5. WR Taariq Allen
Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
From all indications, Allen is the heir apparent to Quincy Enunwa’s role opposite Kenny Bell. He’s shown himself to be a beyond athletic (perhaps to a fault) and arguably has some of the best hands on the team.
He appeared ready to burst onto the scene at any time in 2012, but a knee injury cut that short. Allen appeared one-fourth the athlete in 2013. If the receiver that showed up this spring is on the field for Nebraska come the fall, Rich Fisher’s wide receiver corps is a deadly one.
A breakout year increases Nebraska’s chances to win because: Bell’s role is set as is Jamal Turner’s. Jordan Westerkamp seems like an obvious choice for a fourth receiver, but that question mark remains.
While Brandon Reilly showed some fantastic ability this spring, having Allen as a legitimate threat takes the heat off of other receivers. As a result, young quarterbacks have one more option to help do their job efficiently in the passing game and open the entire offense up.