While guys like Jeff Sims were expected to be good on Saturday, there were a couple of Nebraska football players who stood out because they surprised.
Their performances were not only excellent, but they were players that hadn’t gotten a ton of run before the game kicked off. In fact, it’s safe to say that the players that really shone on Saturday were ones that quite a few Nebraska football fans might have even forgot were on the roster.
When looking at this short little list, one player that almost made the cut was none other than Billy Kemp. The wide receiver transfer from Virginia is likely going to be one of the big weapons for the Huskers this spring. However, he’s someone who hasn’t gotten a ton of run in the media during spring practice.
It appears the biggest reason why he hasn’t gotten a ton of run is simply that he’s kept his head down and done his job with little fanfare. On Saturday, he got a bit of fanfare when he showed up early in the first half with a couple of very nice catches. He finished with just two catches for 39 yards as he sat out most of the second half.
That drove down how much impact he could really have on the game, but when he was in the game, he looked every bit the potential top target for whoever is the quarterback in 2023.
Speaking of receivers that could stand up and stand out, Marcus Washington hauled down three catches of his own for 42 yards. He’s back with the Nebraska football team after showing off what he could do in spurts in 2022. With Trey Palmer gone, both those guys could end up having big impacts this fall. However, neither were the kind of “surprises” that these three players ended up being.