Nebraska coach Matt Rhule close to picking starting QB

“At some point this week,” Rhule said Saturday when asked directly about the timeline for naming a starter. NU returns to workouts Monday. “We’ll be ready to name it at some time this week. We’ll go out and watch the tape and look at a lot of different positions.”

Rhule said there’s not much value in announcing the QB before the Monday of game week, which, in this case, is Aug. 26. 

“We have three guys who we feel like can lead us to win,” Rhule said. “From that part, it’s hard. Can someone be more advanced at this point than someone else at this point? Yes.”

The hard part, Rhule said, is he’s seen Haarberg play in a game, while Raiola and Kaelin are true freshmen. 

* Starting inside linebacker Javin Wright will be “out indefinitely” with a “health condition,” Rhule said. Wright has battled a variety of injuries at NU, including surgeries for blood clots in 2021.

“He should be OK,” Rhule said, not disclosing the medical issue. “He can’t play right now as a result.”

John Bullock is slated to start at inside linebacker, as well. NU has Mikai Gbayor, Stefon Thompson, Vince Genatone, Gage Stenger and Vincent Shavers at the position to fill Wright’s absence. 

“The strength of that unit will be fine,” Rhule said. “You just wanted to see Javin have an opportunity to play. He’d worked so hard.”

* Over the course of 137 plays in the scrimmage, Rhule said, Nebraska did some good things — the offense had 14 and 11-play drives — but shot itself in the foot with penalties. The second-team offense, Rhule said, may have had four turnovers. 

“I told them I feel like they’re really close to being a good team, but they’re not there yet,” Rhule said.