Nebraska football: What can we expect from Kade Warner in 2020?

Nebraska football will need Warner to be ready to go.

As the 2020 season is set to begin, it’s a fair question to ask what should we expect from Kade Warner?

It’s safe to say that Warner did not get a ton of playing time last season. He made the most of his playing time in the Nebraska football game against Minnesota, but other than that we didn’t really see much from him. He would finish the year starting in five games, recording eight catches for 101 yards. Injuries definitely put a damper on his sophomore season, but he can make up for it this year.

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He will undoubtedly be looked upon as a veteran on a unit that is undergoing a ton of change. With the departure of JD Spielman, someone else is going to have to step up. You have heard me talk at nausea about the younger receivers and how good they are. However, there definitely needs to be someone who has been in the Nebraska football offensive system and who knows the plays. Warner is that guy.

What will his responsibilities be in the 2020 Nebraska offensive system? I feel like you’re going to see him be a third-down receiver. What I mean by that is, he is going to be a player that Adrian Martinez is going to look for on third down.

In those types of situations, a quarterback is going to look for a trusted target. For Martinez, that would have been Spielman if he was still in Lincoln. However, now it’s going to be Warner. He is not going to put up a ton of statistics or make the papers after every game. However, he will do his part and in theory make crucial catches when needed

To be clear, last year wasn’t exactly a lost cause for Warner. After missing the first four games with an injury, he played in seven games, starting five of them.

This year, I’m expecting at least 250 yards from him. I would expect him to make his contributions in the first half of the season. The second half is going to be a lot tougher, and that’s when you want your playmakers on the field. He’s not going to be a major target in my estimation, but he is going to be a part of the offense, a security blanket of sorts.

In any event, this is his chance to shine. I wrote something similar to this last year, and I still think he has the talent to get the job done. Hopefully injuries don’t get the way.