Nebraska coach Matt Rhule awarded his first two single-digit jerseys of 2025 preseason practice, as wide receiver Dane Key received jersey No. 6, while defensive tackle Riley Van Poppel selected jersey No. 5.
Rhule has held the single-digit numbers, usually the most sought-after, for the players who were voted by their teammates as the toughest on the team. He began the custom at Temple, then has carried it to head coaching stops at Baylor and Nebraska.
“I got really tired of having a guy in my program who had spent three years at like No. 47… wanted to wear No. 1 or No. 3, and he had earned it and we would give it to a recruit,” Rhule said before his first season. “What we decided was (numbers) 1-9, now 0-9, would go to the nine or now 10 ‘toughest’ guys on the team. When I say ‘toughest’, we define that for the guys, but really the guys who best exemplify what it means to be a Cornhusker. To be accountable, to be dependable, to be tough, hard-working, competitive every single day.”
Key came to Nebraska from Kentucky, where he started 35 games over three years for the Wildcats. He caught 126 passes for 1,870 yards and 14 touchdowns. Last year, he had 47 receptions for 715 yards and two touchdowns while starting 11 games in the SEC.
Van Poppel is a sophomore defensive tackle who redshirted last year. He played in five games last year, totaling three tackles and one tackle for loss. He played in 11 games as a true freshman, making five tackles, a tackle for loss and half a quarterback sack.
Key and Van Poppel join previous single-digit jersey number holders Vincent Shavers, Jr., (No. 1), Marques Buford, Jr., (No. 3), Malcolm Hartzog (No. 7) and DeShon Singleton (No. 8).