An already thin Husker running back room took a hit when Dante Dowdell transferred to Kentucky in December.
Dowdell saw action in all 12 regular-season games for the Huskers — making seven starts — and finished the season with over 600 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The Oregon transfer saw his role change and ceded the RB1 spot to Emmett Johnson after Dana Holgorsen was brought in to run the offense after the UCLA game. Even so, he was all set to return before the Wildcats made him an NIL offer he couldn’t turn down. Welcome to the new normal of college football.
While Emmett Johnson established himself as the best fit for Holgorsen’s offense and could be poised for a breakout junior season, the room lost its power back with Dowdell’s departure.
Could the long-term solution to that role come from Conor Booth?
The 6-foot, 210-pound Wahoo (Neb.) Bishop Neumann star was offered on June 13, 2023, after camping in Lincoln and impressing running backs coach E.J. Barthel. He was initially viewed as a fullback prospect with plans to give him a look at linebacker as well. Booth was coming off an all-district season after rushing for 964 yards and 18 touchdowns on 72 carries as a sophomore playing fullback in an option veer system.
At the time, many Husker fans scratched their heads at the early offer. By that point, Booth was a much better baseball prospect. An all-state selection as a sophomore and junior, Husker baseball assistant Mike Sirianni had been recruiting the outfielder/catcher for a while.
According to Prep Baseball Report, during a camp in August 2023, Booth was laser-timed with a 1.60-second 10-yard split and ran a 6.69-second 60 yards and a 3.71-second 30 yards. He was also credited with reaching a top speed of 20.7 miles per hour, and as a batter he struck the ball to the tune of a 98.6 mph exit velocity.
Most football coaches scoff at the idea of a dual-sport athlete at the college level. They want your undivided focus year-round. Matt Rhule is not one of those coaches. Both the football and baseball coaching staffs at Nebraska think enough of Booth’s upside that they signed off on him playing both sports in Lincoln.
Booth wasted little time joining the 2025 class, pledging to the Huskers on Aug. 27, 2023, before the start of his junior year and before Rhule had coached a game for Nebraska.
Bishop Neumann switched to a shotgun spread system for Booth’s junior season and moved him to tailback. He absolutely exploded in his new role. Booth helped lead Bishop Neumann to the state playoffs with an 8-2 record. He rushed for 2,159 yards and 31 touchdowns while eclipsing the 100-yard mark in every game. He also had 185 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches.
For his efforts, he was named first-team All-Nebraska by the Omaha World-Herald and a Super-State honoree by the Lincoln Journal Star. He was also named NebPreps state player of the year.
Booth carried the momentum into the offseason. In January 2024, he was one of over 1,000 underclassmen who participated in the annual National Combine in San Antonio, which coincides with the Navy All-American Bowl. The event features testing, positional drills and 1-on-1s. After a strong showing, Booth was named to the 247Sports All-Combine Team and was first-team offense at running back.
He returned to Lincoln for his official visit June 14 and spent time watching film with E.J. Barthel as the pair discussed what his role would be in the offense.
Booth was one of the nation’s most prolific runners this past fall as a senior. He rushed for 2,956 yards and 50 touchdowns — both Class C-2 state records — and topped the 100-yard mark in 11 of the Cavaliers’ 13 games.
On Oct. 4, Booth rushed for 377 yards and tied the Class C-2 state record with eight touchdowns — 67, 49, 13, 52, 13, 8, 4 and 39 yards — when Bishop Neumann steamrolled No. 5-ranked Malcolm 53-7.
He helped lead Bishop Neumann to an 11-2 record and the state championship game — all while being limited toward the end of the season as he played through a partially torn MCL in his left knee and torn tendons in his left ankle.
A Rivals four-star recruit, Booth was named first-team Super-State and honorary team captain by the Lincoln Journal Star and first-team All-Nebraska by the Omaha World-Herald. He was also named Gatorade Player of the Year for Nebraska.
He enrolled early but will be limited as he recovers from his late-season injuries. He won’t need surgery and has been going through physical therapy to try and speed up the healing process.
The step-up in competition from high school to the Big Ten is gargantuan, but it’s going to be an even bigger hurdle in Year 1 for Booth.
Booth has the potential to be the heir apparent to previous big backs Dante Dowdell and Gabe Ervin. I’m just not sure he’ll see the field much in 2025, unless Holgorsen has some special short-yardage packages and situational carries in line for him.
I also wouldn’t be surprised if baseball turns out to be his best sport. Even though playing two sports is encouraged by Matt Rhule, unless it’s a track and field event, history has shown us that unless you’re Bo Jackson, you tend to be much better at one or the other at the college level.
An already thin Husker running back room took a hit when Dante Dowdell transferred to Kentucky in December.
Dowdell saw action in all 12 regular-season games for the Huskers — making seven starts — and finished the season with over 600 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The Oregon transfer saw his role change and ceded the RB1 spot to Emmett Johnson after Dana Holgorsen was brought in to run the offense after the UCLA game. Even so, he was all set to return before the Wildcats made him an NIL offer he couldn’t turn down. Welcome to the new normal of college football.
While Emmett Johnson established himself as the best fit for Holgorsen’s offense and could be poised for a breakout junior season, the room lost its power back with Dowdell’s departure.
Could the long-term solution to that role come from Conor Booth?
The 6-foot, 210-pound Wahoo (Neb.) Bishop Neumann star was offered on June 13, 2023, after camping in Lincoln and impressing running backs coach E.J. Barthel. He was initially viewed as a fullback prospect with plans to give him a look at linebacker as well. Booth was coming off an all-district season after rushing for 964 yards and 18 touchdowns on 72 carries as a sophomore playing fullback in an option veer system.
At the time, many Husker fans scratched their heads at the early offer. By that point, Booth was a much better baseball prospect. An all-state selection as a sophomore and junior, Husker baseball assistant Mike Sirianni had been recruiting the outfielder/catcher for a while.
According to Prep Baseball Report, during a camp in August 2023, Booth was laser-timed with a 1.60-second 10-yard split and ran a 6.69-second 60 yards and a 3.71-second 30 yards. He was also credited with reaching a top speed of 20.7 miles per hour, and as a batter he struck the ball to the tune of a 98.6 mph exit velocity.
Most football coaches scoff at the idea of a dual-sport athlete at the college level. They want your undivided focus year-round. Matt Rhule is not one of those coaches. Both the football and baseball coaching staffs at Nebraska think enough of Booth’s upside that they signed off on him playing both sports in Lincoln.
Booth wasted little time joining the 2025 class, pledging to the Huskers on Aug. 27, 2023, before the start of his junior year and before Rhule had coached a game for Nebraska.
Bishop Neumann switched to a shotgun spread system for Booth’s junior season and moved him to tailback. He absolutely exploded in his new role. Booth helped lead Bishop Neumann to the state playoffs with an 8-2 record. He rushed for 2,159 yards and 31 touchdowns while eclipsing the 100-yard mark in every game. He also had 185 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches.
For his efforts, he was named first-team All-Nebraska by the Omaha World-Herald and a Super-State honoree by the Lincoln Journal Star. He was also named NebPreps state player of the year.
Booth carried the momentum into the offseason. In January 2024, he was one of over 1,000 underclassmen who participated in the annual National Combine in San Antonio, which coincides with the Navy All-American Bowl. The event features testing, positional drills and 1-on-1s. After a strong showing, Booth was named to the 247Sports All-Combine Team and was first-team offense at running back.
He returned to Lincoln for his official visit June 14 and spent time watching film with E.J. Barthel as the pair discussed what his role would be in the offense.
Booth was one of the nation’s most prolific runners this past fall as a senior. He rushed for 2,956 yards and 50 touchdowns — both Class C-2 state records — and topped the 100-yard mark in 11 of the Cavaliers’ 13 games.
On Oct. 4, Booth rushed for 377 yards and tied the Class C-2 state record with eight touchdowns — 67, 49, 13, 52, 13, 8, 4 and 39 yards — when Bishop Neumann steamrolled No. 5-ranked Malcolm 53-7.
He helped lead Bishop Neumann to an 11-2 record and the state championship game — all while being limited toward the end of the season as he played through a partially torn MCL in his left knee and torn tendons in his left ankle.
A Rivals four-star recruit, Booth was named first-team Super-State and honorary team captain by the Lincoln Journal Star and first-team All-Nebraska by the Omaha World-Herald. He was also named Gatorade Player of the Year for Nebraska.
He enrolled early but will be limited as he recovers from his late-season injuries. He won’t need surgery and has been going through physical therapy to try and speed up the healing process.
The step-up in competition from high school to the Big Ten is gargantuan, but it’s going to be an even bigger hurdle in Year 1 for Booth.
Booth has the potential to be the heir apparent to previous big backs Dante Dowdell and Gabe Ervin. I’m just not sure he’ll see the field much in 2025, unless Holgorsen has some special short-yardage packages and situational carries in line for him.
I also wouldn’t be surprised if baseball turns out to be his best sport. Even though playing two sports is encouraged by Matt Rhule, unless it’s a track and field event, history has shown us that unless you’re Bo Jackson, you tend to be much better at one or the other at the college level.
Splitting time between two different team sports rarely works out. I think it cost Nash Hutmacher a more productive senior season and probably cost him some money in the NFL. I think Booth will eventually drop football or baseball and concentrate on one sport at Nebraska. The question is which one it will be.
