How Nebraska football is growing at skill positions

There’s a new look to the Nebraska football team’s offensive skill positions this spring.

Through a combination of injuries, departures and transfers, many of the offensive players who Nebraska relied upon late in the 2023 season are no longer in the picture. Even for the returning Huskers, their situations have changed with new competition for playing time or new instructions from their position coaches.

Much of the attrition comes at quarterback, where junior Heinrich Haarberg is the lone scholarship carryover from last year’s team. But whereas Haarberg was an untested, young depth option a year ago he’s since become the veteran of the room.

A new position coach has entered the fray, too, with Glenn Thomas taking charge of Haarberg’s development, plus that of freshmen Dylan Raiola and Daniel Kaelin. Thomas, a co-offensive coordinator alongside Marcus Satterfield, has already begun adjusting Nebraska’s offensive strategy.

“You can definitely see it in the offense with their play style getting implemented into the offense,” tight end Thomas Fidone said Thursday. “It’s somewhat early, we have, like, half of an install in, but it’s been fun to see the different type of plays we have in compared to last year.”

Even for all the importance of the quarterback position, whoever starts for Nebraska in 2024 will be heavily impacted by the growth of the skill position players around them. Particularly for Nebraska’s passing game to succeed, its pass-catchers must do their part.

Apart from junior Alex Bullock, NU’s most-utilized wideout last year, the Huskers’ situation at wide receiver looks entirely different. Senior Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda has not been cleared to practice yet as he recovers from an ACL injury, while sophomore Malachi Coleman wore a green noncontact jersey during NU’s Thursday practice.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said Thursday that Coleman is “chomping at the bit” to practice in full, adding that the second-year Husker’s physical development is coming along strong. That’s also true of Jaylen Lloyd and Jaidyn Doss, who are going through spring practice for the first time.

While there are plenty of young wide receivers vying for playing time, the arrival of senior transfers Jahmal Banks and Isaiah Neyor raised the level of competition even further.

“Jahmal and Isaiah are veterans, but they’re rookies in our system. I think all of them, there’s a lot being thrown at them and they’re all having to learn,” Rhule said. “… We’ve got good (defensive backs), so the battles as we go throughout the spring should be really good.”

There are differences in personnel at running back, too, albeit less severe than at wide receiver. Junior Gabe Ervin Jr. (hip) remains out, while senior Rahmir Johnson was a full participant on Thursday. For sophomores Dante Dowdell and Emmett Johnson, the opportunity is there to leave their mark on the room.

Neither sophomore has any long-term starting experience, but Johnson’s growth over the course of the 2023 season has placed him in a strong position for additional playing time.

“We keep track of everything, and in all of his metrics he’s in the upper percentages; he’s just an elite athlete,” Rhule said of Johnson. “I think for him it’s just about continuing to get reps and continuing to get comfortable, but he proved last year that he’s a man who when given the opportunity can gain yards and can make big plays.”

Among the offensive skill positions, the highest level of stability exists at tight end. Fidone, a 12-game starter a year ago, remains in his role with junior Nate Boerkircher and sophomore Luke Lindenmeyer behind him.

What’s new, though, is the coaching strategy within the room.

2023 was a unique season for NU’s tight ends after being coached by Bob Wager in the spring, then Josh Martin in the fall following Wager’s resignation. Now, it’s Satterfield who’s taken charge of the group.

Satterfield’s duties as an offensive coordinator might pull him away from the tight ends at times — he spent a portion of Thursday’s practice overseeing NU’s quarterbacks before sprinting to catch up with the tight ends in a blocking drill — but it’s that very work that is furthering growth in the room.

“We’re not learning just (the) tight end position, we’re learning everything from the quarterback to the running back, how they read it, and obviously our job as a tight end,” Fidone said. “It’s been fun, and it’s been a really good thing to see the holistic view of knowing what everyone’s doing instead of just us.”

There’s only a finite number of reps and practices to go around in the spring, but every single rep counts for Nebraska’s skill position players seeking to win their position battles.

As Nebraska’s competitive spring continues over the next few weeks, Rhule has a strategy for how to reward strong practice performances.

“As opposed to maybe sometimes in years past where I’ve usually been like, ‘Just develop and worry about yourself,’ with our young receivers and all those positions, I’m kinda like, ‘Whoever has the best day, give them more reps tomorrow,’” Rhule said.