A brief look at the key position battles that could take center stage at the Nebraska football spring game —The quarterbacks, the offensive line, the receivers and the running backs.

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THE QUARTERBACKS

It's not exactly gushing praise, but there is some meaning behind Nebraska receiver-tight end Mike McNeill's comment about the Husker quarterbacks: “They don't really look like the younger guys that they looked like before.”

Cody Green, Taylor Martinez and Kody Spano all needed — and still need — more seasoning. But NU offensive players said each underclassman made strides through 14 spring practices in managing the offense and leading the team. How much? A better gauge of their progress will come Saturday when they get the chance to lead the Red or White offenses in the spring game. NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson never delved into many specifics when discussing his quarterbacks this spring, so it will be good to hear his assessment after the scrimmage. Green did interviews after the first practice before the staff decided the others could wait. To be sure, the work will have to continue with elements such as timing and making reads. That goes with Green, Martinez, Spano, Latravis Washington and Ron Kellogg all having limited or no playing experience. Senior Zac Lee is ahead in that regard after making 12 starts last season, but Lee is out this spring as he recovers from surgery on his throwing arm.

However it works out, the tools would appear to be there for the quarterbacks to run what Nebraska wants to run. “Obviously physically there's not much for them to work on,” McNeill said, “because they're all pretty gifted.”

— Rich Kaipust

THE OFFENSIVE LINE

Whatever you think of Nebraska's offensive line play over the past several seasons, know this: Things are changing.

Not so much in scheme or style of play — although that's possible — but the Huskers, with the addition of bodies, are getting more repetitions for the linemen in practice. In many cases, it's a dramatic shift.

“We're getting competition all over the place,” O-line coach Barney Cotton said. “We really don't have ones and twos. That's all subject to change. If we're going to create some depth, you've got to have more than five guys playing anyway.

“We're trying to create a bigger pool of guys than what we ended up with last year.”

For the first time under the direction of these coaches, Nebraska managed two offensive stations in practice at the same time this spring. That means 10 offensive linemen running the NU offense at once. Come August and beyond, it will make a difference, Cotton said.

The Huskers opened the spring with 20 available linemen — a group that does not include top returning right guard Ricky Henry, due back to workouts soon after winter shoulder surgery.

And they don't appear content with the current numbers. Nebraska is recruiting big bodies aggressively in its next class, gaining four pledges from offensive linemen among its five early commitments.

That's not to mention the youngsters already installed. Redshirt freshmen Brent Qvale at guard and Jeremiah Sirles at tackle will likely start Saturday, and they'll push for considerable time in September.

The new blood provides a boost of energy, said junior tackle Marcel Jones.

“When they come out with that type of intensity and that type of energy, it kind of lifts all the older guys up too,” Jones said. “We're like, ‘OK, yeah. We're going to go out there, have fun and whip some people while we're at it.'”

— Mitch Sherman

THE RECEIVERS

Over and over again, Nebraska's Curenski Gilleylen has heard the invitation for playing time from his position coach.

It's Ted Gilmore's motivational speech, a simple reiteration of the fact that there are still open spots on the wide receiver depth chart.

“He wants guys to just take it over, that's what he tells us,” Gilleylen said. “Just take it over.”

Until someone does that, it appears Gilmore will have to continue to plead for a breakthrough. Because to run the spread-the-field, sideline-to-sideline passing attack that offensive coordinator Shawn Watson envisions, Nebraska will need more than just the already proven Niles Paul and Brandon Kinnie lining up on the outside.

Gilleylen's one of the leading contenders to be that third option, but he said they all have work to do.

“Everybody's going to do their best to be that guy,” he said, “because everybody wants to be counted on and be put in there with the faith that you're going to do your job. We're talking about being consistent.”

It helps, Gilleylen said, that he's suddenly being pushed by a veteran.

Senior Mike McNeill, once a tight end, has spent the entire spring with the receivers. He doesn't run routes like the typical 235-pounder, one of the reasons why the staff's experimenting with a permanent position change for the versatile pass-catcher.

“He's creating some competition there,” Gilmore said of McNeill.

Others are emerging as well, according to Gilmore.

Senior Will Henry has “caught everybody's attention,” Gilmore said. Sophomore Antonio Bell is more physical. Sophomores KC Hyland and Tim Marlowe have had their moments as well.

Khiry Cooper, the two-sport sophomore, will join the mix again next fall, right when Gilmore hopes the players' sense of urgency rises.
“We've got to really get on the fast track come fall,” he said. “It'll be interesting. We're trying to create competition.”

— Jon Nyatawa

RUNNING BACKS

Nebraska's running backs coach doesn't want the offensive unit losing a slight edge the moment it breaks the huddle.

In the mind of Tim Beck, it's not beneficial for the NU staff to individually feature its top three running backs by designing different plays that highlight the players' specific strengths.

Get the elusive and explosive Roy Helu in the open field?

Maybe let the decisive Rex Burkhead use his football instincts between the tackles?

What about putting a fullback in front of Dontrayevous Robinson, whose 230-pound frame seems suitable for a downhill-style approach?

Each back might thrive in those separate situations, but Beck said opponents pick up on that sort of thing — rather quickly, actually.

Beck can't afford to have various running backs permanently attached to certain pages of the playbook. Otherwise, defenses would know what's coming.

So Beck's trying to mold Helu, Burkhead and Robinson — the three I-backs who've separated themselves as the team's top ball carriers — into players who can execute every aspect of their game.

“I've got to have a guy in there that's going to know what to do in every circumstance and know all the adjustments,” Beck said. “And the guy who's the most consistent at successfully completing his assignments, that's the guy who typically plays the most.”

Helu will likely head into fall camp as the No. 1 I-back, but as spring practices have proved, he has two lethal sidekicks now.

Burkhead possesses the type of game-changing athleticism that's difficult to keep sidelined. And Robinson might have had the most winter improvement of the all the backs.

“There are growing pains, but they all kind of have them,” Beck said. “It's the guy that doesn't have those problems as much, he's the one who'll play.”

— Jon Nyatawa

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