One of the great things about Nebraska football spring games is you get to see players stand up that might not get the chance once the real season starts.
No, the stats that are amassed in Nebraska football’s spring game don’t count. Nor should they.
This is, after all a glorified practice. Players are playing against their teammates and, in this particular format, the deck is absolutely stacked.
Still, even when all the first and second teamers are on one squad, and the rest of the roster is on the other, you can get some performances that make you stand up and take notice.
It’s not always about the actual stats that a player puts up. Sometimes it’s just about the flash of talent those stats show.
Other times it really is about the stats. Such was the case with Adrian Martinez, who looked every bit the part of a Power 5 conference starting quarterback. The same could be said of Greg Bell.
The fact of the matter is the performances of those two players might not have been entirely expected, at least not to that degree, but we expected them to look good.
It’s the players we didn’t even think about being on the roster, or who came out of nowhere to shine that stood out to me.
Perhaps their performance in that spring game is going to spur them on to practice hard and try and see the field more once fall rolls around. Maybe they’re just showing that the Cornhuskers have a little more talent on the roster than we thought.
Whatever you want to read, or not read into these guys’ performances, there were a couple that were quite impressive because they came from players you probably didn’t expect to have stand out when the game began.
The Nebraska football team is looking for wide receiver depth heading into the 2018 season. While the top four slots seem set, could Todd Honas sneak his way into more playing time than anyone expected?
If the performance during the spring game is any indication, the Nebraska native might be ready to elbow his way further up the depth chart. Stuck on the White team, Honas really stuck out as the offensive star of the squad.
When the smoke had cleared from his squad’s 49-9 loss, the receiver hauled down six passes for 48 yards. Those catches included a 21-yard gain.
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Not only was he the leading receiver for the White team, he was also the led both squads in receptions with Tyjon Lindsey being second on the team with four. You can’t say enough for an offense like this having a possession type receiver.
There’s plenty of speed burners on the roster but there aren’t a ton of players who can just sit down in the flat as a bail out when the pressure comes. That just might be Todd Honas if we can judge anything from his performance.
If nothing else, the career leader in receiving yards in Class B in the state has set the tone for the way he’s going to be practicing this fall. That’s good news for Nebraska football no matter what.
Redshirt-freshman tight end Austin Allen looks like he could be a real weapon for the Nebraska football team. That’s good news, considering there was some question entering the spring as to what role the tight end was going to play in Scott Frost’s offense.
It’s not particularly surprising that Allen was able to be a nice target for the Red squad. The tight end stands at 6-8 and it appears he’s got pretty good hands as well.
Allen is one of those players that was recruited by Mike Riley to be a big weapon in his offense but his talents could certainly translate to almost anyone’s attack.
In the spring game, he made for a nice big target for Adrian Martinez and Tristan Gebbia, catching three passes for 43 yards. That includes one nice 26-yard reception.
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With his size and ability to get down the field, he’s going to be a sight to see this year. Being on the Red squad, it looks like he’s already moving up the depth chart.
Allen is still young and there’s gonna be some growing pains, but for now, he looks like he could be a real tool for the Nebraska football team heading into a tough schedule that’s going to need a nice emergency valve when the speed demons can’t get open.
Andrew Bunch is one of those players that has been biding his time and just hoping he can show the Nebraska football coaches what he can do. So far this spring, it seems like he has indeed shown off his skills.
A former junior college footballer out of Tennessee, he spent last year as third on the depth chart, and it’s expected that’s where he’ll end up again this year. Still, his performance in the spring game, against the first team defense was something that is giving fans pause.
Bunch completed eight of 14 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. He also carried twice for five yards and was able to look like a steadier quarterback than the other White squad QB.
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Noah Vedral knows Scott Frost’s offense better than anyone on the roster. The fact that he was outshone by Bunch says something about how the sophomore handled himself and could handle himself should he be called upon this season.
This isn’t a situation where Bunch is going to be taking the starter or backup spot, but he’s shown that he’s perfectly capable in a pinch, considering his performance against Nebraska football’s first team defense.
Kade Warner’s name on this list might be a bit surprising considering he only had one catch during the Nebraska football spring game, but there’s a reason he gets on here.
Warner is a walk on from Arizona who posted eye-popping numbers when he was in high school. He also happens to be the son of a NFL Hall of Fame quarterback.
He’s got the genes and he certainly had the stats in high school. Is it possible that as a red-shirt freshman he can become someone who could be a goto receiver one day.
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In the big scrimmage, he had just one catch, but he manage to take that catch and go 57 yards for a touchdown. The run showed the kind of burst the kid can have when he gets in the open field.
This is another one of those players that was recruited by Mike Riley because he might be a fit in his pro-style offense. that doesn’t mean Warner couldn’t find a way to work in Frost’s offense.
Considering this is the first year Warner even could see the field, it’s unlikely he’s going to be a big time impact player. Considering the depth issues the Nebraska football team has at wide receiver, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Kade Warner could find a way to get on the field in 2018.
Jacob Weinmaster might not be a household name for Nebraska football fans, but you should get to know him. The linebacker out of Colorado has been an absolute beast on special teams.
In this year’s spring game, he showed the same get up and go on defense that he’s shown on speical teams. His freshman year he won the Nebraska Scout Team Special Teams MVP.
After missing 2016 with an injury, he came back with a vengeance last year and was a monster on kick and punt return coverage. Despite those performances, he only had two tackles on the season.
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He certainly eclipsed that performance on Saturday. Weinmaster led both squads with 13 tackles. He also had two tackles for loss and a quarterback sack.
As a cherry on top of the spring game sundae, he also had a pass breakup. While that performance isn’t going to land him at the top of the depth chart, it does show that he’s got a nose for the ball.
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It should be pointed out that with a brand new coaching staff, there are going to be some openings on the depth chart. While Jacob Weinmaster isn’t likely to be earn a starting job with the Nebraska football team, he might see some more time on the field as a defender than he has in the past thanks to his performance.