Yes, the Nebraska football team took part in a glorified practice but there were a couple performances that could hint at a big season for some players.
Nebraska football fans are hoping for big things from the Cornhuskers this season. The fact of the matter is that it’s hard to know just how good things are going to be.
So far, the only look we’ve gotten at the Scott Frost offense and the Erik Chinander defense is in the spring game. It’s almost impossible to know just what kind of a look that is, thanks to the fact that it’s a scrimmage.
Adding to the mystery is that the quarterbacks were wearing green jerseys. That means there were times when the ball carrier was “down” when we won’t know whether he would have been down in a real game.
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Still, there were some performances during the Red-White game that stood out among others. Those performances were against teammates and were a one-off situation, but there were still some that look as though they could be hinting at something.
Adrian Martinez was certainly one such performance. The true freshman quarterback threw for over 100 yards and rushed for more than 50 more, as well as getting four total touchdowns.
Tristan Gebbia had himself a heck of a day too. As I said above, it’s hard to know how much of their performances were grasp of the offense, how much it was playing against a defense that still needs to be fixed, and how much was wearing the green jersey.
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That’s why neither of those players are making the list further on. Outside of the quarterback play, there were some individual performances that could hint at a pretty decent season for a couple Nebraska football players, on both sides of the ball.
Nebraska football could use Jaevon McQuitty being a part of the offense this year.
While it’s a bit disappointing that Nebraska football fans didn’t get to see either Stanley Morgan or JD Spielman in the new offense, their absence opened the door for some other Huskers.
Some of those Cornhuskers, such as Todd Honas might be well down the depth chart once fall rolls around. Others, like Jaevon McQuitty, look like they could be impact players in this offense.
McQuitty came to Nebraska as a pretty highly touted player, but suffered an injury that had him sidelined all of last year. Now entirely healthy, he showed a little bit of what he brings to the table in the spring game.
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In total, he had three catches for 33 yards. One of those catches was a 25-yard touchdown that illustrated his speed and hands.
McQuitty is one of those players that some Husker fans might have forgotten about, especially considering the wide receiver corps has some good talent. Tyjon Lindsey, Morgan and Spielman have been the talk of the town.
The redshirt freshman has a real chance to make something special happen in this offense. He’s another weapon whoever is at quarterback is going to have at his disposal. If he can show the same kind of speed and ability to get open he showed on Saturday, he’s going to help the Nebraska football offense and could have a breakout season.
Nebraska football defense could get a big boost from Breon Dixon.
The first thing to know about Breon Dixon is that he has the kind of speed Nebraska football has been missing in its linebackers for a few years. The second thing to know is that we may not get to see it until the 2019 season.
All the fingers in Cornhusker land should be crossed that Dixon, as well as many of his former Ole Miss teammates, are able to get their waiver and play this season. All signs point to the situation coming to a head in the near future.
If he is able to play this fall, his spring game performance seems to hint at a defender who could be a real game changer. Dixon was all over the field on Saturday and finished the Red-White game with eight tackles, including two for a loss, and half a sack.
The Huskers have been talking about their defense being quite a bit more attacking than it has looked in the last few years. Dixon looks right at home in that attacking offense.
Yes, he was attacking against an offensive line that had some issues blocking last year, but he was also flying all over the field and making tackles.
Broken tackles were a big problem last year. It appears he was tough the right way to tackle at Ole Miss because he was very solid on Saturday.
If Breon Dixon can indeed play right away, he looks like he’s going to be a good candidate to start at linebacker for the Nebraska football team.
Greg Bell looks like he could be a special one for the Nebraska football
While Tre Bryant couldn’t take the field for the Nebraska football team on Saturday, he might to read up on Wally Pipp. JUCO transfer Greg Bell had the best all-around performance of probably any Husker player without the last name of Martinez.
Bell did more than just put up big stats. He also showed vision and speed that the Cornhuskers have been missing for a while. Bryant showed flashes of that last year, but he had his season cut short.
Because Bryant hasn’t been able to practice this spring, it’s not a given that Bell is going to take his job. It is a given that if the starting job is up for grabs, Bell is likely the front-runner.
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Bell had 54 yards on the ground on just eight carries. He also had two catches for 41 yards.
One of those catches was a really nice 22-yard screen where he really showed his ability to take the ball and just go. He outran defenders quite easily.
It’s always possible that’s because the defenders have some work to do speed wise, but it was still a nice sight to see. For now, at least, Greg Bell looks exactly like the player Scott Frost was hoping he would be.
Bell is still going to have to show he can make the jump from JUCO football to Nebraska football, but so far, so good.
Dai’Shon Neal announced his presence on the Nebraska football team with authority.
Speaking of defenders flying all over the field for the Nebraska football team, Dai’Shon Neal seemed to be everywhere at times. Even when he wasn’t making the tackle, he was on the screen.
The defender had four total tackles, including two sacks and a fumble recovered. He was someone who has long been a guy Cornhusker fans had been hoping would step up.
It might be time for him to step up indeed. There are going to be plenty of openings to take on the defensive side of the ball. When you have the kind of season the defense had last year, there aren’t many people who should feel safe in their job.
Neal played the scrimmage as though he knew he could take a job. We’ll have to see if his Saturday performance is the beginning of something big. If it was, watch out.
Neal has the speed and athleticism to shake things up. It’s all about putting that all together.
If the spring game was an indicator that Dai’Shon Neal has figured out what needs to be done to be a productive member of the Nebraska football defense, then look out this fall, because he’s a name that wasn’t getting a lot of mention before this spring.
Alex Davis could be the defensive lineman Nebraska football needs.
If there has been one consistent issue wtih the Nebraska football team’s defense over the last year, it’s been the lack of impact from the defensive line.
Sometimes that lack of impact has been a planned thing. We’ve had more than a few defensive coordinators who have claimed it’s the d-line’s job to hold up defenders, rather than attack.
One of the most interesting things to watch this season is going to be that change. Chinander and the defense have talked all spring about how they are going to be attacking at the line more often.
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If Alex Davis’ spring game was any indicator, it’s going to be fun to watch when things go right. Davis was rather dominant, especially in the first half as he logged four tackles, three sacks, and an interception.
If this performance is an indicator of what we can expect from him in 2019, then it’s possible he’s finally going to live up to the potential he entered the program with.
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It’s a long way to the fall. In the fall, these Nebraska football players are going to be going up against opponents that are playing for keeps. It’s always hard to know just how those performances are going to translate if they translate at all. Still, they definitely showed something that should get people plenty revved.