LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska receiver Hardley Gilmore IV, who transferred from Kentucky in January, has been dismissed from the team, coach Matt Rhule announced Saturday.

The second-year player from Belle Glade, Florida, had come to Nebraska along with former Kentucky teammate Dane Key and receivers coach Daikiel Shorts Jr. and had received praise from teammates and coaches for his performance in spring practice.

Rhule did not disclose a reason for removing Gilmore.

“Nothing outside the program, nothing criminal or anything like that,” Rhule said. “Just won’t be with us anymore.”

Gilmore was charged with misdemeanor assault in December for allegedly punching someone in the face at a storage facility in Lexington, Kentucky, the Lexington Herald Leader reported on Jan. 2.

Gilmore played in seven games as a freshman for the Wildcats and caught six passes for 153 yards. He started against Murray State and caught a 52-yard touchdown pass on Kentucky's opening possession. He was a consensus four-star recruit who originally chose Kentucky over Penn State and UCF.

Rhule Speaks On Position Groups

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule met with members of the media following the team’s spring practice on Saturday. He discussed the chemistry between receivers and Dane Key’s presence on the team.

“The chemistry is fine. We have a really good secondary. The battles have been good. Daikiel (Shorts Jr.) is coaching them hard. I think we’re a work in progress. There’s a lot of guys that are new to this system and they’ve picked it up well. Dane (Key) has done a good job in terms of coming in. He’s the veteran guy in the group, he’s played the most football. He’s asking guys to walk through the plays and do a little extra. Me and Wish (Jarrett Wishdon) and Satt (Marcus Satterfield) were in the sauna every day and Dane is in there every day. He’s a machine. He just loves to recover, train, work, and I think he’s brought a veteran presence to that room. I think they’re all doing well.”

He spoke on the offensive line and how young players have stepped up. 

“I think the offensive line has been one of our highlights this spring. As people have come in and visited, especially people who have been here before, they see the physical growth of our guys. Guys who were once 290 are now 310, and a good 310. Not ‘hey, we’re putting on a bunch of weight.’ They know how to practice, they know how to handle the work volume. At center, we have a lot of guys working there. Justin (Evans-Jenkins) is doing a really nice job when he gets reps there, Sam Sledge is doing a really, really nice job. Other guys rotate in there – Jason (Maciejczak) can go there. I’m probably forgetting some guys. I think overall, it’s been a really good group and it’s really fluid. We move guys around and to your point, Henry (Lutovsky) isn’t there, Teddy (Prochazka) isn’t there, Turner (Corcoran) isn’t there and Gunnar (Gottula) isn’t there. Those are four guys who started a lot of games. We’re definitely improving and like I said, it’s one of the high spots right now for us.”

Rhule also talked about players taking lessons from playing on the scout team last year.

“I think, in the old days of playing football, when you went somewhere and redshirted and got on the scout team and got your face beat in, you learned to fight back and fight for the football. You progressed. Some people want to skip that part now. They’d rather go down a level. I think there’s nothing better than playing against good players. If you’re Mekhi Nelson, last year you were running against a top 25 defense. You ran into a top 25 defense everyday and you made explosive plays. It only makes you better. There’s a lot of guys that have been through that process. Sometimes we take our twos and they take scout reps when we get into the season. We try to rotate it in a unique way.”

NU will continue with spring practice on Tuesday. The Husker Games, presented by FNBO, are set for Saturday, April 26. Fans will have the opportunity to get a preview of the 2025 Husker football, volleyball and soccer teams as part of the Husker Games events.

Juwan Gary leads Nebraska over Boise State 79-69 for shot at College Basketball Crown championship

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Juwan Gary had 21 points to lead Nebraska to a 79-69 victory over Boise State in a College Basketball Crown semifinal at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.

The Cornhuskers (20-14) will play for the championship on Sunday against UCF.

Gary added nine rebounds and three blocks for Nebraska. Brice Williams added 14 points, six assists and five rebounds. Sam Hoiberg had 10 points.

The Broncos (26-11) were led by Tyson Degenhart with 26 points and eight rebounds. Andrew Meadow added 14 points and Pearson Carmichael scored 13. The Broncos had a five-game win streak end.

Nebraska took the lead with 4:51 remaining in the first half and did not give it up. Williams had 12 points in the first half to help put them ahead 39-33 at the break. Nebraska outscored Boise State in the second half behind 11 points from Gary.

Stone Lifts Huskers to Series Win

Tyler Stone drove in three runs with a double and a home run, lifting Nebraska to its second consecutive series win at home with a 10-5 victory against Rutgers on Saturday afternoon at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

Nebraska (14-17, 4-7 Big Ten) scored 10 runs on 12 hits and two errors, while Rutgers (14-17, 4-7 Big Ten) recorded five runs and six hits.

Stone had a 2-for-3 afternoon at the plate with a double, a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. Max Buettenback was 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI, while Case Sanderson drove in two runs and had a hit.

Cayden Brumbaugh went 2-for-5 and scored twice, and Joshua Overbeek posted a 3-for-4 day with a double and an RBI. Will Jesske was 1-for-1 with an RBI and scored a team-high three runs, while Dylan Carey and Cael Frost had one hit each.

Ty Horn went 4.1 innings in the start and allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits and five walks. Jalen Worthley improved to 2-0 on the year after surrendering one run on two hits in 2.2 innings of relief. Ryan Harrahill dealt a pair of scoreless frames with two punchouts.

Back-to-back one-out singles from Jesske and Overbeek put runners on first and third, while Sanderson broke the scoreless tie with an RBI groundout to third, giving the Big Red a 1-0 lead in the third inning.

The NU offense erupted for five runs on six hits in the bottom of the fourth to stretch the lead to 6-0. Brumbaugh began the inning with an infield single, before Stone blasted a two-run 440-foot homer out of the ballpark in right field.

Carey followed Stone’s homer with a first-pitch double down the left-field line, setting up Buettenback’s two-run homer into right-center field berm. Jesske reached on a full-count walk and later stole second in the inning, while Sanderson’s RBI single to center scored the sophomore and had the Big Red out front 6-0 after four innings.

Rutgers responded with four runs on three hits and two errors in the top of the fifth to cut Nebraska’s lead to 6-4. A walk, followed by an error on a fielder’s choice had runners on second and third with no outs.

A wild pitch plated the Scarlet Knights’ first run of the afternoon, while a two-RBI single up the middle brought Rutgers within 6-3. Rutgers plated one more run in the inning on an RBI fielder’s choice to center to cut NU’s lead to 6-4 through the fifth.

A leadoff single and a one-out RBI double down the left-field line brought Rutgers within a run at 6-5 in the top of the sixth inning.

The Huskers immediately got the run back in the bottom of the sixth to send a 7-5 game into the seventh inning. Jesske reached on a four-pitch walk to begin the inning and advanced to second on a single by Overbeek. A fielder’s choice moved Jesske to third, before an RBI groundout to second base by Riley Silva doubled the lead to 7-5 for the Big Red.

A hit batter and a pair of walks loaded the bases for Nebraska with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Jesske lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score Stone, before Overbeek’s first-pitch RBI double to the left-center gap brought home Robby Bolin and grew the lead to 9-5.

The NU offense tacked on one more run for good measure in the bottom of the eighth when Stone’s RBI double to the right-field wall brought home Brumbaugh from first base with one out.

Harrahill retired the Scarlet Knights in order in the top of the ninth with a groundout and two strikeouts to clinch Nebraska’s 10-5 win on Saturday afternoon.

Nebraska and Rutgers conclude the weekend series tomorrow at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. First pitch between the Huskers and Scarlet Knights is set for 12 p.m. on B1G+.

Huskers Knock Six Homers on Record Day

The No. 20 Nebraska softball team broke or tied four school records en route to a dominant 14-1, five-inning victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday afternoon in Iowa City.

The Huskers hit six home runs on the day, which tied the school record for the most home runs in a game that was set in 1996 against Creighton. The six home runs also put NU at 76 on the year, which ties for the most home runs in a season in program history. Three homers came from sophomore Samantha Bland, who tied for the program record for home runs in a game. She is now the second Husker this season to hit three home runs in a game and the fourth in school history. 

Additionally, the run-rule win marked the Huskers’ 18th run-rule victory of the season, a new school record. NU improved to 28-9 on the season, including 8-2 in Big Ten play. Iowa fell to 21-14 (3-6 Big Ten). 

As a team, Nebraska outhit the Hawkeyes 12-2 with 10 extra-base hits and was 6-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

Bland’s three homers led the offense, while Ava Kuszak, Bella Bacon and Lauren Camenzind added one home run apiece. Olivia DiNardo logged two doubles. Bland contributed five RBIs and Bacon had three. 

Kylee Magee (4-3) claimed the win in the circle, as she pitched three innings with only one run allowed and four strikeouts. Hannah Camenzind threw scoreless fourth and fifth innings and struck out three. Talia Tretton (6-6) took the loss for Iowa.

Bland knocked an inside-the-park home run in the top of the first inning to give the Big Red a 1-0 lead.

The Hawkeyes tied it up in the bottom of the first on an RBI single.

In the top of the second, L. Camenzind hit a two-out homer, and the Huskers took the lead back at 2-1. Bahl then walked and stole second before Bland’s second home run of the day extended the Nebraska advantage to 4-1. 

Bella Bacon continued the spark for NU in the top of the third, blasting a three-run homer that scored herself, Kacie Hoffmann and Kennadi Williams. Hoffmann singled earlier in the inning and Williams was in to pinch run for DiNardo, who doubled to right field. The Big Red held a 7-1 lead going into the fourth.

Bland hit her third home run in the top of the fourth, a solo bomb that made the score 8-1. DiNardo reached on a fielder’s choice before advancing to second on an error and third on a wild pitch. Kuszak then hit her 14th home run of the year to score herself and DiNardo and extend the advantage to 10-1. 

Bacon hit a leadoff double in the top of the fifth and L. Camenzind followed up with a walk. Bahl doubled to score Bacon and send L. Camenzind to third, and a Bland sacrifice fly scored L. Camenzind. H. Camenzind reached first after being hit by a pitch and DiNardo’s second double of the day scored Bahl and H. Camenzind. 

NU will close the series with the Hawkeyes tomorrow, April 6 at 1 p.m. (CT). The game will be streamed on B1G+ and can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network.

Postgame Notes

• Today was Samantha Bland’s first multi-homer game, as she had home runs in the first, second and fourth innings.
• Bland’s three home runs tied the school record for most home runs in a game. She is now tied with Ava Kuszak, who hit three home runs against Montana earlier this year, Kaylan Jablonski and Christie McCoy. Her three homers also ties the Big Ten record for home runs in a game.
• Two Husker hitters have hit three home runs in a game this season. Before 2025, only two Huskers ever had hit three home runs in a game.
• Bland grabbed career highs in home runs (3) and RBIs (5) and tied her career high in runs scored (3).
• As a team, the Huskers – who were second in the nation in home runs per game coming into today – had six home runs, which ties the school record for home runs in a game.
• Nebraska’s six home runs brought the season total to 76, which ties the school record for home runs in a season.
• Today marked the Huskers’ 18th run-rule win of the season, which is the most in program history.
• The Huskers totaled 10 extra-base hits on the day, which is the most they have had in a game this season.
• Nebraska scored in every inning of the game. That is the second time this season that the Big Red has scored a run in every inning.
• NU has scored 10+ runs in 17 games this season.
• Olivia DiNardo tied her career high with two doubles.
• Bella Bacon earned a new career high with three RBIs.

Huskers Set All-Time Marks in Florida

Eight Huskers on the track and field team broke into or improved marks on the Nebraska all-time list at the Pepsi Florida Relays on Friday and Saturday. 

Cade Moran competed in the men’s shot put invitational, throwing 18.85m (61-10 ¼) for a fifth-place finish. In the women’s 100m, Darby Thomas ran a personal-best 11.37, the third-fastest time in school history, for the eighth-place finish. 

In the men’s high jump invitational, Mason Kooi finished sixth (2.16m, 7-1) and Reid Nelson placed seventh (2.11m. 6-11). Cade Moran threw 55.58m (182-4) in the discuss for seventh, while Brett Schwartz hit a mark of 54.93m (180-2) for eighth. On the women’s side, Kellyn Kortemeyer finished ninth (48.46m, 159-0). 

In the women’s triple jump invitational, Velecia Williams jumped 12.86m (42-2 ¼) to earn the seventh-place finish. Lotavia Brown grabbed a runner-up finish in the open division of the women’s triple jump, going 12.62m (41-5). On the men’s side, Balvin Israel triple jumped 14.05m (46-1 ¼) in the open division to finish 21st. 

Kortemeyer throw 16.50m (54-1 ¾) in the women’s shot put invitational, good for eighth. In the open division of the women’s shot put, Lauren St. Peters grabbed 11th, throwing 14.30m (46-11). Two Huskers competed in the men’s 400m open division, as Pradeep Senthilkumar broke into the all-time list, running 1:47.59, for the 10th-place finish and Holden Ruse placed 39th (1:51.15). 

Kelsie Belquist ran a personal-best 54.40 in the 400m to finish 28th, and Raiko Kahr placed 26th in the men’s 110mH prelims, running 14.75. Kavian Kerr ran 10.55 in the men’s 100m, placing 29th. 

Up next, the Huskers compete next weekend, April 11-12, at both the KT Woodman Classic in Wichita, Kan., and the 44 Farms Invitational in College Station, Texas. 

Pepsi Florida Relays Results
Women’s Hammer Throw
12. Hillevi Carlsson: 59.84m (196-4) 
13. Cammy Garabian: 59.76m (196-1) 

Women’s Discus INVITE
7. Kalynn Meyer: 53.58m (175-9)

Women’s High Jump INVITE
6. Karsyn Leeling: 1.79m (5-10 ½) PR
7. Ela Velepec: 1.76m (5-9 ¼) 

Men’s Hammer Throw
21. Brett Schwartz: 58.15m (190-9)

Men’s 1500m
11. Kaleb Sharp: 3:55.19

Women’s Long Jump INVITE
5. Velecia Williams: 6.13m (20-1 ½)
7. Lishanna Ilves: 5.87m (19-3 ¼) 

Men’s Javelin
3. Dash Sirmon: 78.26m (256-9) 
5. Arthur Petersen: 76.57m (251-2)
6. Keyshawn Strachan: 74.11m (243-1)
8. Hayden Gorovitz: 70.09m (229-11) 

Women’s Javelin
3. Maddie Harris: 56.09m (184-0)
4. Eniko Sara: 55.78m (183-0)
5. Emanuela Casadei: 52.78m (173-2)
7. Jenessa Ruder: 50.59m (165-11)

Men’s Long Jump Open
2. Kavian Kerr: 7.50m (24-7 ¼)
12. Balvin Israel: 7.01m (23-0)

Women’s High Jump Open
7. Brooklyn Miller: 1.72m (5-7 ¾)
9. Riley Masten: 1.67m (5-5 ¾) 

Women’s 400mH
36. Abrielle Artley: 1:02.15

Men’s 400mH
18. James Ledbetter: 52.33

Women’s 4x400m Prelim
18. Nebraska (Timeke-Jade Coetzee, Luciana Medina, Abrielle Artley, Kelsie Belquist): 3:45.83

Men’s 4x400m Prelim 
20. Nebraska (James Ledbetter, Logan Lebo, Holden Ruse, Pradeep Senthilkumar): 3:13.93

Men’s Discus
7. Cade Moran: 55.58m (182-4)
8. Brett Schwartz: 54.93m (180-2)

Men’s High Jump INVITE
6. Mason Kooi: 2.16m (7-1)
7. Reid Nelson: 2.11m (6-11) 

Men’s 110mH Prelims
26. Raiko Kahr: 14.75

Women’s Shot Put INVITE
8. Kellyn Kortemeyer: 16.50m (54-1 ¾) 

Men’s 400m Open
10. Pradeep Senthilkumar: 1:47.59 PR
39. Holden Ruse: 1:51.15

Men’s Triple Jump Open
21. Balvin Israel: 14.05m (46-1 ¼)

Women’s Triple Jump Open
2. Lotavia Brown: 12.62m (41-5)

Men’s Shot Put INVITE
5. Cade Moran: 18.85m (61-10 ¼)

Women’s Discus Open
9. Kellyn Kortemeyer: 48.46m (159-0)

Women’s 400m 
28. Kelsie Belquist: 54.40 PR

Women’s 100m
8. Darby Thomas: 11.37 PR

Men’s 100m
29. Kavian Kerr: 10.55

Women’s Triple Jump INVITE
7. Velecia Williams: 12.86m (42-2 ¼) 

Women’s Shot Put Open 
11. Lauren St. Peters: 14.30m (46-11)