Nebraska football fans have become fast admirers of what Trey Palmer has done since coming to Lincoln. It’s likely that considering the season he’s had so far, most don’t realize just how much he’s exceeding expectations. And there’s plenty more season to go.
Palmer’s 40 catches this year have him tied for15th in the country. He’s second in the Big Ten behind only Purdue’s Charlie Jones. Yardage-wise, he’s third in the conference with 544. He’s been the Nebraska football team’s go-to receiver almost from the get-go. There are even some who think his rise has led to a departure.
It should come as no surprise then that On3.com recently named him among the transfers that is most impressively exceeding expectations. After all, in his first year in Lincoln, Trey Palmer is on pace to set the school single-season receiving record in catches (80) and yards (1,088).
With all those numbers, it would seem like the Nebraska football team landed itself a receiver that was used to being, “the man.” It’s easy to forget that with one more catch this season, Palmer will equal the number of receptions he had in his career coming into 2022.
#Nebraska wide receiver Trey Palmer (@treythekiid3) is the fifth-highest graded wide receiver by @PFF_College pic.twitter.com/RzJZ7AVwVa
— HuskerOnline (@HuskerOnline) October 12, 2022
To be fair, he had a fairly decent season in his last year at LSU. He jumped from a career-high 10 catches in 2020 to 30 receptions in 2021. Now he’s taken another jump. One that has helped a Husker offense that has struggled at times.
Perhaps where he’s exceeded expectations the most is indeed in becoming the guy that can put the team on his back. Against Indiana, he had eight receptions for 157 yards and a 71-yard touchdown. That 71-yarder was the score that put Nebraska up for good.
Against Rutgers, he had just four catches for 64 yards, but his touchdown was also the game-winner.
There’s also the notion that the best is yet to come for Palmer. He’s scored a touchdown in three straight games after being unable to find the end zone in the Cornhuskers’ first three games.
In a season that has had a ton of ups and downs for the Nebraska football team, Trey Palmer has been one heck of a surprise story.