The callers always know.Â
On Nebraska coach Scott Frost's first hourlong radio show of the football season on "Sports Nightly," the very first caller asked about junior college wide receiver Omar Manning.Â
Manning had been the subject of recent internet speculation, but Frost provided at least a bit of an update on the 6-foot-4, 225-pounder's status.Â
"Omar is doing great," Frost said. "He's missed a little bit of time for health reasons and personal reasons, and that's maybe delayed his progress a little bit. But we all know what we have in him and we're looking forward to him being a big part of the team in the future."Â
Frost talked extensively about his roster in other ways, too, noting that they are tasked with getting spring ball plus four weeks' worth of padded work into a little more than three weeks before opening Oct. 24 against Ohio State, meaning practices the past week have been physical and they will be going forward.
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All around the roster, though, position battles are ongoing.Â
Frost said NU's veteran tight end group has been as good or better as any. The unit accounted for a modest 34 catches and just one touchdown a year ago, but the head coach said that's likely to change going forward.Â
"I think we've got some talent and some depth and we as coaches need to do a good job of using those guys," Frost said of the group headlined by senior Jack Stoll and juniors Austin Allen, Kurt Rafdal and Travis Vokolek.Â
Both junior quarterback Adrian Martinez and redshirt freshman Luke McCaffrey have played well so far in camp.Â
"Adrian and Luke have both had really good summer and fall, and I'm looking forward to watching those guys play," Frost said.Â
One area Frost wasn't afraid to say needed to get better is outside linebacker. He said Pheldarius Payne moved there from defensive line after he lost some weight this offseason due to an illness and he also said that he thinks the addition of Mike Dawson as the outside linebackers coach back in February gives the group a shot at improvement.
"We needed to get better at that position," Frost said. "Our outside linebacker group, I think, underperformed last year. If nothing else, he's going to get the guys playing hard and using the right technique and being in the right spot. There were a lot of times where mistakes at that position cost us in the run game last year and a few times in the passing game.Â
"I love the approach he takes and how disciplined his guys are going to be if they follow what he says."Â
In the defensive backfield, Frost said the coaches have been happy with the young talent at cornerback, especially given the recent season-ending injury to Braxton Clark. He mentioned "four or five" young guys, which would appear to include freshmen like Tamon Lynum and Ronald Delancy along with sophomore Quinton Newsome.Â
He thinks the competition for the No. 2 and No. 3 running back job behind senior Dedrick Mills has been a spirited one, and one that includes redshirt freshmen Rahmir Johnson and Ronald Thompkins and freshmen Sevion Morrison and Marvin Scott III.Â
Said Frost of Thompkins, who battled major injuries to both knees in high school and more issues upon arriving at NU: "We were a little worried about his health. He's had to have a knee surgery since he's been here and we didn't know how well he'd be able to hold up, but man, he's shown flashes of being really good."Â Â
Generally speaking, NU will start to make decisions on where guys stand on the depth chart in the coming days, particularly following a scrimmage set for Saturday.Â
Here are some other quick notes from Frost:Â
* The head coach said a lot of unknowns remain about how the NCAA's mandated extra year of eligibility for all fall athletes will work — for example, it's unclear exactly when after 2021 football programs will have to be back to 85 scholarship players or how recruiting class sizes might be affected in 2022 and beyond — but said he really likes his senior class and at this point wants any of them to return.Â
"This senior class is a great group of guys and until we know any different, I'm going to extend the opportunity for any one of them who wants to come back and play another year to be back," he said. "I'm sure we'll learn the rules on how that affects the total number of scholarships and everything down the road, but the guys that we've got right now, we'll keep as long as we can."Â
* Frost said he was "certainly not crazy" about the Big Ten's decision to not allow fans to attend games at Memorial Stadium this fall.Â
"I know that wasn't a local decision and I think that was one that was kind of forced upon us," Frost said. "We want to do whatever we can for our fans and we'll keep fighting, but our kids are practicing right now with no music and no noise and we practice in the stadium with an empty stadium. They'll have to bring their own juice."Â
* Nebraska has not had an in-person, full team meeting since the pandemic began. Frost said the largest groups that NU has had together are offense and defense, and those meetings are held in the indoor practice facility out on the field.
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