Nebraska Football: Westerkamp is #1, Who Will Be #2?

Jordan Westercamp has been at the forefront of Nebraska Football’s offense since he began playing for the team after his Redshirt season in 2012.

He has consistently been a vital and influential player for the team for the past three years and will be coming in as the team’s number one receiver for the fall season, but who will follow him as number two? Someone is going to have to step up and take the spot underneath him, and potentially learn from him to become the number one receiver in 2017.

There are many possible options for who we are going to see as a leading wide receiver, from new faces to senior veterans.

Some new faces that have the potential of seeing time as the number two receiver are Brett Classen, JD Spielman, Keyan Williams, and Blake Holtmeier. Brett Classen sat out as a redshirt last season after playing two seasons at Winona State, playing six games during the 2014 season with some influential plays. He will have to compete against many others to try to get playing time.

JD Spielman is a new freshman to the team from Eden Prairie, Minnesota. He helped lead his team there to a perfect record and a state championship in 2014. He is someone to watch out for on the field next year.

Keyan Williams is a new face coming from Fresno State as a sophomore this year (which is Ironic due to Fresno State being our season opener this year). He played in five games there as a receiver, showing his ability behind the ball. Also, he is the son of Nebraska Football’s receivers coach, Keith Williams. He is a possibility for the number two spot.

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Blake Holtmeier is coming in as a sophomore after redshirting in 2014 and sitting out his redshirt freshman year adding depth at receiver. He has impressed staff and other players through his performance in practice and the weight room. He could make his way to being at the top of the receiver list this year, but does lack experience on the field having not played a game yet.

There are a handful of experienced returning players also trying to get the spot under Westerkamp including Stanley Morgan Jr., Gabe Rahn, Christian Bailey, De’Mornay Pierson-El and Brandon Reilly.

Stanley Morgan, an incoming sophomore, is an up and coming receiver who is projected to rank among the top of the best in the nation this season. He did start playing as a receiver his freshman year on the team last season, finishing as the third-leading receiver. It is going to be very interesting to see whether or not this prediction come true, as I would like to see him be very successful. I believe that he has the potential of being the number two receiver under Westerkamp.

An incoming junior this year Gabe Rahn is hoping to receive the spot at number two, but he has not seen a game in his time at Nebraska. He redshirted during his first year with Nebraska Football and added depth at receiver during his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons. He has impressed the staff during practice throughout last season, and could potentially contribute to the program’s special teams in the fall. We could see Rahn on the field next year as number two receiver, but with his lack of experience on the field and his potential with special teams, I don’t think it is very likely.

We could also see junior Christian Bailey under Westerkamp next season. He started as a walk on his first year, redshirting for the season. During his redshirt freshman year he got the opportunity to play in four games as a reserve receiver as well as on special teams. In 2015 we saw him in six games as a receiver and on special teams, while also being crucial to the scout team offense. This year, he comes in vying for the spot with some of the most playing experience compared to other contenders. But he also has contributed on special teams, which could interfere with him receiving time as a receiver, especially the number two one for the team, so I can’t see him being regarded as the second best this year,

I mentioned the possibility of De’Mornay being the starting running back for the team in an earlier article, but it is just as possible, if not more possible that we could see him as the number two receiver for Nebraska Football. He has been a star player in his two years on the team so far, but was held back from injuries last season, only allowing him to play in five games compared to the thirteen games he played in during his freshman year. Pierson-El has proven himself to be successful behind the ball, excelling in his running game along with his receiving game. I think there is a great chance that we could see him underneath Westerkamp as number two this year, but my opinion is that he will be more of a “slot-receiver” this year, since he is versatile in many positions.

Lastly, I think that fellow incoming senior Brandon Reilly, could serve as the second best wide receiver behind Westerkamp this coming season. Starting as a redshirt in 2012, he has shown himself to be a successful receiver. During his redshirt freshman year, we saw him in ten games as a reserve at receiver, having a few influential catches and interceptions, along with some time on special teams. He missed the first half of his sophomore season due to an injury, but played in the last half, including a starting position during the game against Wisconsin. Reilly had numerous influential plays, showing that he was a strong contender to be a top receiver for the team. Last season we got to see Reilly in all games, with six starts at wideout, ending the season with a total of 40 receptions and four touchdowns. He is the most veteran returnee compared to the rest of the potential receivers, and will most likely receive extensive playing time this year, but will he become the number two receiver in his final season? This is a very great possibility.

While there are a lot of fresh, talented young faces with the possibility of being granted the recognition of being Nebraska Football’s second best receiver, I think this title is going to be given to a veteran member. In my opinion, I think that it should be Brandon Reilly. It is going to be his last season with the Huskers, and he has definitely proven himself to be successful behind the ball. He has plenty of experience on the field and I can’t see him letting the team down, especially during his last year helping lead the Huskers to success. Plus, everyone loves to see a player at their personal best during their senior year, like what we saw with running back Imani Cross last season.

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I could see Pierson-El or Morgan being held as the number two, but personally, I would really enjoy seeing it go to Reilly. However, we are not going to know for sure until we have the chance to see them play in the fall.