Nebraska’s Janiran Bonner in his ‘element’ as wide receiver

A former high school wideout who moved to tight end then fullback over the last two seasons, Bonner is back at wide receiver this fall — and the third-year Husker is right at home.

“I just like being out there on the field, so it feels good to be back at wide receiver because that’s more in my element,” Bonner said.

Now a sophomore, it’s time for Bonner to turn his physical potential into on-field production. It’s not for a lack of trying, though, as Bonner spent each of the last two seasons learning new positions which he hoped would get him on the field.

Most recently, it was as a fullback. As Nebraska sought out athletic runners and blockers to fill a key role within coordinator Marcus Satterfield’s offense, two players stood out: Bonner and Notre Dame transfer Barret Liebentritt.

Despite an impressive spring camp in which Bonner looked so athletic that head coach Matt Rhule called him a “weapon” afterward, a big year for Bonner and the fullback position never materialized. Bonner appeared in all 12 of Nebraska’s games, recording just four carries and one catch as he averaged fewer than 10 snaps per contest.

Offseason tweaks to the Nebraska offense, which included the hiring of co-offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas and the presence of quarterback Dylan Raiola, have lessened Nebraska’s focus on the fullback position. The Huskers still wanted to get Bonner on the field — but how?

“To me, he is a true weapon,” Rhule said of Bonner in April. “He’s a guy that we could conceivably play at wideout for 10 plays in a row or we could motion (him) in and he’ll block defensive ends and he carried the football for us last year.”

A move back to wide receiver was exactly what Bonner needed. He again impressed in the spring, notably catching a touchdown pass from Raiola during the Spring Game and has carried over that momentum into the fall.

During a portion of Nebraska’s Friday practice open to the media, Bonner lined up alongside Jahmal Banks and Isaiah Neyor as NU’s first-team pass-catchers. Both when making tough, contested catches and when working as run-blocker, Bonner’s 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame enables him to move defenders in a way few wide receivers can.

“Just having a big body, it’s always great so I can be physical and run routes, catch the ball and be a good blocker on the perimeter,” Bonner said. “The physicality has to be there, so I definitely take pride in that.”

Bonner’s experience makes a difference too. The sophomore said he’s gotten better every year despite the position changes which have enabled him to learn the offense at a deeper level.

If Nebraska needed him to play tight end, he said he could return to the position — and it’s that type of mentality that wide receivers coach Garret McGuire appreciates about Bonner.

“He plays football the way we like to play it,” McGuire said. “He’s superphysical on the perimeter, strikes and dominates contact at a super high level and he’s got really, really big hands so he can catch the ball over the middle; a fearless type of guy (who) wants to stick his nose in there. He’s an unbelievable teammate and he’ll do whatever it takes to win.”

Considering Rhule has spoken openly about wanting the Huskers to have a “positionless” offense full of dynamic athletes, Bonner fits right into those plans. No, he might not have the speed of Jacory Barney Jr. or the agility of Banks, but Bonner is a different type of wide receiver altogether.

Having hard-nosed, experienced players can make all the difference — and Bonner is ready to answer the call this season.

“I definitely would love to be one of the (players) that the offense can count on when it’s time to make a play,” he said.