All the way back in September 2018, late in Michigan’s colossal 56-10 beat-down of Nebraska in Ann Arbor, secondary coach Travis Fisher had a somewhat peculiar concern about putting then-true freshman Braxton Clark in his first game.
Fisher worried that Clark would come down with an interception right away.
“What I wanted for (Clark) was to have them run the ball his way and get his first hit,†Fisher said then. “I wanted a tackle first. I didn’t really want him to try to go get a pick because that’s probably what he’d go do, but I wanted him to make a tackle and let him see how it feels and get his juices flowing that way.â€
Two years later, against Northwestern last fall, redshirt freshman safety Myles Farmer saw his first extensive action in the secondary for Nebraska and logged a pair of picks in the first half alone.
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What must Fisher have thought of that?
“He wanted three,†Fisher said with a laugh on Wednesday. “He wanted three real bad.â€
That never materialized for the young safety, though. Farmer played sparingly over the next couple of weeks and then suffered a serious injury in warmups on the field at Purdue on Dec. 5.
“That was his game,†Fisher lamented of the ill-timed injury. “It was his game to play more than probably the other guys that had started, if not the same amount of reps. That was the plan, he knew it, and that was what bothered me most when he got hurt in pregame.
“He’s fine now, spirits are great now.â€
Both Clark and Farmer are well past rookie status now. They each find themselves in similar situations this spring, getting back into the swing of things following injuries. Clark’s 2020 never got off the ground at all after he suffered a preseason shoulder injury that cost him the entire campaign.
“(Farmer)’s been here every single day. He’s been great. He’s been great in his rehab, he’s back running around,†Fisher said. “Just seeing Myles come a long way. First we didn’t see him at all, then we saw him on special teams, then we see him in a game get two interceptions in a game. He’s just been grinding. He’s still the same way and he still has that same attitude.â€
Redshirt freshman Javin Wright, too, is working back from a knee injury that cost him all of 2020.
Farmer’s role was blossoming at the time he went down. Fisher said Clark would have had a role and might even have pushed for a starting job at corner. Wright? He would have played a lot of snaps, too, according to the fourth-year secondary coach.
All of that adds up to an extensive infusion of competition for playing time. The only obvious full-time job that’s open is a cornerback spot opposite standout junior Cam Taylor-Britt, the competition for which is likely to feature Clark, junior Quinton Newsome, sophomore Nadab Jospeh and freshman Tamon Lynum.
“Those guys are competing and sometimes you say Cam Taylor-Britt (has a job) and they’re competing for one spot. No. They’re competing for both spots,†Fisher said. “We’ve got to make Cam Taylor better by competing against Cam Taylor.â€
Fisher lauded the work of junior college transfer Joseph, an early arriver to the facility who "worked his butt off" over the winter, and he also is high on Lynum and midyear enrollee Marques Buford, too.Â
At safety, Farmer and fellow redshirt freshman Noa Pola-Gates will try to push seniors Marquel Dismuke and Deontai Williams, while Wright and freshman Isaac Gifford could see time at safety or behind JoJo Domann at Sam/nickel linebacker.
Fisher, then, has an enviable situation to work with this spring. He must replace senior Dicaprio Bootle, but he’s got three starters back, three experienced players getting toward healthy and young talent to turn loose. Not only that, but it’s clear he likes the group’s approach.
“These guys are so close in the DB room. I couldn’t be more proud of how close they are,†Fisher said. “I’ve probably got 15-16 guys in my office during the day, hanging out, watching film. …
“They’ve watched practice three or four times before it’s time to watch practice, which is a good thing.â€
A look at the 2021 Nebraska football schedule
Week 0: at Illinois
When: Aug. 28, NoonÂ
Where: Champaign, Ill.
Illinois in 2020: 2-6
Last time the Huskers and Illini played: Illinois 41, Nebraska 23 (2020)
All-time series: Nebraska leads, 11-4
Week 1: vs. Fordham
When: Sept. 4, 11 a.m.Â
Where: Memorial Stadium
Fordham in 2020: 2-1 (shortened by COVID-19)
Last time the Huskers and Rams met: No previous matchups
Week 2: vs. Buffalo
When: Sept. 11, 2:30 p.m.Â
Where: Memorial Stadium
Buffalo in 2020: 6-1 (5-0 in MAC)
Last time the Huskers and Bulls met: No previous matchups
Week 3: at Oklahoma
When: Sept. 18, 11 a.m.Â
Where: Norman, Oklahoma
Oklahoma in 2020: 9-2 (6-2 Big 12)
Last time Huskers and Sooners played: Oklahoma 23, Nebraska 20 (Dec. 5, 2010, Big 12 Championship)
All-time series: Oklahoma, 45-38-3
Week 4: at Michigan State
When: Sept. 25
Where: East Lansing, Michigan
Michigan State in 2020: 2-5
The last time the Huskers and Spartans played: Nebraska 9, Michigan State 6 (Nov. 17, 2018)
All-time series: Nebraska leads, 9-2
Week 5: Northwestern
When: Oct. 2, 6:30 p.m.Â
Where: Memorial Stadium
Northwestern in 2020: 7-2, Big Ten runner-up
The last time the Huskers and Wildcats met: Northwestern 21, Nebraska 13 (Nov. 7, 2020)
All-time series: Nebraska leads, 8-6
Week 6: Michigan
When: Oct. 9Â
Where: Memorial Stadium
Michigan in 2020: 2-4
The last time the Huskers and Wolverines played: Michigan 56, Nebraska 10 (Sept. 22, 2018)
All-time series: Michigan leads, 5-4
Week 7: at Minnesota
When: Oct. 16Â
Where: Minneapolis
Minnesota in 2020: 3-4Ìý
The last time the Huskers and Gophers played: Minnesota 24, Nebraska 17 (Dec. 12, 2020)
All-time series: Minnesota, 34-25-2
Week 9; Purdue
When: Oct. 30Â
Where: Memorial Stadium
Purdue in 2020: 2-4
The last time the Huskers and Boilermakers met: Nebraska 37, Purdue 27 (Dec. 5, 2020)
All-time series: Nebraska leads, 5-4
Week 10: Ohio State
When: Nov. 6Â
Where: Memorial Stadium
Ohio State in 2020: 7-1 (national runner-up)
The last time the Huskers and Buckeyes met: Ohio State 52, Nebraska 17 (Oct. 24, 2020)
All-time series: Ohio State leads, 8-1
Week 12: at Wisconsin
When: Nov. 20Â
Where: Madison, WisconsinÂ
Wisconsin in 2020: 4-3
The last time the Huskers and Badgers met: Wisconsin 37, Nebraska 21 (Nov. 16, 2019)
All-time series: Wisconsin leads, 10-4
Week 13: Iowa
When: Nov. 26, 12:30 p.m.Â
Where: Memorial Stadium
Iowa in 2020: 6-2
The last time the Huskers and Hawkeyes met: Iowa 26, Nebraska 20 (Nov. 27, 2020)
All-time series: Nebraska leads, 29-19-3