Barney, Nelson could be in line to play more

Silver linings are hard to come by in a 49-point loss.

But, the play of two freshman wide receivers might qualify as just that for the Nebraska football team.

Jacory Barney Jr. shook off a mistake on a kickoff return to record eight catches, a season-high mark. That now means that Barney has the most receptions (27) of any Husker player this season despite playing far fewer snaps than the likes of Jahmal Banks or Isaiah Neyor.

While Barney began the season playing roughly 20 snaps per game, that total increased to 34 against Rutgers and 47 snaps played against Indiana.

“He’s one of the more explosive guys that we have on offense,” offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield said of Barney. “He’s 18 years old and he’s able to play three different positions and move around all over the field and he does it without slowing down. We’re going to put as much as we can without affecting how fast he can play.”

Another freshman, Carter Nelson, also played a season-high 17 snaps in the loss. Nelson has recorded just one catch in the last four weeks but having played in each of Nebraska’s Big Ten’s game, Nelson could also be set for more playing time moving forward.

“These guys at the end of the year are going to be really important where we need as much depth as possible,” Satterfield said. “And then Carter with his size, athleticism and explosiveness can help us do a bunch of different things.”