After abrupt ending, Jaimes says NU heading ‘in the right direction’

For nearly four years, Brenden Jaimes was a fixture on Nebraska’s offensive line and one of its brightest potential NFL prospects.

But over the past few months, the senior left tackle’s relationship with the Huskers had become a bit strained.

Things took an abrupt turn just days before NU’s 2020 season finale when Jaimes announced he would opt-out of the last game at Rutgers to focus his attention on preparing for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Two months later, Jaimes made some eyebrow-raising comments in an interview with The Spun where he criticized the culture under head coach Scott Frost.

“In my opinion, we didn’t turn any corners, really,” Jaimes told The Spun. “It was another frustrating season with things not clicking, and a lot of that started in the offseason. Older guys like me, Adrian (Martinez), and Matt (Farniok) tried to get those things right, but it just never clicked for some of those guys.

“As frustrating as it was, we had to go out there and continue practicing on Monday and get ready for a game each week. We did the best we could with the guys we had, but it just wasn’t enough.”

As could be expected, those comments made the rounds in Nebraska media circles and Husker message boards. Some felt Jaimes was out of line for blasting the program like that, while others viewed it as an indictment of NU in three years under Frost.

A little more than a month later, though, Jaimes was back at North Stadium on Monday, as he as several other former Huskers prepared for Nebraska’s annual Pro Day on Tuesday.

Reporters asked Jaimes on Monday about his comments and how he viewed the NU’s culture now that he’d moved on from the program. This time, the three-time honorable mention All-Big Ten selection had a different outlook.

“Frost has this program in the right direction, even if it may not look like it,” Jaimes said. “There’s a lot of things going on behind the scenes that people don’t know about it.”

Jaimes also gave some more insight on his decision to opt-out with just one more game left to play in his senior season. In short, Jaimes said he only planned to play NU’s nine regular-season games going into the year, and when he chose to declare for the draft, he wasn’t sure if the finale at Rutgers would even happen.

“When my decision came out, it was 50/50 on if we were going to play or not…” Jaimes said. “I felt like my best tape had already been played. I did everything I could for this university. I gave it my all for four years, and that was done, and it was time to move on.”