Nebraska football: Kicking the tires on Drew Barker as a Husker

Drew Barker might be a better runner than Nebraska football fans realize.

You might have noticed that when I was running down Barker’s stats, I was talking about passing stats. The Nebraska football team is looking for someone who can both run and throw.

It turns out, Barker could still fit the mold, at least for the most part. When he was getting his playing time as a true freshman, he actually carried the ball quite a bit.

That season he ran 25 times for 45 yards and a touchdown. No, he wasn’t pulling a Tommy Armstrong. He also wasn’t pulling a Tanner Lee.

This season, Steven Johnson didn’t allow him to really show whether he could run, but Johnson certainly can. Kentucky relies on a quarterback who is at least a little mobile.

It’s likely Barker would have had no shot at the starting job in 2018 if he was a statue in the pocket. By all accounts, he was going to be odds-on favorite to at least begin the new season with the starting job.

While he’s listed as a pro-style quarterback in his recruiting profile, he did carry the ball quite a bit in high school. While throwing for 5,805 yards and 60 touchdowns, he also ran for 3,815 yards and another 50 TDs.

The question that has to be asked is whether or not he has the wheels to carry him upfield in college football. Clearly he was good enough to get the job done at some point.

The answer to the question of “will the Nebraska football team go after Drew Barker” will be answered soon enough. It’s possible the team is looking to get younger at that position. It’s also possible they know they don’t have an opening for a player like him. It doesn’t seem like it would hurt to kick the tires on an offer.