Nebraska’s WR room should take a big step forward in 2021. Here’s a complete spring preview of the WR room.

The Nebraska football team is scheduled to officially start spring practice on Tuesday, Mar. 30, as the Big Red will go five straight weeks before wrapping things up with the May 1 Red-White spring game.

As we get closer to the start of spring practice, it’s time to take an in-depth look at each position group.

Today we take we breakdown the wide receiver position, as this group has a chance to take a major step forward in 2021.

Related: QB | RB

Nebraska hit the transfer portal hard for a No. 1 wide receiver and they may have struck gold by landing arguably the top name at the position in Montana’s Samori Toure.

He, and Oklahoma’s Charleston Rambo were regarded as the top two portal wide receivers available in January. Miami pursued both and got Rambo, while the Huskers landed Toure. From my view, Toure was NU’s No. 1 target all the way, as he was very productive in 2019 with 1,495 yards receiving on 87 catches. You cannot put a price tag on what production like this is worth.

Toure easily could’ve gone pro and would’ve been a Day 3 pick. He chose to play one more season and hopefully improve his stock as NU’s No.1 wide-out in 2021.

The other thing Toure brings is the ability to mentor some of Nebraska’s younger wide receivers like freshmen Zavier Betts, Alante Brown and Will Nixon.

He’ll be surrounded by veterans like Levi Falck, Oliver Martin and Wyatt Liewer, who are solid role players the Big returns in 2021.

The x-factor remains Omar Manning, and what he can provide. Hopefully learning from a guy like Toure will push Manning this spring.

Of all the disappointments in 2020, arguably Manning’s inability to practice and be a factor would rank right up there.

Manning was the nation’s No. 1 ranked junior college offensive player heading into the 2020 season, and he played a grand total of four snaps in one game.

All the reports about Manning this winter remain positive though. He’s been a part of all drills and workouts and appears poised to be a factor this spring.

The next hurdle is can he practice 15 times for five weeks to truly make an impact and earn a spot this season. If Manning can line up next to guys like Betts and Toure, all of a sudden the Huskers could have one of their more impressive groups of wide-outs on paper since the 2016 season when they featured Jordan Westerkamp, Stanley Morgan Jr. Alzono Moore, Brandon Reilly and De’Mornay Pierson-El. Four of those five wide-outs ended up getting opportunities in the NFL.

There are two dark horses for me this spring that have a chance to really improve their stock.

Will Nixon was poised to get on the field last year as a freshman before a knee injury knocked him out altogether. Reports are very strong right now about Nixon and what he’s shown in his comeback.

Then you have Michigan/Iowa transfer, Oliver Martin. Last year nobody knew if Martin would even be cleared to play. He didn’t get a lot of fall camp reps with the top units, so he was behind the eightball.

It was clear Martin was one of the Huskers’ better receivers in 2020 and was seeing starting type reps by season’s end over veterans like captain Kade Warner. I expect Martin to carve a nice role in the offense and be a part of NU’s top-six receivers in 2021, even with the addition of Toure and the potential rise of both Betts and Manning. I also expect him to be put on scholarship this fall.