Nebraska Football: Wide receiver Darien Chase provides intrigue for future

(Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

Chase could be part of the future for Nebraska Football.

With all the depth that Nebraska Football has at the wide receiver position, it’s easy to forget that they have tremendous talent coming down the pipeline. The incoming freshman class has some very talented wide receivers, and Darien Chase certainly fits that mold.

After being a late recruit, it was easy to overlook him as a member of this class. However, with 3,324 receiving yards in his high school career, there is no doubt he has tremendous talent. Perhaps even more interesting is that he totaled more than 4,000 all-purpose yards in his high school career. He is fast, he is shifty, and he is a big-time playmaker.

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He is also the tallest receiver that Nebraska Football currently has. At 6-foot-1, he isn’t exactly a giant, but he could function as a red-zone target for Nebraska in this offense. He is a name I am certainly excited to see. Anytime a football program can give their quarterback more weapons, that is a great thing. With the amount of quarterback talent coming down the pipeline,  Chase could really make a name for himself in Lincoln.

He is going to have to scrap for playing time. Wide receiver is one of the positions that Nebraska is incredibly deep at. Luckily for him in this case, the talent is veteran receivers and some graduate transfers.  Kanawai Noa would certainly fit the bill as a veteran presence. There is no doubt that he will have to work and fight for playing time. Once he gets it, he should be able to make an impact.

The Lincoln Journal Star has been doing a series of players that they find the most intriguing. Chase was Saturday’s pick. Much like myself, the Journal Star thinks that he is destined to have a solid career for the Nebraska Football program.

"Chase doesn’t have the clear-cut path to playing time that some of Nebraska’s other incoming freshmen have, and it’s certainly possible that a couple of veterans step forward, leaving him and fellow freshman receivers Demariyon “Peanut” Houston and Jamie Nance the chance to redshirt and develop for a year."

Although he may have to redshirt, that gives Nebraska other options for the future. Those three names mentioned above as possible redshirt candidates are quite a list. The longer they can stay in the program, the better off Nebraska football will be for the long-term. This is a very solid collection of receivers, and ones that could be staples of the unit in the coming years.

I’m excited to see Chase’s speed on display. If he can find his niche within the Nebraska offense, then he should be able to put up some numbers for the program. He certainly has the talent, he is still a bit raw. If he can make the most of his opportunities, he will be in great shape.