We size up the Nebraska football team and more in this week’s 3-2-1 column.

We size up the Nebraska football team and more in this week’s 3-2-1 column.

1 – Tight end depth is now a question

What was once the strongest one-two punch on the team now appears to be in question as the Huskers get ready to head to Illinois in just over two weeks.

Both tight ends Austin Allen and Travis Vokolek were not at practice on Wednesday. There are more questions now surrounding the status of Volkolek, who appears to be out for an extended period of time. We’ll get an official update from Scott Frost on Friday.

You couple that with Thomas Fidone’s ACL knee injury in April and Kurt Rafdal’s decision to transfer to Boise State, that’s NU’s top four guys heading info spring practice that are out or no longer with the team.

On Wednesday, third-year freshman Chris Hickman was working as the top tight end, while both true freshmen James Carnie and A.J. Rollins rotated in behind him. There were also a couple of walk-on tight ends being held out on Wednesday as well.

It makes you realize how quickly the depth can turn in a position room. I remain optimistic Allen’s deal is more precautionary and, hopefully, Volkolek’s is more a short-term injury.

2 – The running back room has taken shape

Nobody really knew which way the running back room would turn, but on Wednesday Ryan Held was pretty blunt by saying four backs have really pulled ahead of the pack.

Right now it appears freshman Gabe Ervin is the leader in the clubhouse, but both Sevion Morrison and Markese Stepp are right there as well.

Then you have freshman Jaquez Yant, who is the most physical back of the bunch, and you get the sense he could be the fourth guy.

I like the make-up of this group. As Held said on Thursday, they need backs “that aren’t afraid to step on the tulips” and just get yards. Held added that his guys need to understand that “a 3-yard run in the Big Ten” is sometimes a good play. You have to take the yards that are there.

3 – This defense is deeper than it’s ever been under Chinander

When Erik Chinander first got here, I remember in the spring of 2018, both he and Jovan Dewitt talking about rotating their players in like “hockey lines.”

Unfortunately, the Big Red just hasn’t had the quality in depth to do that in the Big Ten Conference.

That’s shown up in games during the fourth quarter. We’ve seen the Huskers play really well through three quarters, but the lack of depth came back to hurt them over the years at the end of games when the defense needed a crucial stop.

That should change in 2022. NU appears to have around 14 guys that can play at a Big Ten level on the front seven and probably six to seven at this point in the secondary.

Early on, NU is going to play a lot of 11 a.m., Noon or 2:30 p.m. kickoffs. It’s going to be hot most likely on these opening Saturdays. That’s where rotating players could even be more effective.

1 – What’s the status of left tackle Turner Corcoran?

Nebraska’s left tackle Turner Corcoran has been sidelined for most of Fall Camp with an unknown injury. What is the timeline for Corcoran to return at full-go?

I get that Corcoran is a very talented player, but being so young, he needs every rep he can get. The offensive line, in my opinion, takes a step back without Corcoran on the field. He is one of the most highly-touted offensive linemen the Huskers have ever signed in terms of ranking and major scholarship offers.

2 – What will the COVID protocols look like at Illinois on Aug. 28?

We are nearly two weeks away from Nebraska’s Week Zero opener at Illinois. The question I have is what type of stadium protocols will there be if any?

Just like Lincoln-Lancaster County, the city of Champaign-Urban saw its highest COVID week in terms of new cases since February. Will Illinois limit attendance numbers? Require masks in the venue?

In the COVID-19 world, two weeks is a very long time. All bets are off at this point on what type of restrictions there might be in Champaign as cases continue to rise everywhere around the country.

The corner job opposite of Cam Taylor-Britt remains wide open between Quinton Newsome, Tyreke Johnson and Braxton Clark.

I still get the sense, though, today through 11 Fall Camp practices Newsome has had the leg up. I predict Newsome will be the guy that comes out on top.

Sean Callahan can be reached at sean@huskeronline.com and he can be heard each day at 6:45 am and 5:05 pm on Big Red Radio 1110 KFAB in Omaha during the football season. He can also be seen on KETV Channel 7 in Omaha during the fall and each week he appears on NET’s Big Red Wrap-Tuesday’s at 7 pm.