11 Huskers to Earn Degrees at August Commencement

Aug 18, 2024 / NU Athletics

Photo Credit: NU Athletics

Lincoln - A total of 11 current and former Husker student-athletes across all sports will receive their degrees during University of Nebraska-Lincoln Summer Commencement ceremonies at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Saturday, Aug. 17 at 9 a.m.

Former Husker Niles Paul (Omaha, Neb.), who spent six NFL seasons with Washington after being drafted in the fifth round in 2011, will earn his degree to headline a group of four football student-athletes in the graduating class. In his four seasons as a Husker (2007-10), Paul hauled in more than 100 receptions for more than 1,500 yards, while racking up more than 4,000 all-purpose yards for the Big Red. He claimed All-Big 12 honors as both a returner and wide receiver during his career while also earning Academic All-Big 12 accolades.

Teddy Prochazka (Elkhorn, Neb.), Braden Klover (Wymore, Neb.) and Keegan Menning (Fremont, Neb.) add three more homegrown Huskers to football’s graduating class.

Former Nebraska men’s basketball starter Trey McGowens (Pendleton, S.C.) also leads the group of graduates. McGowens, who spent his final season at Nebraska in 2021-22, spent time in the NBA G League with the Long Island Nets in 2023-24, while also playing for the Edmonton Stingers in Canada’s CEBL. He was the MVP of the 2023 FIBA 3x3 U23 Men’s World Cup for USA Basketball.

Clay Bradford (Humble, Texas) and Rans Sanders (Grand Island, Neb.) add a pair of graduates for the Nebraska baseball program, while Brooke Bream (Phoenix, Ariz.) represents the Husker women’s golf team.

A trio of international students round out the class of summer graduates, led by men’s tennis student-athlete Nic Wiedenhorn (Stuttgart, Germany), women’s tennis player Raphaelle Lacasse (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) and women’s gymnast Lucy Stanhope (Warrington, England).

Overall, the 11 Husker graduates in August came to Nebraska from four states and three foreign countries. Over the last three graduations (December 2023, May 2024, August 2024), a school-record total of 154 Husker student-athletes from 27 states and 12 foreign countries have earned their degrees from the University of Nebraska.

Nebraska continues to feature one of the highest graduation rates in the nation, while leading the nation in NCAA Today’s Top Ten Award winners (18) across all sports. Nebraska also leads the Big Ten and ranks second in NCAA Division I with 362 College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans (362) across all sports. More than 100 Nebraska student-athletes all time have earned prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships.

August 2024 Nebraska Student-Athlete Graduates (11)

Student-Athlete (Sport), Hometown - Major

Clay Bradford (Baseball), Humble, Texas - Child, Youth & Family Studies
Brooke Bream (Women’s Golf), Phoenix, Arizona - Economics
Braden Klover (Football), Wymore, Nebraska - Nutrition & Health Sciences
Raphaelle Lacasse (Women’s Tennis), Montreal, Quebec, Canada - Finance
Trey McGowens (Men’s Basketball), Pendleton, South Carolina - Child, Youth & Family Studies
Keegan Menning (Football), Fremont, Nebraska - Accounting/Finance
Niles Paul (Football), Omaha, Nebraska - Individualized Program of Studies
Teddy Prochazka (Football), Elkhorn, Nebraska - Sports Media & Communication
Rans Sanders (Baseball), Grand Island, Nebraska - Child, Youth & Family Studies
Lucy Stanhope (Women’s Gymnastics), Warrington, England - Psychology
Nic Wiedenhorn (Men’s Tennis), Stuttgart, Germany - Sports Media & Communication