Nick Henrich injury: Matt Rhule provides latest update on Nebraska LB ahead of Iowa matchup

Nebraska will be without linebacker Nick Henrich when they face Iowa in the last game of the regular season on Friday. He suffered a re-tear of his ACL during overtime in Saturday night's game against Wisconsin and could be out of action for an extended period.

It's noteworthy that Henrich missed the last seven games of the 2022 season after initially tearing his ACL in the game against Purdue. Despite this setback, Nebraska coach Matt Rhule expects the linebacker to participate in the Senior Day walk on Friday.

"I think he has some decisions to make," Rhule said, "but he'll walk on Friday. ... Nick’s one of those guys, he's given us everything. And so, Nick, obviously that was brutal.”

When will Nick Henrich return?

There's no timetable for Nick Henrich's return to action as the linebacker suffers another injury setback. What's clear at the moment is that he's been ruled out of the ongoing season. After re-tearing his ACL against Wisconsin, a lot of care and patience needs to be taken in his rehabilitation.

Henrich has been a significant contributor for the Cornhuskers this season, showcasing his productivity with 42 tackles, two sacks, and one pass breakup. He will definitely be missed by the team in the last game against Iowa and in a bowl game if the team gains eligibility.

Nebraska in the race for a bowl game

Matt Rhule's first season at Nebraska hasn't gone as planned. However, there's still a strong belief he can revitalize the Cornhuskers as he's done in a couple of other programs.

Nebraska is in a must-win situation against Iowa in the upcoming game on Saturday to secure eligibility for a bowl game. Rhule said to reporters that his team is exceptionally motivated to accomplish this crucial task.

“I don’t think there’s any question that they are motivated to try and get it done and try to get this win. Like I said when we were at 5-3, I didn’t want to just win one more, I wanted to win them all.

"I don’t want to win five or six, I want to win each week. I truly believe it when I say go 1-0 each week, I know they want to win."

The Cornhuskers face an Iowa team that has already made it to the Big Ten Championship. The Hawkeyes have been quite impressive this season with an overall 9-2 record and 6-2 in conference play, which showcases the huge task ahead for Nebraska.