It’s time for the first HIRO Report of the season!

After spending the offseason looking back at 2025, it's finally time to put the metric to work in real time. Let's take a look at the top performances from Nebraska's season-opening win.

Here’s a little refresher of the tiers. 

You can’t really ask for more from a starting quarterback making his debut with a new team. Colandrea did all that Nebraska asked of him.

The ring chart paints a picture of a quarterback who was driving the offense rather than managing it. Colandrea generated value through his arm, created explosive plays, and used his legs to add to his score. Combined with a turnover-free performance, something Colandrea had struggled with during his other stops, it was the type of complete outing that Nebraska fans had hoped they would get when he arrived in Lincoln. 

Jamal Rule wasted little time making an impression. The freshman found the end zone three times and finished with an Excellent 88-point performance. The score is the highest by a Nebraska rusher in the Matt Rhule era, a somewhat surprising result considering the memorable games Emmett Johnson had throughout his career. 

Rule was explosive, but big runs and touchdowns were just a part of what made him so effective against Ohio. He hit the open holes, contributed in the passing game, and consistently impacted the game whenever the ball was in his hands. 

Nelson's 77-point performance landed comfortably in the Good tier and gave Nebraska another productive option in the backfield.

Looking at the chart, the performance was driven primarily by Explosiveness and Versatility. Rather than building his score through a high volume of touches, Nelson generated much of his value through impact plays and his ability to contribute in multiple phases of the offense.

Like Rule, Nelson never put the football in danger, allowing him to keep every bit of the value he created throughout the game. Nelson demonstrated why Nebraska views him as another weapon capable of changing a game when the ball is in his hands.

Gilmer earned a 72 HIRO score, placing his performance in the Good tier. He created value by separating from defenders, generating explosive plays, and producing consistently when targeted, resulting in a balanced ring chart. Kwazi didn’t dominate the game, but a 72 reflects a solid performance that gave Nebraska dependable production on the outside.

Jacory is always good for a few flashy-looking plays, and he had several against Ohio. Ultimately, he finished with a 68 HIRO score, placing him near the top of the Average tier.

Consistency makes up the largest portion of the score, while Separation also contributed heavily. Barney averaged 12 yards per reception and repeatedly found ways to create positive value for Nebraska's offense throughout the afternoon.

HIRO's first report of the 2026 season reflects an offense led by explosive playmakers. Colandrea delivered an Elite debut, Rule narrowly missed the Elite tier himself, and Nebraska received solid contributions from the rest of its skill players.

Nebraska didn't need its receivers to take over the game, but Gilmer and Barney both answered the bell and helped keep the passing attack moving in the right direction. Combined with strong performances from Colandrea, Rule, and Nelson, it was an encouraging start to the season.