• Video: Nebraska wide receiver Niles Paul speaks at the spring football press conference:
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LINCOLN — Nobody needed to bother looking for a Nebraska depth chart Tuesday and coach Bo Pelini made it clear to reporters that there wouldn't be one, either.
It's his way of saying spring practice won't be about locking up jobs.
“The depth chart isn't worth the paper that it's on,” Pelini said. “We're not going to ask depth-chart questions. The only person that will answer depth-chart questions is myself.
“We have depth in a lot of different positions. There's going to be competition at all those positions. And that's going to go well beyond spring. You guys can talk about it all you want. As a staff, I'll talk about it. No one else will talk about it.”
Lee's progress
Pelini said Tuesday that senior quarterback Zac Lee is “progressing right along” but still unlikely to see any time during spring practice. Lee had surgery in January to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right arm.
“We feel like he's doing just fine,” Pelini said.
With Lee out, Cody Green, Latravis Washington, Kody Spano, Taylor Martinez and Ron Kellogg will man the quarterback spot.
“We have a lot of depth, we have a lot of talent and we got the guys to get them taught,” Pelini said. “I love our prospects at the quarterback position.”
Pelini said Spano is in good shape as he recovers from two torn ACL injuries in 2009, and is not planning to wear a brace.
Thenarse returns
Senior safety Rickey Thenarse also is coming back from ACL surgery. Thenarse is expected to contend for the safety jobs vacated by Matt O'Hanlon and Larry Asante.
“I think he's ready to go,” Pelini said. “I think he's done everything he needs to do up to this point to allow himself to get out there and compete. We'll see how he comes back, but I think physically he's doing real well.”
Also, redshirt freshman cornerback Andrew Green is expected to miss the first week or so of spring practice because of a nagging injury.
No longer on the Husker roster are defensive tackle Ben Martin out of Lincoln Southwest and offensive lineman Cruz Barrett. They join offensive lineman Quentin Toailoa as scholarship players not returning in 2010.
No ordinary Joe
Who is Joe Broekemeier?
Apparently a darkhorse option in the Nebraska receiving corps.
The senior — once a pitcher on the Husker baseball team — moved from quarterback to receiver this winter, and apparently the results have been impressive.
“He just came out of nowhere in seven-on-sevens,” senior receiver Niles Paul said. “They put him with us and he goes and scores two touchdowns the first time out. And they were bombs. It was like, ‘OK, Joe. I didn't know you were a receiver.'”
The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder from Aurora, Neb., was even one of the names Pelini dropped in his assessment of the receiving corps during his press conference Tuesday, saying Broekemeier had a good winter. Several will vie for time behind Paul and Brandon Kinnie.
“There's a lot of numbers there,” Pelini said. “It's important that we get all these guys reps and see if they can make some progress through these 15 practices.”
Ex-Husker dies
A memorial service will be held Saturday in California for former Husker tight end Justin Tomerlin, who died over the weekend after a skateboarding accident in La Jolla.
According to Eric Patton, Tomerlin's former high school coach in San Clemente, an aunt said in a statement that Tomerlin was riding a skateboard in front of his home, had an accident and suffered a head injury. Tomerlin was found by a roommate.
Patton said Tomerlin, 27, died at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla.
“At times like that, you just remember the great potential he had,” Patton said. “He had a great attitude. Kind of always on the edge all the time — maybe a little too much — but he always had a good time.”
Tomerlin was part of the Huskers' high-profile 2005 recruiting class after playing with NU quarterback Zac Taylor at Butler County (Kan.) Community College. Tomerlin was dismissed from the team in October 2006 by former coach Bill Callahan for violation of team policies and regulations.
— Rich Kaipust and Nick Rubek
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• Video: Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara speaks at the spring football press conference:
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