Spring countdown: Six Huskers looking to bounce back from injuries in 2021 | Football

Clark (6-foot-4 and 210 pounds) is a physically imposing corner and will compete with several others for a starting spot opposite Cam Taylor-Britt. He looked poised to push Taylor-Britt and Dicaprio Bootle for time in 2020 before a preseason shoulder injury ended his year before it began. He made one start in 2019 (at Purdue) and held up well and is a player that secondary coach Travis Fisher has a lot of confidence in.

Wright (6-3, 205) is less of a known commodity outside the building at this point. At 6-3, he could end up at any spot in the secondary or could move down into more of a linebacker in the JoJo Domann mold. Regardless, he’s a versatile player that Fisher and Chinander will be happy to have back on the board after a preseason camp knee injury cost him the 2020 season.

You could also make a case for including safety Myles Farmer, too, though at five games played in 2020 before a freak pregame ankle/leg injury against Purdue, he saw more time on the field than anybody else on this list. 

Defensive lineman Deontre Thomas

The veteran defensive lineman earned a spot in Tony Tuioti’s rotation but dealt with injuries and was limited to just two games in 2020. He didn’t appear after taking a late hit from behind during the Penn State game and going to the turf awkwardly.

Even without Thomas, NU’s defensive line showed signs of development and improvement as the year went on. With several promising young players in the mix and Ben Stille back for a sixth year, playing time is not going to be easy to come by up front. Still, it certainly can’t hurt to have a 28-game veteran like Thomas back in the mix.