Huskers QBs talk to media about race for starting job

The old guy, Haarberg, went first among the trio, followed by Kaelin and finally Raiola, the five-star signee widely expected to win the starting job. 

“I think the biggest thing is just catching up to the speed of the game,” Raiola said of the largest adjustment so far from high school to college. He’s still working knowing the defense is going to, but Raiola has found so far one of his strengths has been creating explosive plays. 

Not just on the deep ball, either. Quicker passes to receivers in space. 

“We’ve got some juice on the edge,” Raiola said. 

Kaelin said the biggest challenge, moving from high school and college, has been the size of playbook — the number of checks and calls a quarterback has to make. While the speed of the game is different, Kaelin said, he’s “proud of the way I’ve been able to process,” the opposing defensive scheme and he’s been comfortable with the “RPO” aspect of NU’s offense, in which Husker quarterbacks have the option to hand off the ball, keep it or pass it. 

“I kind of have a background of doing that in high school,” the Bellevue West graduate said. 

“They’re ahead of schedule,” NU offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield said of Raiola and Kaelin. “The good thing about those guys is that they’re competitive and work their butts off.” 

“They’re really mature,” junior quarterback Heinrich Haarberg said. 

Quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas said the young quarterbacks are “coachable” and “open to learning.” Both, he said, are natural passers with good throwing motions and a natural transference of power from their leg base to the rest of their body.

Thomas is “excited” about where they’re at, getting roughly 150 total snaps over the first five practices thanks to coach Matt Rhule’s “Nebraska Spring League” approach that uses six units across three fields. 

“I think it’s been super valuable,” Kaelin said of the reps. 

Satterfield said Nebraska has emphasized its passing offense after throwing for just 136 yards per game last season. 

“We have to throw the ball,” Satterfield said. 

* Thomas said Haarberg continues to work on his passing mechanics and “concise decision-making” as he progresses as a passer. Haarberg won five games as a NU starter last season. 

“He’s self-motivated,” Thomas said. Haarberg provides good feedback, Thomas said, about decisions he made last season. 

Haarberg said he worked all winter on mechanics — specifically not dropping his elbow and lowering his delivery and sometimes still reverts back to his old motion “in the heat of the battle” during 11-on-11 in practice. 

* Satterfield said he loves his new role as a tight ends coach and has had “a really easy transition” away from coaching quarterbacks and toward the tight end. Satterfield said he teaches tight ends much the way he did quarterbacks. 

“It’s layer after layer of development,” Satterfield. Thomas, Satterfield said, is the “yang” to Satterfield’s “yin.” 

* Tight end Thomas Fidone, Satterfield said, has practiced well during the first two weeks and is “ready to take the next step,” in his development as a player. 

* Redshirt freshman receiver Demitrius Bell has a “special trait,” Satterfield said, once he catches the ball. The key for Bell, Satterfield said, is to remain healthy.

* Nebraska does not have the full allotment of running backs, but Satterfield likes so far what he’s seen from Oregon running back Dante Dowdell, who will “run through the face” of defenders. 

“Very, very, very physical runner,” Satterfield said.