Press conference takes: What we learned on Monday

Here are some quick takes and reactions following Monday’s spring football press conference as the Huskers get ready to open up practice on Tuesday.

Over the first five weeks of the 2021 season, Nebraska is currently only scheduled to play one home game in Memorial Stadium – Buffalo on Sept. 11.

You can blame that on a lot of things. An early trip to Ireland moved NU’s Week 1 game to Nov. 13 and gave the Huskers a scheduled bye for Sept 4. This is also a year where the Huskers are on the road for the non-conference, as they host five league games in 2021.

The 2021 schedule is backloaded with home games, but the front remains a big concern for Scott Frost.

After hearing Frost talk on Monday, it’s clear to me they are doing anything possible to try to play on Sept. 4 and no longer play Southeast Louisana on Nov. 13. This would give the Huskers a nice runway vs. Illinois, Buffalo and presumably another FCS opponent before they travel to Norman on Sept. 18.

Frost said on Monday once they lost their trip to Ireland, NU’s officials and leadership explored all options in order to get another September home game since the bye week was no longer necessary.

“We are considering all options to change the schedule to get more home games, and to get more home games early,” Frost said.

Frost would not go into the discussions about potentially backing out of playing OU, as it’s clear that’s no longer even a thought. In fact, you get the sense now several of the players on the team are looking forward to that game in Norman.

In 2020, Nebraska was the only team in the Big Ten that didn’t have a full-time assistant coach also carry a special teams title.

In 2018 and 2019, Jovan Dewitt carried that title, along with outside linebackers coach. When Mike Dawson replaced him, most expected him to take on both titles. Instead, Dawson was NU’s outside linebackers coach in 2020 and Jonathan Rutledge coached special teams as an analyst.

Rutledge was let go by NU this off-season, and Frost said on Monday that Dawson will now carry the special teams coordinator title, as well as outside linebackers coach.

This is what many people expected would happen all along, but I still believe Bill Busch is more heavily involved in special teams play than Frost is leading on.

In fact, I can tell you Busch has done nearly all of the behind-the-scenes special teams work at this point. It will be interesting to see how this new dynamic will work, but after a disastrous season in 2020 with special teams play, it’s clear it has everyone’s attention.

Let’s not overreact to the news that wide receiver Samor Toure will start out in the slot this spring.

I think everyone expected him to be a lock to play the X or Z position, but according to NU’s coaches on Monday he’ll start out at the R.

What you need to know though is the positions are interchangeable. The slot position also gives offensive coordinator Matt Lubick more ways to move Toure around and create match-ups with him.

I think that’s a good sign that players like Oliver Martin, Omar Manning and Zavier Betts are going to give the Huskers more on the perimeter in 2021. Also, don’t sleep on freshman Thomas Fidone, who has the ability to line up both at tight end and on the perimeter.

When talking about the offensive line on Monday, you get the sense Frost really likes what he returns this spring.

Apparently, the small taste Frost got of Turner Corcoran at Rutgers was also enough to make him believe he’s going to be the guy this spring.

In fact, Frost mentioned Brant Banks as a possibility now to win the open guard position. Before that, Banks was looked at as the other player in line at left tackle with Corcoran.

Today, it’s a pretty safe bet that Corcoran, Cameron Jurgens, Ethan Piper and Bryce Benhart have a lock on four of the five starting jobs heading into spring practice.

Spring is always a time for new faces to emerge. Here are a few to watch after what we learned during Monday’s press conference:

WR Oliver Martin – The Iowa/Michigan transfer jumped a 40 inch vertical in winter conditioning. He now knows the offense too. Watch out.

DT Nash Hutmacher – The former wrestling star is one of the strongest incoming players to come into the Husker program in years. He’s got a chance to really do some damage in the future.

DE Ru’Quan Buckley – Of all the incoming freshmen on campus now, Ru’Quan Buckley doesn’t get a lot of attention, but he’s really turned some heads this winter. He also has a great frame to build on for the future.