The Nebraska football team lost its second player in two days on Wednesday as offensive lineman Jalin Barnett is stepping away from the game.
Just over a week before the Nebraska football team kicks off its season, the Huskers are seeing a bit of turnover on their roster. For the second time in two days, a player has announced they are leaving the team.
On Tuesday, JUCO transfer defensive back Will Jackson announced he was leaving Nebraska. On Wednesday, it was Jalin Barnett’s turn.
While both players won’t be on the Cornhuskers in 2018, the reasons for their departures are quite different. Jackson left because he was apparently further down on the depth chart than he was happy with.
Nebraska O-line coach Greg Austin confirms OL Jalin Barnett has decided to leave the team. Multiple concussions led Barnett to make the decision last week.
— Evan Bland (@EvanBlandOWH) August 22, 2018
His defensive backs coach Travis Fisher made it clear earlier in the week he was struggling to pick up the playbook. Barnett’s situation had nothing to do with his performance on the field.
The offensive lineman, who was one of the best recruits in the state of Oklahoma in the 2014 class has suffered several concussions. It appears Barnett has decided the concussions are a situation he no longer wants to risk and is retiring from football entirely.
Shortly after practice on Wednesday, his position coach, Greg Austin, confirmed the departure. The news that the offensive lineman has decided he needs to stop playing football is not a positive for anybody.
The Nebraska football team still has several questions as far as depth. It’s also never good to see a player suffer injuries to the point they feel the need to call it quits.
Unfortunately, the Huskers have experience in this area. Earlier this summer, center Mike Decker called an end to his Nebraska football career when he decided he wasn’t going to be able to return from a rather severe injury he suffered last season.