Nebraska Football Pre-Camp Press Conference Highlights

With the start of August comes the unofficial start to football season. It certainly felt like fall at Memorial Stadium on Thursday, as Nebraska head coach Scott Frost and a handful of players spoke to reporters to preview the start of training camp.

The main message from Frost centered on the leaps the Huskers have taken culturally from last year up to now.

“I’ve been really pleased with the turnaround of the attitude on the team,” Frost said. “We have very, very few guys that aren’t completely 100 percent in, holding each other accountable and living up to a standard that we expect.”

Besides the culture change, the 4-2 finish to the end of their season and the talent of starting quarterback Adrian Martinez have a lot of pundits and fans alike excited about the 2019 edition of the Nebraska football team. However, Frost pumped the breaks on the talk surrounding his team on Thursday, which has finished 4-8 in its past two seasons.

“We haven’t done anything yet, so I kind of feel like some of the expectations are premature, but I’m also happy for our guys that they’ve done what it takes to get them to that point,” Frost said.

Frost put his money where his mouth is, revealing that he didn’t place Nebraska inside the Top 25 of the USA Today Coaches Poll, which was released a couple of hours before Frost took to the podium.

“I hope that we are at the end of the year but any progress that we’ve made is just progress,” Frost said. “Nothing is going to happen until we go out and earn it.”

Frost added that he’s still waiting to see if his team can show him that they’re strong, both mentally and physically.

“I want this team to prove they can be tough… to win in this league, you have to be tough and you have to be physical.”

Junior tight end Jack Stoll refused to fan the flames on the high expectations talk however, in what was probably the most quotable moment of the day.

“I didn’t come here to go 4-8,” Stoll said. “I came here to put a ring on my finger and win the Big 10.”

In other news and notes from the press conference:

• Frost declined to state whether or not he would play Maurice Washington in the season opener. “That’s a long way down the road,” Frost said. “Right now, I’m worried about him doing the right things day by day.”

• Redshirt freshman Will Farniok is the starter for now at center, in place of the injured Cam Jurgens, who switched to center from tight end last year. Frost mentioned that Hunter Miller, Trent Hixson and Ethan Piper will all be vying for spots on the interior line.

• Frost was not able to comment on Jahkeem Green, the 2019 four star JUCO defensive tackle prospect who committed to NU on Wednesday, as he’s not at fall camp.

• Frost mentioned that the team had plenty of depth at wide receiver and at defensive line, however Frost cited the linebackers as the unit that needs a “couple of players to step up.”

• Running back Ronald Thompkins is “still getting healthy,” according to Frost. He is not on the 110 man roster, meaning that he can’t attend meetings or practice but he can meet with trainers and do rehab.

• Frost said a non senior could be a captain this year if the players vote for it.

• Frost said he has a select group of players that form a “unity council” that serve as a liaison between the players and coaches.

The first day of fall camp is on Friday.

(Photo – Kenny Larabee)