The honor is deserved, and it also tells you something important about Nebraska: this is not a line being rebuilt from scratch, but one being led by a proven returning center. Justin Evans was named a second-team preseason All-America selection by The Athletic this week, a neat reward for a player who has quietly turned himself into one of the most established pieces on the Huskers front.
For a program looking to set the tone early, that matters. Evans is not an accidental starter or a one-year flash. He brings 31 career starts and 38 career appearances into 2025, which is exactly the sort of résumé that should make a preseason accolade look less like hype and more like overdue recognition.
An experienced leader in the middle
The path here has been built steadily. Earlier this month, Evans was already on the Rimington Trophy Watch List. In 2023, he played in all 13 games and made five starts as a redshirt freshman. In 2024, he started all 12 games at guard and played in all 13 games. Last season, he moved to center and started all 13 games there, giving Nebraska the kind of stability every offensive line craves and very few actually find.
That experience is the real point. Evans has not merely been around; he has been trusted in multiple roles and has handled each of them. At a position where communication, timing and toughness are everything, that kind of versatility is gold. It is also why preseason recognition feels justified rather than generous.
Why Emmett Johnson enters the picture
The connection to Emmett Johnson is not subtle. Last season, Evans helped pave the way for Johnson to earn first-team All-America honors, which is the kind of detail that should stop anyone from dismissing offensive line play as background noise. It is not background noise. It is the structure that allows the stars to shine.
That is what makes Evans such a valuable returning piece for Nebraska. He is not the loudest name in the conversation, but he is the sort of player who makes the rest of the offense more reliable, more physical and far easier to trust. If Johnson’s recognition last season was a payoff, Evans was part of the foundation.
Ohio awaits
Now the focus shifts to Saturday, Sept. 5, when Justin Evans and the Huskers open the season against Ohio. Preseason honors do not guarantee anything once the games start, but they do tell you who has earned respect before kickoff. Evans has done that, and Nebraska would be wise to treat him as exactly what he is: an experienced leader in the middle, and a major reason the offense has a chance to look organized from the start.
