Spring Practice is almost upon the Nebraska football program and there are plenty of storylines you should follow under first-year head coach Scott Frost.
While other teams in the Big Ten have started their spring practice or will start it this week, Nebraska football fans are still waiting for Scott Frost and company to take the field officially for the first time.
It’s been a long winter. A really long winter.
Now it’s almost spring and Cornhusker fans will get to see just how Frost runs a spring camp. The excitement is clearly there.
The Spring Game, set for April 21 sold out just hours after tickets first went on sale. The Spring Game is the end of Spring Practice.
Nebraska Cornhuskers Football
There are going to be a ton of different storylines unfolding in the coming weeks. So many positions are up for grabs.
Those positions that aren’t open for competition have their own questions and controversy surrounding them. There’s a reason the excitement is palpable and waiting for the team to finally practice as a Scott Frost unit is becoming downright unbearable.
We’ll finally get to see what these units look like. We’ll finally get to see how they respond to their new coaches. And we’ll get to see a few of the talent-laden players the new staff managed to bring in early on.
We’ve heard a lot from the coaches over the winter. We’ve heard a lot from the players on how much they are buying into what Frost and company are selling. The Spring Game and Spring Practice will be the first time we get to see for ourselves whether it looks like everyone is gelling.
Having said that, there are some storylines that stand out among the rest. Not the least of which, is who is going to be under center for the Nebraska football team.
Can Adrian Martinez really win the Nebraska football starting quarterback gig?
With the departure of Tanner Lee, it turns out that the Cornhuskers’ quarterback job is as open as it’s been in a long time. Sure, there was talk that Patrick O’Brien and Tanner Lee were battling it out for the job last year, but in hindsight, it’s rather obvious the job was Lee’s to lose.
This year, it’s hard to say that any quarterback on the roster should feel remotely comfortable. Yes, Tristan Gebbia and O’Brien both seem to have the basic skills to run Frost’s offense or at least a version of it.
Adrian Martinez, the true freshman quarterback that was one of Frost’s first commits was specifically brought in because he can run it perfectly. The question, when it comes to Martinez isn’t if he’ll be the starting quarterback, but when he’ll be the starting quarterback.
The Cornhuskers are going to have their work cut out for them this year. The schedule is going to be a monster.
Knowing that, are the coaches going to be tempted to push Martinez into the starting job and let him grow into the position? There are few coaches in the country that could proclaim this a rebuilding year and have Husker fans be okay with it. Frost is one.
While we may not know who is going to be the starting quarterback in September, we might get an idea where the staff’s mind is. If Adrian Martinez is being allowed to truly compete for the job, fall practice storylines are going to become even more interesting.
If Martinez emerges from Spring Practice as the front-runner, Nebraska football is going to have more quarterback storylines such as “who is leaving?” in the coming months.
Who in the stable of backs will win the starting job for the Nebraska football team?
It’s hard to know exactly what Scott Frost and company are looking to do with the running back position in Spring Practice. Is there going to be open tryouts for the starting job?
Like Adrian Martinez, the staff brought in Juco star Greg Bell with the insinuation that the group isn’t sure any of the current backs are going to fit the bill for their offense.
It’s possible Frost just wants as many options as possible, but when you have Jaylin Bradley, Mikale Wilbon, and Tre Bryant all coming back, the running back position didn’t feel like one that needed a veteran presence.
More from Nebraska Football
- Former Nebraska football star returns to the program in new role
- Travis Hunter injury uproar has some Nebraska football fans reminding Colorado about Adrian Martinez
- Nebraska Football: Freshman RB in line for big playing time
- Nebraska Football: Matt Rhule faces tough decision between Heinrich Haarberg and Jeff Sims
- Nebraska Football: Trio of big contributors banged up after NIU
Having said that, the biggest question about this group, after what will Greg Bell do, is “can Tre Bryant stay healthy?” That question has at least been hinted at that the answer might be no.
Back in the early part of the season, former head coach Mike Riley made the comment that Bryant’s knee was something that was always going to bother him. Now it isn’t clear whether that was a smokescreen, an incorrect diagnosis or the God’s honest truth.
That’s one of the things we’re going to have to find out this spring. Is he back? Will he be limited?
Much like the quarterback position, we likely won’t get definitive answers on those questions but it will be interesting to see how the running back position storyline unfolds for the Nebraska football team in Spring Practice and in the Spring Game.
Depth is going to be either a strength or a concern at receiver for the Nebraska football team.
The wide receiver position for the Nebraska football team is in a weird kind of limbo. When you look at Stanley Morgan Jr., JD Spielman and Tyjon Lindsey you’re looking at three returning starters who could be among the best in the Big Ten.
After that, questions abound. Among the most intriguing “additions” for Spring Practice is going to be Jaevon McQuitty. Riley and company were certainly sold on his ability coming out of last year’s Spring Practice.
Despite suffering a shoulder injury, it looked as though he was going to see big minutes as a true freshman. Then he suffered a knee injury and missed the season.
More from Nebraska Football
- Former Nebraska football star returns to the program in new role
- Travis Hunter injury uproar has some Nebraska football fans reminding Colorado about Adrian Martinez
- Nebraska Football: Freshman RB in line for big playing time
- Nebraska Football: Matt Rhule faces tough decision between Heinrich Haarberg and Jeff Sims
- Nebraska Football: Trio of big contributors banged up after NIU
McQuitty is supposed to be healthy and ready to go this spring. Whether or not he can stay healthy is just one of the branches to look at for the receivers’ storyline.
Keyan Williams is another enigma. A transfer to Nebraska much like Tanner Lee, Williams came over to player under his father, former wide receivers’ coach Keith Williams.
Keyan played here and there last season but was banged up most of the year. Keith is gone but son remains. Can he bring much-needed depth?
When talking about enigmas, there is one that won’t be part of the spring but adds questions to the fall. Jaron Woodyard was expected to be able to be on campus this spring but didn’t make it.
He’s still expected to hit Lincoln this summer but it will be interesting to see if he’s still going to have a slot to fill. He’s a speed burner, but will now officially be behind the eight ball compared to other receivers.
On the offensive side of the ball, there may not be a more intriguing storyline this Spring Practice session than what Scott Frost and company are thinking about when it comes to the Nebraska football team and their wide receiver corps.