Red Report: Betts remains off team but Joseph in contact; Fisher’s ‘dogs’; Hixson relishing sixth year | Football

Nebraska wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph on Wednesday left open the possibility that sophomore Zavier Betts returns to the program at some point in the future, but said there were multiple steps that would have to occur first.

Betts, the Bellevue West graduate, did not return to the team when it resumed practicing after the university’s spring break late last month. 

Joseph said he’s been in contact with the 6-foot-2, 200-pound former four-star recruit.

“We visit with Zavier right now. He’s not on the team right now, but we’ve visited with Zavier and we’re going to visit that again down the road,” Joseph said. “It’s going to be (head coach Scott) Frost’s decision about what he wants to do with him, but my thing with Zavier, Zavier is always going to be part of me and part of this program, but we’ll deal with that down the line.”

Betts was not hurt or suspended, and the decision to leave the program appears to have been his. So, first things first, Betts would have to want to return to the team. In the meantime, though, the first-year NU receivers coach said his focus is on the players in his room every day.

“We talk about this: If you’re here or not, they’re going to kick the ball off,” he said. “If Coach Mickey’s not here, they’re not going to say, ‘OK, let’s postpone the game until. …’ No. The guys in the building, that’s who we’re going to play with.”

Manning at “X:” Betts’ departure caused some shuffling in the receiving corps, including Omar Manning moving from playing some in the slot to mostly outside at the “X” position. Trey Palmer continues to play mostly in the slot, Alante Brown can play inside or outside and Oliver Martin has been getting extensive work outside as well.

Joseph also mentioned Wyatt Liewer and Brody Belt as players who have slid up the depth chart in the slot in recent weeks.

“We’re fine,” Joseph said.

Dog mentality: There’s been a lot of talk in Nebraska’s spring camp about the importance of players having a “dog mentality.”

Secondary coach Travis Fisher identified five Husker defensive backs who have such a mentality (to be clear, “dog mentality” is a good thing): Marques Buford, Tommi Hill, Myles Farmer, Quinton Newsome and DeShon Singleton.

All his defensive backs have the mentality, Fisher said, “but those are the guys who stand out to me right now.”

Aging process: Nebraska has only seven defensive linemen in spring camp. That’s it.

Of those seven, “Most of us have over 400 game-like reps this spring ball,” said fourth-year sophomore Ty Robinson. “But we all made it through.”

Robinson admitted he feels “nicked up.”

“I can definitely tell you what it feels like to be old now, I’ll tell you that much,” he said. “I feel like I’m in a 35-year-old body.”

Is Nebraska’s lack of depth in the interior defensive line concerning to Robinson?

“No, because we’ll have some guys come over in the summer, I think,” he said. “Maybe some recruits.”

He paused before adding, “I mean, shoot, if that’s all we’ve got, we’ll roll with it.”

Tighten up: Nebraska tight ends coach Sean Beckton said last week the offense has moved the ball consistently on the ground this spring.

Robinson didn’t bite back on the coach’s contention.

“The offense has a new scheme,” he said. “They’re doing really well with what they’ve got. On the defensive side, it’s just guys being out of their gaps or out of their responsibilities.

“It’s just simple mistakes we’re making.”

Stay alert: Fisher said new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple’s system and play calls test his defensive backs daily.

Not only that, Nebraska’s newfangled offense tests Fisher daily.

“It definitely has me in the office the whole time (this spring) trying to figure things out,” Fisher said. “There hasn’t been a day when I could just relax and say, ‘Hey, we did this last year. This is easy.’”

“When I tell you there hasn’t been day I could relax, I mean there hasn’t been a day,” Fisher said.

Hixson relishing extra year: Trent Hixson wouldn’t say whether he was working with the top offensive line group during spring practice.

But the sixth-year senior, who took advantage of his extra COVID-19 season for one more go-round with the Huskers, has certainly been energized by the addition of a new position coach and a new offensive coordinator.

“It’s just a different style. We’re coming off and hitting guys,” Hixson said. “It’s been a learning process, and I think after 14 practices we’re doing really well with that and we’re just going to keep on getting better once we get into summer and into fall camp.”

Hixson has settled into a role at center as NU begins the process of replacing Cam Jurgens. The Omaha Skutt graduate started two games at left guard last season.

Hixson played in five games last season, and three games in 2020. He’s hoping for more this year.

“Once they offered the COVID season; I didn’t do what I wanted on the field last year and even the year before that. So I’ve got to come back and try and prove myself,” Hixson said. “It’s just mentality, it’s just learning the offense better, and being the best I can be on the field.”

Other WR notes: New Mexico State transfer Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda, meanwhile, has missed most of the spring because of an undisclosed injury. Joseph said the focus will be mostly physical for the 6-foot, 185-pound California native this summer.

“First thing is we’ve got to make sure he’s in top shape,” Joseph said. “We’ve got to make sure he starts running and gets more running in because he’s behind in that. But he’s a high football IQ kid coming out of New Mexico State, so I’m not worried about the mental part. I’m worried about the physical part, getting on the field, running the routes and catching the ball. He’s going to know what to do.”

Asked if any young players had put themselves in contention for more work going forward this spring, Joseph mentioned one name: Johnson-Brock walk-on Ty Hahn.

“He’s had a really good spring, not just in the receiver room, he’s had a really good spring on special teams,” Joseph said. “That’s going to get you on the plane, that you can go in on special teams. He’s really a surprise because he’s a kid that just works. He works and he plays 100% every snap and gives you his all.

“He’s the young kid that made a leap.”