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Nebraska Football: James Carnie should shed “darkhorse” label soon

By Danny Jaillet

LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 14: Fans tailgate before the game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Northern Illinois Huskies at Memorial Stadium on September 14, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 14: Fans tailgate before the game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Northern Illinois Huskies at Memorial Stadium on September 14, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /
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The tight end has a bright future for Nebraska Football.

As analysts preview several positions for Nebraska football, it’s always interesting to see who they have labeled as dark horse candidates to break out during the spring. Sean Callahan had Nebraska football tight end James Carnie as a possible darkhorse candidate at the tight end position.

As you may recall, Carnie is part of a three-headed monster at the tight end position for the Huskers. While Carnie may not be the most recognizable name among the three tight ends in the 2021 class, I don’t think he is going to be a dark horse for long. When you look at the talent that he brings to the table, he is very much a viable part of the room.

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Let’s be real here, Thomas Fidone is no doubt the top player at the position in the class. However, Carnie and AJ Rollins are neck-in-neck for the second-best tight end in the class. If anything, nobody in that tight end room is a darkhorse. If anything, those three will shift into focus, and Carnie will be a huge part of that.

Let me be clear here. I am not bashing Callahan. This is more so just a testament to the talent that Nebraska football has at the position. If anything, I think that Carnie is going to be a steadfast and dependable player for Nebraska at the position in the coming years. This is one of those rare situations where having too much depth is a good thing.

Where the darkhorse part comes into play is that he is recovering from shoulder surgery and was only recently cleared for workouts. Once he gets back to full strength, that dark horse label will be shed quickly. This is a benefit of spring ball. It allows players time to heal. Even though Carnie is new and could benefit from spring ball action, the recovery time is more important right now.

"The only thing that will limit Carnie this spring is he underwent shoulder surgery after his senior season ended, and just recently was cleared to do limited workouts, but it remains unknown how much physical contact he will go through during spring practice."

In this regard, only the recovery process and injuries make Carnie a dark horse candidate. However, I would not expect him to hold that title for long. If anything, I expect him to hold the label of breakout star or a key contributor for a longer amount of time.

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