Nebraska football takes WR room hit with another departure

Nebraska football lost yet another receiver from its 2023 opening day roster as Marcus Washington declared for the NFL Draft.
Northwestern v Nebraska Football
Northwestern v Nebraska Football / Steven Branscombe/GettyImages
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It was always going to be a long shot for Nebraska Football, but with the current rules, the possibility of seeing a sixth or seventh year player on a team remains in college football. Taking into consideration a freshman redshirt status, the COVID year exemption, and then an unfortunate medical waiver, a veteran player can prove to be a helpful locker room presence.

But with the most recent announcement, one of the players that was looking to potentially be granted an additional year, is instead choosing a different path.

Nebraska Football player looking to go pro

Marcus Washington announced on social media that he would not be returning in 2024 for the upcoming Nebraska Football season. Instead, Marcus Washington will be preparing himself for the NFL draft process.

It has been a season of obstacles for the Nebraska Football wide receiver. In a young wide receiving room, Marcus Washington was not able to get his offensive production going as he would have liked. In an offense that has struggled throughout the year, he was limited to 8 catches for the season.

On an offense that saw three different signal callers, Marcus Washington was still able to show glimpses of his big play potential at times during the season. But unfortunately for him, an ACL tear against Illinois, did not give him a chance to gain a footing this year.

Nebraska Football next steps

While some may doubt the legitimate draft prospects of Marcus Washington, he was a 4-star recruit out of high school. And while injuries ultimately did not allow him to prove his capabilities this year, a press conference from last year shows his overall mindset that will serve him well moving forward.

Before the Illinois game last year, Marcus Washington said the following about facing defensive matchups:

"We got to make the play when it comes to us, it's just that simple...everybody looks forward to that opportunity, it's what you want growing up as a kid, to go against the best."

Marcus Washington

It looks like he will get a chance to pursue his childhood dream. Unknown if a team will look to draft him, or if he'll have to work his way onto a team as an undrafted free agent, Marcus Washington looks forward to becoming another for Nebraska Football player to earn the status of Pro Big Red.