5 Nebraska football position battles to watch this spring

The time for planning has now passed; the time for doing has arrived. When Nebraska returns to the practice field for the first time this week, returning starters and newcomers alike will begin their journey toward claiming starting roles.

The binding, final position battles happen in the fall, but players at any position can take major strides toward their goals this spring. Here are five position battles to follow over the next month:

Just like a year ago, Nebraska enters the spring with three healthy scholarship quarterbacks and a competition on its hands. In 2023, that battle was in name only — Jeff Sims’ status as a multi-year starter and transfer portal addition quickly resolved things — but this time around the Huskers may be more patient.

Sophomore Heinrich Haarberg, Nebraska’s lone quarterback with starting experience, has spent the offseason adjusting his throwing mechanics, according to Rhule. On the other hand, it’s been a busy period for freshmen early enrollees Dylan Raiola and Daniel Kaelin as they adjust to life as college quarterbacks.

Expectations for the spring aren’t centered around Raiola or Kaelin’s talent — there’s a reason both were members of the prestigious Elite 11 quarterback class over the summer — but running an offense two months after arriving on campus poses an entirely different challenge.

First-year quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas will work diligently to prepare the freshmen for the spring’s tests, namely opposition from a Nebraska defense that was among the nation’s best in 2023.

Across the entire Nebraska offense, starting roles at the skill positions are up for grabs. The number of potential starting options at running back is impressive — four different Huskers could start in August — but two of them won’t be available for the start of practice.

Junior Gabe Ervin and senior Rahmir Johnson will miss much of the spring as they recover from season-ending surgeries in the fall, Rhule confirmed Monday. That opens the door for sophomores Emmett Johnson and Dante Dowdell and redshirt freshman Kwinten Ives to make a good impression.

It’s a largely untested running back group considering Johnson only grew into a major role over NU’s last six games of the season, Dowdell had just 17 carries in his freshman season at Oregon and Ives didn’t see the field last year.

Within the Nebraska wide receiver room there’s a stark contrast between the old and the young. Wake Forest transfer Jahmal Banks is the most experienced pass-catcher on the roster with 107 career catches, and he’s far from the only veteran.

Senior Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda will be limited in the spring after tearing his ACL last August, while junior Alex Bullock is back after playing the most snaps of any Husker wideout in 2023. Senior Isaiah Neyor, who made stops at Wyoming and Texas, could also provide a big impact.

Then there’s the youth in the room — sophomores Malachi Coleman and Jaylen Lloyd are sure to grow from a freshman season in which they were called upon sooner than expected, while redshirt freshman Jaidyn Doss could take over as NU’s leading slot receiver.

Demitrius Bell is another player to watch after his practice performances caught the eye of teammates and coaches during a redshirt season.

Seven different offensive linemen played 300 or more snaps for Nebraska last season, with five of them returning in 2024. The only players to start all 12 games, center Ben Scott and right tackle Bryce Benhart, are locked into their roles. How the rest of the offensive line will look this spring, though, is less clear.

With Turner Corcoran set to miss time as he recovers from a foot injury, Teddy Prochazka will likely lead the way at left tackle. Sophomore tackles Tyler Knaak and Jacob Hood developed during a redshirt season, while junior Ru’Quan Buckley has moved to the offensive side of the ball.

Junior Henry Lutovsky and sophomore Justin Evans, who both played in every single game last season, could fill the vacant starting spots at guard.

Redshirt freshmen such as Gunnar Gottula and Sam Sledge will also be eager to showcase their improvements, so don’t rule out an unexpected starter emerging along the line.

While Nebraska’s defensive depth is loaded with veterans, the departures of multiyear starters Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich means NU’s linebacker position will look different in 2024. The hybrid edge rushers who fill the role of the “Jack” — namely Princewill Umanmielen, MJ Sherman and Chief Borders — will have a competition separate from Nebraska’s other linebackers.

The Huskers need to find starters in the heart of the defense at middle linebacker and at the weakside or “Will” linebacker. John Bullock, Mikai Gbayor and Javin Wright all played extensively in 2023 and will seek to fill those roles. Bullock and Gbayor will likely play in the middle with Wright on the outside, but they’ll need more depth to emerge and challenge their spots.

Junior Stefon Thompson was a key transfer portal addition from Syracuse due to his ability to play either role. Redshirt freshman Dylan Rogers is another player to watch in the middle.