exactly that.

The Broader Husker Picture

Collins and Robinson are the headliners this week, but Nebraska's NFL footprint remains expansive. Jack Stoll is still in Cleveland alongside Collins at tight end. Cam Jurgens and Nick Gates both hold roster spots on the Eagles' offensive line — meaning Philadelphia's connection to Lincoln runs deep on both sides of the ball. Lavonte David continues to hang on in Tampa, and Cam Taylor-Britt is in Indianapolis looking to reestablish himself with the Colts.

The Collins and Robinson storylines are the ones that matter most right now. One is a veteran fighting to reclaim his health and his standing; the other is a younger player fighting to earn his. Both are worth tracking as rosters finalize and the regular season comes into focus.

Stoll Lands on IR in Cleveland

Nebraska tight end Jack Stoll's 2026 season is in serious trouble. The Cleveland Browns placed Stoll on injured reserve this week and signed free-agent tight end Drew Biber to fill the vacancy — a move that effectively ends Stoll's year barring a roster exception. The Browns had carried real questions about their tight end room entering camp, and Stoll's injury only deepens the uncertainty at the position in Cleveland. Biber, brought in as an immediate replacement, now steps into the competition Stoll was expected to be part of.

It's a brutal blow for the former Husker, who has battled to carve out a role in the NFL since being drafted by the Eagles. The IR designation signals the injury is significant enough to sideline him for the foreseeable future, and with Biber already signed, the path back onto the active roster this season is narrow.

Neyor Making Noise in Green Bay

While Stoll's week was rough, fellow Husker Isaiah Neyor had reason for optimism in Green Bay. The Packers wide receiver turned heads in the team's first preseason game, earning enough notice that his performance was broken down in a dedicated film room analysis alongside J. Michael Sturdivant. For a player fighting to secure a roster spot, a standout preseason showing is exactly the kind of tape that matters to coaches making final cuts. Neyor's route running and hands were highlighted as areas where he made a case for himself — meaningful progress for a receiver trying to stick on a deep Packers depth chart.

Robinson Rising in Philadelphia

In Philadelphia, defensive tackle Ty Robinson is quietly making a name for himself during camp. Eagles beat reporter Roob singled out Robinson as a notable riser in his observations column, pointing to his strong play as part of a broader look at the roster decisions facing GM Howie Roseman. For Robinson, a former Blackshirt who has worked his way through the NFL's margins, earning that kind of individual mention amid a crowded and talented Eagles defensive line is no small thing. Nebraska's defensive line pipeline to the pros continues to show up — Robinson is making sure the coaching staff knows his name before cuts arrive.

The Bigger Picture

Three Nebraska alumni, three different storylines in the space of a week — and they capture the full range of NFL life. Stoll is navigating the sport's cruelest reality, an injury that steals a season before it begins. Neyor is seizing his moment on the preseason stage where careers are won and lost on a handful of snaps. Robinson is grinding through camp and earning respect on one of the NFC's most competitive rosters.

The Husker footprint across the NFL remains wide, but this week, these three stories stood out. Stoll's situation will be worth monitoring as the roster cutdown deadline approaches; an injury settlement or return designation remains a possibility, however slim.