Spring game notes: Frost looking forward to injured playmakers returning; young TEs, WRs make plays | Football

Tight end Travis Vokolek (shoulder), linebacker Luke Reimer (groin) and defensive linemen Casey Rogers (knee) all had surgeries after the 2021 season ended. Nickel Javin Wright was worked in slowly this spring after having blood clotting issues last year. Linebacker Garrett Snodgrass was limited from the start, as was offensive lineman Turner Corcoran. Fellow offensive lineman Teddy Prochazka and running back Gabe Ervin are recovering from knee injuries suffered during the 2021 season.

“It has been a little frustrating at times through the spring practicing without Gabe and Vokolek and Thomas and Corcoran and Teddy and a receiver here and there and guys like Reimer on defense. Casey Rogers on defense,” Frost said Saturday after the Red-White Spring Game. “Those are arguably seven or eight of our top 10 or 20 guys, and we’re certainly looking forward to getting those guys back. And all of them should be ready to go, pretty much, full in summer conditioning.”

All of them? Frost clarified, to a degree, when asked specifically about Fidone, who is thought to have suffered a serious knee injury last month during NU’s first scrimmage of spring ball.

“I think almost all of them will be back for summer conditioning,” Frost said. “That’s all I’m going to say.”

Kicking game: What must Timmy Bleekrode, Nebraska’s scholarship kicking transfer from Furman who was on hand for the spring game, have thought watching the proceedings on Saturday?

Chase Contreraz made a short field goal but hooked a 42-yard attempt downwind hard to the left. Gabe Heins missed an extra point and then made two in the second half.

Overall, an iffy day kicking the ball that looked uncomfortably like several games over the past two years. NU is banking on Bleekrode to put an end to them when he arrives on campus next month.

“Yeah, the biggest applause all day, I think, was the bomb punt that Brian (Buschini) hit, and rightfully so,” Frost said. “I would have been clapping, too, if that hadn’t been inappropriate. Kicking and punting, we hope, will be better this year, and the guys we have and the new guys coming in need to figure it out and get that done.”

Buschini didn’t hit the ball fully every time he punted on Saturday, though a couple of times he may have been working on directional punts in the windy conditions. One netted just 14 yards, but his other seven attempts netted 42.6 on average — with no returns allowed, of course.

Young TEs step up: Once Fidone went down, NU was without arguably its top four tight ends in him, Vokolek, Chancellor Brewington (right wrist in a cast on Saturday) and Chris Hickman (left arm/shoulder immobilized).

In their place, it’s been a spring full of work for Aurora walk-on Nate Boerkircher and redshirt freshmen A.J. Rollins and James Carnie, among others.

That trio combined for seven catches and 62 yards on Saturday, including a 27-yarder to Rollins from Chubba Purdy in a tight window in the first half.

“A.J. made a nice catch, he’s been coming along,” Frost said. “James Carnie is coming along. Boerkircher’s done some really nice things. I don’t want to leave anybody out, but those guys have been pressed into duty with Vokolek out for the spring, with Hickman out for the spring, with Chancellor Brewington out for the spring and with Thomas down right now. It’s weird being a coach, every year it seems like there’s one position that gets bit by the injury bug and that’s kind of our position this spring. …

“It’s good those guys are getting reps because we’re going to have to count on them sooner or later.”

Hahn, Grimes leave their mark: Wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph pegged Johnson-Brock walk-on Ty Hahn as a young player who surprised him this week and talked about Hahn in terms of making it “on the plane,” or making the travel roster this fall when conference play begins. Hahn did more than just special teams dirty work on Saturday, hauling in a 42-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown from Hastings walk-on Jarrett Synek.

Grimes, a scholarship redshirt freshman from Florida, also hauled in a 34-yard, second-half touchdown and finished with 49 receiving yards.

Anthony making the switch: Hunter Anthony wasn’t interested in talking about himself Saturday.

The junior transfer offensive lineman from Oklahoma State deflected over and over to how Nebraska’s offensive line has come together as a group, working to pick up new coach Donovan Raiola’s schemes while he himself learns to adjust to a new home after four years playing for the Cowboys.

“I think the O-line came a long way (in the spring). We’ve been a real tight unit,” the 6-foot-6, 320-pounder said. “We’ve just been doing a lot of stuff together. It’s been real easy to fit in. We’ve got a great group of guys. I can’t say enough about how good our guys are.”