Why Trey Palmer ‘mad at himself’ over NFL Combine showing

From the end of Nebraska’s season until the NFL Combine in March, receiver Trey Palmer had one focus in his training. It wasn’t related to catching passes.

“I was working on the 40,” he said. “I wanted to run a four-two. Literally, that’s all I was working on. Football’s easy to me. I love football, so that just comes easy. It’s just my technique in the 40.”

He was frustrated that he didn’t hit his goal in Indianapolis, but his time of 4.33 seconds in the 40-yard dash was the lowest time among receivers at the combine, fast enough that the LSU transfer didn’t run again at the Huskers’ Pro Day Wednesday. Instead, Palmer used the day as another opportunity to run routes in front of scouts while keeping a similarly narrow-minded focus.

He spoke to representatives from the Giants and Falcons after doing drills but is generally avoiding thinking about how close he is to his NFL dreams. He doesn’t know where he’ll watch the draft in April and is content to go “anywhere that will throw the ball.” His only priority is his own improvement, trusting that everything else will fall into place.

“I’m here where my feet at right now,” he said.

Caleb Tannor’s Nebraska career will likely stand the test of time in the school’s record books.

After arriving at NU in 2018, Tannor played in 56 consecutive games, a streak that tied former defensive lineman Cameron Meredith’s run from 2008-12. How did Tannor last so long as a contributor? Tannor claims it’s because he’s a well-rounded player, a trait he’s also hoping will land him a spot at the next level.

“I’m a really versatile dude, so I can (play) anywhere,” Tannor said. “Hopefully everybody else sees that.”

A longtime defensive end and edge rusher, Tannor totaled 126 tackles and 10 career sacks with the Huskers. At 6-foot-3, Tannor’s height would be on the lower end of the spectrum among NFL defensive ends. That’s why adding weight was a priority in the offseason, with Tannor weighing in at 237 pounds on Monday after playing at 220-225 pounds with Nebraska.

“It’s a good little amount of weight, and I’ve still got my abs,” Tannor said with a smile.

Tannor participated in all of the drills at Nebraska’s Pro Day and said he’s been in contact with several NFL teams in recent weeks.

Chancellor Brewington prefers to look forward, not backward.

After an 11-week camp in Arizona to prepare for Nebraska’s Pro Day, Brewington was happy to put his work into action. But, there was still a little bit of Brewington that wondered — what if he had another year in Lincoln?

Brewington played two full seasons with the Huskers, but it was his time at Northern Arizona that exhausted his eligibility. Brewington missed the 2019 and 2020 seasons because of injury, and while players are sometimes granted additional years of eligibility because of injuries, the fact that one of Brewington’s lost seasons fell during the COVID-affected 2020 season meant that was it.

If that weren’t the case, would Brewington have returned to Nebraska?

“One hundred percent — I wouldn’t even think twice about it,” Brewington said. “I’ve got so many brothers on this team, and they’re people that I care about and love.”

When Brewington arrived at Nebraska in 2021, he hadn’t caught a pass in nearly three years. But thanks to his talents as blocker, the tight end eventually appeared in 22 of 24 possible games and hauled in 14 passes in a Nebraska career that he’ll remember fondly.

“I think I was a testament for the guys who come after me, because they can look at my progression here and see someone who stayed the course and didn’t give up,” Brewington said.

Travis Vokolek spent his winter in Pensacola, Florida, working past a stress fracture in his foot and training with other NFL hopefuls to try to round his game out as much as possible: improve his footwork, route-running, hands and just refine the drills he’d do at the combine and pro day.

The results came together Wednesday with a final chance to impress scouts at an event that provided an opportunity for prospects like Vokolek — the kind who didn’t put up eye-popping stats in college but have the physical attributes (6-7, 260 pounds) to be an intriguing piece at the next level.

“I thought I had a great day,” he said. “There was one drop. Would love to have that back, but not gonna look past that, and just onto the next thing, and continue grinding and continue training, and we’ll see what happens.”