Nebraska may have found their backup running back for the 2025 season. Sophomore Kwinten Ives has taken hold of the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, according to what offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen said during a session with the media on Thursday.
Ives appeared in nine games last season, carrying the ball six times for seven yards and a touchdown. He scored his first collegiate touchdown in the Pinstripe Bowl against Boston College, running in from two yards out. In addition to what he could do in the backfield, he also saw time on kickoff return. He returned three kickoffs for 58 yards, including a 40-yard return against Indiana.
The running back room has been a hot topic of discussion throughout the spring. There were questions as to how the depth at the position would shake out and who would step up and secure the No. 2 spot behind projected starter Emmett Johnson. Now, it appears as though we may be getting a clearer picture, as Holgorsen explained what Ives has done to separate himself from the competition.
"Just getting his pads low, running hard and physical. Being physical in pass protection. I go back to when I was here for the last three games. He wasn't a guy that we could count on at that time. And then the amount of time that he repped in December was really, really, really good for him. Went into the bowl game and scored a touchdown on the goalline and I think that gave him some confidence. And the good news is it's carried over."
Nebraska will open the 2025 college football season on Thursday, August 28, when the Huskers face the Cincinnati Bearcats at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The kickoff time has yet to be determined.
Kwinten Ives has taken hold of the No. 2 job at running back behind Emmett Johnson, according to Nebraska OC Dana Holgorsen. December practices were big for Ives.
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) April 10, 2025
"The rest of them are just young," Holgorsen said. "They need 100 reps. They need 1,000 reps."
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This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Kwinten Ives making his case to be the No. 2 running back for Nebraska
