Nebraska tight end Thomas Fidone addressed media after practice Thursday, detailing what he’s seen from Dylan Raiola and the quarterback room, position coach changes, the addition of Glenn Thomas and new/old faces in the tight end room. Here’s three key takeaways from Fidone’s time at the podium
What does the next step for Fidone look like
Fidone noted he feels “so much better” starting this spring with a full season of playing experience under his belt. Remember, because of injuries he played in just one game his first two years on campus. Beyond being healthy, for the first time in his Nebraska career, he’s not learning a new playbook this spring. When he enrolled in 2021, he was learning Scott Frost and Matt Lubick’s playbook, in 2022 it was Mark Whipple’s playbook, last year it was Matt Rhule and Marcus Satterfield’s playbook. Now in 2023, Glenn Thomas has joined the offensive staff, but the playbook remains the same. In fact, the addition of Thomas has freed Satterfield to roam around the offense and he’s giving special attention to the tight ends, which could pay off in the long run.
“Dude’s a wizard when it comes to offense,” Fidone said. “So we’re not learning just tight end position, we’re learning everything from quarterback to the running back, how they read it, what the quarterback’s reads are, how the running back reads his runs and obviously our jobs as tight ends.”
If he’s able to apply the knowledge from Satterfield to his game, this is what the next step looks like for the fourth-year tight end out of Lewis Central. He’s healthy, he’s comfortable with the playbook, now can truly become a leader of the offense. It’s one thing to do your job to the best of your ability but greatness is achieved when individuals understand the jobs of the entire unit, and where they fit in. If Fidone truly masters the offense, it makes everyone’s job easier, from Glenn Thomas to Dylan Raiola, to Dante Dowdell, to Jamhal Banks and even to Carter Nelson
Regarding the quarterbacks….
The first two questions Fidone answered were of course about the quarterback room. He was quick to praise Daniel Kaelin and Dylan Raiola, without comparing the two, even though a question tried to ask that of him. I think it’s important to remember that for over six months, Kaelin was the sole quarterback, and the leader, of the 2024 recruiting class. Fidone trained with Kaelin at Warren Academy when he was in high school, as did a lot of the in-state products on Nebraska’s roster. The veterans on the team have considered Kaelin as one of theirs for nearly a year now, and he’s well liked. Don’t expect Dylan Raiola praise that comes at the cost of potentially putting Kaelin down or discouraging the freshman out of Bellevue West.
On the young tight ends
Remember the name Ian Flynt. When asked about the progress of the young tight ends, Flynt was a name Fidone immediately called out.
“Ian’s done a good job,” Fidone said. “I’m happy with Ian, impressed with Ian, he’s a really smart kid. He’s almost so smart he overthinks things sometimes but that’s normal, he’ll get used to it.”
The freshman legacy’s high school stats won’t blow anyone away because of the offense he played in but Flynt moves well in space for 6-foot-4, 255 pounds. He’s more than a willing blocker and likely finds himself on the field earlier than expected because of his comfort and capabilities lining up in-line.
Beyond Flynt, Fidone’s been pleased with how redshirt freshmen Ishmael Smith-Flores and Cayden Echternach are coming along within the offense. Elite four-star tight end Carter Nelson arrives in the summer and figures to be a factor in the offense as well, but even without him, Nebraska has a deep, hungry tight end room that will contribute positively, even if they don’t stuff the stat sheet.
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