The art of a kickoff, running backs and a ‘sponge’ on defense

Timmy Bleekrode doesn’t usually spend a lot of time working on kickoffs in the offseason. They take a lot of energy and are taxing on the leg, limiting how many repetitions a kicker can get in a short period of time.

And for most of his college career, they haven’t been especially necessary. Bleekrode handled punts and field goals in his three years at Furman, then exclusively field goals at Nebraska in 2022.

This year could be different, and Bleekrode’s offseason priorities reflected it. The Huskers’ kickoff specialist, Brendan Franke, is now at Georgia Southern, leaving Bleekrode and punter Brian Buschini as candidates to replace him.

Kickoffs were a priority for Bleekrode, even if getting a lot of work wasn’t practical. He did enough to stay comfortable with the differences from place kicking: he swings his leg at a slightly different angle because the ball starts on a tee on kickoffs. He tries to drive through the ball more because he doesn’t have to worry about getting it over the line like on a field goal.

“It’s just something else in our bag of tricks that we can do,” he said. “Any kicker should be able to hit a field goal or kickoff if they need to. Punting, you can make an argument that it could be tricky because it is a completely different swing, but kickoff, it’s pretty similar, so it’s not too hard.”

Tuesday, special teams coordinator Ed Foley remarked what a strong leg Buschini possesses, but said that won’t be the deciding factor in who kicks off. The goal, Foley said, isn’t just to boom the ball out of the end zone. It’s placing the ball where it will most benefit the coverage, and Nebraska will design its strategy around the strengths of whoever gets the job.

Running back development: Overseeing a position group that includes a 900-yard rusher a year ago, two veterans of the program and a redshirt freshman who flashed an ability to contribute in limited action in 2022, running backs coach E.J. Barthel still sees his room as inexperienced.

Anthony Grant’s breakout season was his first as a Division I starter. Gabe Ervin Jr. has been limited by injuries over the past two years. Rahmir Johnson’s playing time has been sporadic.

The result is a room Barthel still sees in its developmental stage, even as he’s been satisfied with its collective work in the spring.

“We’re gonna dissect the whole process with these guys,” he said. “It starts with eye development, understanding the run game, understanding the blocking schemes and just being really detailed. I think the key to the position is being a detail-oriented player, based upon pass protection, understanding front structure and where your eyes (are) and where the ball’s supposed to insert. It’s a lot of teaching, and it’s a lot of information that they gotta process.”

Linebacker learning: In just a few short months, linebackers Jimari Butler and MJ Sherman have quickly developed a rapport.

Butler said that he and Sherman “just clicked” when the transfer arrived on campus, perhaps due to their shared experiences in the south — Butler is from Alabama, while Sherman spent three years at Georgia.

“Me and MJ, that’s my guy,” Butler said. “When we’re rushing, we’re talking to each other after the play about what we could’ve (done) better. We’re in there meeting all the time.”

But, Sherman isn’t the only newcomer who Butler has been working with. Freshman Maverick Noonan, an Elkhorn South graduate who also arrived on campus in January, has been learning from his older teammates. At 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, Noonan has a similar build to the 6-5, 245-pound Butler — and he’s keeping a close eye on his teammate’s technique as he adapts to the college game.

“Maverick, he’s like a sponge,” Butler said. “Whatever me and MJ tell him, he’s gonna listen to it. We aren’t leading him in the wrong way though; we want to see him be great.”