Nebraska Football: Kicking position gains a little more clarity for 2020
Nebraska football was able to find clarity at the kicking position with some moves on Thursday.
It’s no secret that Nebraska football had a kicking issue last year. However, the 2020 season will hopefully bring the position more clarity. Thursday, it provided clarity in the sense that we were able to narrow down the kicking room.
Both Barrett Pickering and Matt Waldoch have announced that they are no longer with the program. Last year, this would have been a detrimental announcement to the lack of depth. However, Nebraska football now has a lot of it at the kicker position. Chase Contreraz, Tyler Crawford, and Sammy Khawja are all options. Right now, I would consider Contreraz as the front-runner for the kicking position.
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It’s not like Contreraz is a terrible option at all. He was played well at Iowa Western Community College. Going 15-of-18 on field goals, he was more dependable than any Nebraska football kicker last season. He also managed to go 44-of-46 on point-after attempts. Having enrolled in the program in January, he has been around for the workouts and will be around for spring camp.
Obviously, I feel bad that Pickering and Waldoch have left the program. I never want to see a player leave. For the first time in quite a while however, Nebraska has too many options at kicker. It seems a weird to say that given all that transpired last year. This is a good thing. I would rather have too much depth than too little. I’m excited to see what all of the new kickers can bring to the table for the program, and if they can show that they can be stable, dependable options, that’s even better.
It’s better, in my estimation, that Nebraska dwindles down the kicking room early in spring ball rather than late in the season. At the very least, it signifies that the players want to move on right away, and both parties can move in a different direction before the hustle and bustle of the season starts. Nebraska needs a strong performance from the kicking game this year. If Contreraz can provide stability, I am all for that.
Nebraska football should give every kicker a chance to show what they are made of. After last year, the kicking position and improving it should be paramount for Nebraska. They certainly have a lot of options, now it’s just a question of finding the right fit.