Nebraska starting kicker role still fluid ahead of opener

Nebraska will let its kicker competition play out a little longer.

The Huskers have perhaps 90% of their roles on special teams set for the season opener but who handles field goals and extra points remains fluid 11 days out, NU special teams coordinator Ed Foley said Tuesday.

Sophomore Tristan Alvano (groin) is perhaps 90% healthy and handling a larger quantity of kicks than he has throughout training camp, Foley said. Alvano continues to battle with redshirt freshman John Hohl while freshman Nico Ottomanelli is third in the pecking order.

“We’re going to let that thing play out here for another couple days before we do anything,” Foley said.

Alvano continues to build up stamina to maintain his distance and accuracy across a larger workload — he’s starting to again hit some long balls in practice, Foley said, that have camera operators ducking out of the way. The NU staff expects the Omaha Westside graduate to be ready for the first game on Aug. 31.

The hit percentage remains tight between Alvano — a scholarship member — and Hohl, a walk-on out of Lincoln Southwest and Iowa Western who impressed coaches at a summer camp.

“It’s really close,” Foley said. “And they’re making most of their kicks, which is good.”

Alvano is only beginning to work up to kickoff duty after handling 32 of 45 attempts for Nebraska last year. Foley said he’s comfortable with other options there including punter Brian Buschini and Hohl.

Meanwhile, the return game is coming into focus. Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda has been perhaps the leader in bringing back punts while freshman receiver Jacory Barney tracks the ball as well as anyone. Running back Emmett Johnson is also in the mix. Kickoff returners include Rahmir Johnson, Emmett Johnson and Barney.

Foley called NU’s performance returning punts last year “terrible,” when the Huskers accumulated 48 total yards on 16 tries to finish 117th nationally — “It falls directly on me,” he said. The top two returners from that unit, receiver Billy Kemp and defensive back Ethan Nation, are no longer with the team.

Among “unsung” special teams contributors, Foley said, are freshman receiver Carter Nelson, junior defensive back Taveon Thompson, sophomore linebacker Gage Stenger and long snapper Camden Witucki. All stand out for being steady, consistent, multi-team contributors. NU will also use an array of starters in the third phase including linebackers like John Bullock and Mikai Gbayor on the punt unit.

Nelson will be a regular on special teams only a few months after joining Nebraska and after playing eight-man football during his prep career at Ainsworth.

“He’s shown to me a lot of real discipline and very easy understanding of what we’re trying to do on special teams,” Foley said. “He won’t do anything glamorous early on for us but you’ll see him out there for us. For us to play a true freshman tells you a lot about his ability.”

Gbayor, who used time on coverage units last year as an on-ramp to more playing time as a linebacker, joked that there will be a problem if Foley ever removes him from special teams. It figures to provide an opportunity for snaps for another wave of younger Huskers now.

“I love special teams,” Gbayor said. “Special teams is the way.”