Nebraska Football: Jack Stoll darkhorse candidate for Mackey Award

Nebraska Football has made it a goal to use the tight ends more this season.

A Nebraska football player has been nominated for some preseason hardware. Tight end Jack Stoll was named to the Mackey Award watch list on Friday.

The Mackey Award is given to the top collegiate tight end in the country. With the way this offense seems to be trending, and the weapons that it has, Stoll could be a dark horse candidate for the award.

More from Husker Corner

• Former Nebraska football star returns to the program in new role
• Travis Hunter injury uproar has some Nebraska football fans reminding Colorado about Adrian Martinez
• Nebraska Football: Freshman RB in line for big playing time
• Nebraska Cornhuskers News: Heinrich Haarberg has believer in Rhule, more
• Nebraska Football: Matt Rhule faces tough decision between Heinrich Haarberg and Jeff Sims

He caught 25 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown in 2019. He wasn’t utilized a ton last season, but I chalk that up more to problems in the passing game. When he was, he certainly had decent games.

This is now his third time on the watch list. As the saying goes, the third time is a charm.

He has as good a chance as any tight end at winning this award. I truly do not think that Adrian Martinez is going to have the same year he did last year. I think he is going to be better. As result, he will be able to get the ball  to the playmakers on the field. Stoll that would certainly fit into the weapons category. Nebraska football has talked about using the tight ends a little bit more in red zone opportunities.

With Matt Lubick calling the plays and there being a focus on using the tight ends in the red zone, I could see it happening. If all Stoll is used for is touchdowns this season, I’ll take it. Having that security blanket in the red zone is a bonus.

Certainly, there are other tight ends from bigger schools that will stand out when it is time to give out these awards. However, Stoll could have a chance to make an impact. No matter what the schedule is going to look like, ( or what the athletic director prefers), every Saturday is going to be tough. If Stoll can play at a high level against teams like Minnesota and Iowa, he could get additional national recognition. That would benefit both him and the program moving forward.

In any event, it’s nice to see a Nebraska football player be placed into the national awards discussion. It gives credence to the work that Scott Frost and the coaching staff are doing. People are beginning to notice Nebraska, and that’s a good thing. Hopefully, Stoll will be able to have a good season, as the program will need all hands on deck to face a difficult schedule.