NAIA transfer quarterback Jalyn Gramstad to ‘fight for reps’ at Nebraska, says Matt Rhule

Nevertheless, Northwestern College transfer quarterback Jalyn Gramstad will have to “fight for reps,” Rhule said Wednesday at Big Ten Media Days, in a room of quarterbacks already battling for a starting spot and playing time.

“I’m glad he’s here,” Rhule said. “What role he’ll play, what opportunities he’ll get, I really don’t know yet. Part of the summer is when they start throwing the football around and doing 7-on-7s, we can’t be there, so I don’t have a feel for where he’s at. But I like his juice, and his demeanor, and obviously the things that he’s done.”

Gramstad, a 6-foot, 190-pound NAIA All-American who threw for 6,237 career yards and accounted for 91 total touchdowns in his career, chose to transfer to Nebraska over the summer. He visited the Huskers post-graduate camp in June, attracted interest and eventually matriculated to NU.

Rhule joked that he’s never had a player walk into a camp of his and receive more texts about, either from the media or a unique source.

“Coaches who didn’t want to play against him anymore, saying ‘Hey, you should take this guy,’” Rhule said. “He’s obviously got a lot of juice and has won a lot of games.”

Nebraska may be at full strength at cornerback to begin the season after all.

Sophomore transfer Blye Hill — who suffered a knee injury in the Red-White scrimmage in late April — is likely to be about two weeks behind his teammates who will begin fall camp July 31, coach Matt Rhule said Wednesday from Lucas Oil Stadium. Hill previously had been projected to miss time at least into September.

“He’s trending in a really good spot, much better than I thought he would be,” Rhule said. “I thought it would be three games into the season.”