Come for the buzzwords, stay for the projected depth chart, where some position battles in Nebraska's two-deep are still undecided.
FIVE VETERANS POISED TO MAKE SOME NOISE
1. Senior outside linebacker JoJo Domann: Domann has put together back-to-back healthy seasons and is back for a sixth year in Lincoln to try to take his game — and Nebraska — to the next level. The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder played every defensive snap in 2020 and, while NU hopes to not ask that of him this year, he might be the best playmaker in the front seven for the Huskers. Domann has the movement skills of a defensive back and showed a knack for being able to hold up at the point of attack, too. That makes him a versatile, valuable piece up front for defensive coordinator Erik Chinander, who said at the outset of camp that Nebraska asks Domann to do a lot of “not ordinary,†things. Domann will be looking to cap his career at Nebraska with an extraordinary final season, too.
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2. Junior quarterback Adrian Martinez: Noise follows Martinez wherever he goes. That’s part of the deal for Nebraska starting quarterbacks. What will the tenor be this fall? The 6-2, 212-pounder trimmed up, feels fast and explosive and on top of that says he’s found peace in who he is as a person and player for the first time in his career. The Huskers, of course, are hoping that those factors and an improved supporting cast lead Martinez to a breakout fourth season under center. That would certainly create a lot of noise around Big Ten country.
3. Junior defensive tackle Damion Daniels: Daniels has been on a steady upward trajectory the past two years, but it’s not difficult to envision a breakout season for the 6-3, 325-pounder.
Daniels has always had the ability to make a splash play. The task for him has been to get into the kind of shape that allows him to make them consistently and stay on the field for longer stretches. Daniels, to his credit, has made substantial progress on that front.
Nebraska is deep up front and does not need to have anybody out there for every snap. No doubt, NU will roll players like Ben Stille and Ty Robinson through the interior spots in pass-rush situations, too. But stopping the run is bread-and-butter stuff in the Big Ten, and Daniels has a chance to be really good in that department this fall.
4. Junior tight end Austin Allen: NU has a veteran duo at tight end in Allen and Travis Vokolek, which should be one of the more physically imposing pairs in the Big Ten.
Allen, an Aurora native, is 6-9 and 255 and has shown a big-play ability throughout his career. Now, it’s about becoming a consistent target for Martinez and continuing to improve as a blocker. Allen has become one of the offense’s leaders and head coach Scott Frost said this summer he thinks Allen is captain material.
What does the next chapter look like for Allen? It’s got the chance to be pretty exciting.
5. Senior safety Deontai Williams: It’s the sixth collegiate season for Williams, who has had a long and winding path. He was an SEC recruit out of high school, went to junior college instead, got hurt, played well enough to sign with Nebraska and now is going into his fourth year for the Huskers.
Frost said over the winter that he thinks Williams is a “no-doubt†NFL Draft pick, but he missed virtually all of the 2019 season with an injury and then dealt with the same rigmarole as everybody else last fall.
Everybody in college football has motivations, but Williams has a lot to gain by putting together a dynamic final year at Nebraska.
FIVE NEWCOMERS POISED TO MAKE SOME NOISE
1. Freshman running back Gabe Ervin: The freshman running back from Georgia has an advantage that no other incoming running back has had in his first year at Nebraska since Frost arrived: He got to campus in January, meaning he participated in all of winter workouts, spring ball and summer workouts.
Ervin (6-0 and 210 pounds) still has to win the job — and, by all accounts, it’s wide open — but the way coaches and teammates talked about him in the spring, the guess here is that somehow, someway, he’ll have a role this fall.
Ervin has the look of a three-down, Big Ten back. Can he be that right away?
2. Senior wide receiver Samori Toure: There are a couple of players who could fit this bill in the receiver room, but Toure is the best bet considering he’s already established himself as a leader in Matt Lubick’s position group. Not only has the senior been very productive at the FCS level — he was a 2019 All-American at Montana — but in Lincoln he’s playing the slot position, which is always a featured spot in a Scott Frost offense.
Expect NU to find different ways to get Toure the ball and expect Martinez to enjoy having a 6-3 slot receiver to target.
3. Junior inside linebacker Chris Kolarevic: Kolarevic’s commitment didn’t generate the fanfare that Toure and running back Markese Stepp got over the winter, but his addition already is looking like a potentially critical one. The linebacker arrived from Northern Iowa and promptly established himself as one of the most athletic players on NU’s defense. He’s picked up the scheme quickly and gives Barrett Ruud a versatile, fast option in the middle of the field. Kolarevic says playing in coverage is one of his strengths and he’s going to pair with Luke Reimer, Nick Henrich and perhaps others to provide a pretty good breadth of skill sets at inside linebacker.
4. Freshman tight end Thomas Fidone: It won’t happen right away for Fidone, the heralded recruit from Council Bluffs, Iowa, because he suffered a torn ACL in mid-April. However, Frost and others are optimistic that the 6-6, 235-pounder could be ready to get back on the field sometime in the second half of the season.
When he went down midway through spring ball, Fidone was just starting to really break through. Nebraska is set at the top of the depth chart with Allen and Vokolek and will count more on redshirt freshman Chris Hickman behind them, but Fidone should have a path to the field if he’s cleared in time.
5. Junior wide receiver Omar Manning: OK, OK, we went back to the receiver well. Toure has taken Manning, a 6-4, 225-pounder, under his wing and the two have become fast friends over the past seven months.
Manning has all the physical traits you could want in a receiver and he put his tantalizing potential on display during the spring. He is essentially a newcomer considering he appeared in just one game in 2020 and was targeted one time. If he can get himself on the field regularly and stay there this fall, he has a chance to be a difference-maker.
FIVE BUZZWORDS
1. Talent: Frost is adamant this is his most talented roster so far at Nebraska. That’s not a stretch, considering the Huskers haven’t had a player drafted higher than the fifth round of the NFL Draft since 2016. That could change next spring, but that talent has to show through on the field for NU first.
2. Depth: Frost also is adamant that this is his deepest roster so far at Nebraska. A lot of young players got their feet wet in 2020 and now will be counted on for bigger roles in 2021. On defense, in particular, NU feels good about its depth. Is it there on the offensive line and at receiver, too?
3. Momentum: NU’s not been able to really get rolling under Frost so far. To wit: the Huskers have won back-to-back games only three times under Frost and won back-to-back league games once. They’ve yet to mount a three-game winning streak. If the Huskers are going to get “wind under their sails,†as Frost said in July, the first three weeks are the time to do it.
4. Pressure: Right along with the previous entry about momentum, there is mounting pressure in Lincoln. If that momentum doesn’t show up early in the season, when will it? Frost’s record at his alma mater is 12-20. There is pressure to get moving in the right direction in the win-loss column.
5. November: Pretty self-explanatory. Nebraska has a bye week in November and its other three games are vs. Ohio State, at Wisconsin and vs. Iowa. If NU is rolling, that’s going to be fascinating. If the Huskers are wallowing, it will also be fascinating.
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART
Ìý
Quarterback
Adrian Martinez, junior
Logan Smothers, freshman, OR Heinrich Haarberg, freshman
Running back
Gabe Ervin, freshman, OR Markese Stepp, junior
Sevion Morrison, freshman
Wide receiver
WR:
Oliver Martin, junior
Zavier Betts, freshmanÌý
WR:
Omar Manning, junior
Wyatt Liewer, sophomore
Slot:
Samori Toure, senior
Will Nixon, freshman, OR Alante Brown, freshman
Tight end
Austin Allen, junior
Travis Vokolek, junior
Offensive line
Left tackle:
Turner Corcoran, freshman
Brant Banks, redshirt freshman OR Nouredin Nouili, sophomore
Left guard:
Ethan Piper, redshirt freshman
Broc Bando, junior
Center:
Cam Jurgens, sophomore
Trent Hixson, junior
Right guard:
Matt Sichterman, junior
Brant Banks, redshirt freshman
Right tackle:
Bryce Benhart, redshirt freshman
Ezra Miller, sophomore
Defensive line
DE:
Ben Stille, senior
Deontre Thomas, junior
DT:
Damion Daniels, junior
Jordon Riley, junior
DE:
Ty Robinson, redshirt freshman OR Casey Rogers, sophomore
Outside linebacker
Field:
JoJo Domann
Isaac Gifford, freshman, OR Caleb Tannor, juniorÌý
Boundary:
Garrett Nelson, sophomore, OR Pheldarius Payne, junior
Inside linebacker
ILB: Luke Reimer, sophomore, OR Nick Henrich, redshirt freshman
ILB: Chris Kolarevic, junior
Garrett Snodgrass, redshirt freshman
Cornerback
CB: Cam Taylor-Britt, junior
Tyreke Johnson, sophomore
CB: Quinton Newsome, sophomore
Braxton Clark, sophomore
Safety
S: Marquel Dismuke, senior
Noa Pola-Gates, redshirt freshman
S: Deontai Williams, senior
Myles Farmer, redshirt freshman
Specialists
Placekicker:
Connor Culp, senior
Josh Jasek, freshman
Punter:
Daniel Cerni, freshman
William Przystup, sophomore
Long snapper:
Cade Mueller, sophomore, OR Cameron Pieper, sophomore
A look at the 2021 Nebraska football schedule
Week 0: at Illinois
When: Aug. 28, NoonÌý
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.Ìý
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.Ìý
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.Ìý
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.Ìý
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. 9Ìý
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. 16Ìý
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. 30Ìý
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. 6Ìý
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. 20Ìý
Where: Madison, WisconsinÌý
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.Ìý
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
Contact the writer at pgabriel@journalstar.com or 402-473-7439. On Twitter @HuskerExtraPG.