8/30/19 | Jeremy Pernell
It's not just on defense where Nebraska needs to vastly improve to become a Big Ten contender. The special teams units for the Huskers have bounced between below-average and atrocious for the last four seasons. Jovan Dewitt's unit struggled for the first half of the 2018 season but started seeing some improvements as the season wore on. A big bugaboo…
8/29/19 | Jeremy Pernell
Travis Fisher did a remarkable job with this secondary last season. It's hard to remember now, but a year ago the lack of proven depth at defensive back was one of the biggest concerns on the team heading into Scott Frost's first season. Fisher said last years game against Northwestern was the most difficult for him. The Wildcats threw it 64…
8/28/19 | Jeremy Pernell
The heart and soul of the Blackshirt defense is senior team captain Mohamed Barry. The 6-foot-1, 245-pounder out of Loganville, Georgia, was named to the Butkus Award Watch List as well as the preseason Watch List for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which is awarded to "college football’s Defensive Impact Player of the Year." After redshirting as a freshman, Barry played…
8/27/19 | Jeremy Pernell
Stopping the run has been a popular talking point among defensive players this offseason. They know they have to get better. Last year they got pushed around too often, rarely stuffed their opponents in short-yardage situations and gave up 195.8 rushing yards per game, which ranked 96th nationally. Nebraska's defense finished 107th in rushing yards per carry allowed (5.0) and…
8/26/19 | Jeremy Pernell
Nebraska has all the makings of an elite offense. Scott Frost's system is dynamic, it's multiple, it's dangerous, it's explosive, it's proven. They have one of the best quarterbacks in college football, and the skill positions are deep and full of potential game-breakers. Guys are familiar with the scheme, and after another offseason, they're comfortable and playing with confidence. The…
8/25/19 | Jeremy Pernell
The tight end room didn't lose a single player from last year and won't after this upcoming season, either. Sean Beckton's group is deep and talented. It's full of big-bodied guys who move well and present tough matchups for linebackers in coverage. The longevity of the room has helped Beckton groom his guys over the past two offseasons. Guys have…
8/24/19 | Jeremy Pernell
Stanley Morgan was the most productive receiver in Nebraska football history, breaking six school records and becoming the program's first-ever 1,000-yard receiver last season (1,004). He and JD Spielman formed one of the best duo's in the Big Ten over the last two seasons. But production outside of those two was minimal. Between Morgan and Spielman, you're looking at 77…
8/23/19 | Jeremy Pernell
This staff was very high on incoming juco standout Dedrick Mills during the recruiting process. It was a bit of a nail-biter getting him to campus. After failing to meet the initial junior college academic qualification standards in January, Mills took three courses in the spring in order to replace previous grades to meet the 2.5 GPA required for juco…
8/22/19 | Jeremy Pernell
Last season, Adrian Martinez became the first true freshman in program history to start an opener at quarterback. In doing so, he became the first freshman and just the seventh player ever to accumulate 3,000 yards of offense in a season. Martinez played in 11 games, missing the Troy loss on Sept. 15 - thanks to a knee injury he…