Just a week after the Nebraska football team finished off its spring practice with a spring game that brought out a ton of optimism, Huskers head coach brought some more optimistic news. A pair of Nebraska defensive backs are expected to play this coming season.
For Blye Hill, that's especially good news after Nebraska football fans watched him get carted off the field in the second quarter of the spring game. Hill and wide receiver Demitrius Bell suffered similar knee injuries within a few plays of each other and both needed the cart to get to the locker room. Both players, according to head coach Matt Rhule had surgery this past week.
Hill, as Rhule reported right after the game had a slightly less serious knee injury than Bell. That's why Bell has been ruled out for the upcoming Nebraska season while Hill is expected back. Though it's not all perfect news for the transfer defensive back who looked as though he'd start the opener against UTEP.
Rhule told Steve Sipple of On3 that if all goes well, Hill will be back at some point this fall. However, it doesn't appear he'll be back at the starte of the 2024 season.
Hill reportedly has a 4 to 5 month road to recovery. That means there's a very real chance he could return to action in September. Nebraska opens its season against the Miners on August 31. Then they'll play hated rival Colorado in the first week of September. Could Blye Hill be back for that game? It seems unlikely but possible.
Second Nebraska football defensive back coming back sooner
While the Huskers may be out a potential starter for the first few weeks of the season, Rhule said they will have another member of the secondary back for the start of spring ball.
Safety DeShon Singleton suffered a knee injury in Nebraska's game against Michigan last season and has been rehabbing since. He missed all of of spring practice but will be back for the beginning of the Nebraska football program's fall camp.