As the scheduled Aug. 7 start to Nebraska's preseason camp approaches, Husker Extra is counting down the 30 most intriguing players on the roster.
This isn’t best player or most important. As a list based on intrigue, it skews a bit toward youth and new players, but there will be plenty of established contributors, too.
No. 24, Braxton Clark, CB, soph.
As you listen to Nebraska defensive coordinator Erik Chinander discuss the importance of length and athletic ability in players, it's almost impossible to not think of Braxton Clark.
After all, he's 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. Yes, a rangy corner.
“The thing about length and athletic ability is when your playing radius increases, the chance for error decreases," Chinander said during the spring. "When you’re not as long, it’s harder to make up for some things when you get cut out of a gap or you get a bad jump or something like that. But when you’re longer, you can get away with some stuff.â€
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A sophomore from Orlando, Florida, Clark has an excellent chance to lock down the starting corner spot vacated by Lamar Jackson, a senior in 2019. Clark is intriguing in that, although he is still considered a youthful player on the roster, he also could be classified as an established contributor. He played in every game in 2019 and started against Purdue late in the season. He finished the year with 11 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery.
His interception against Northern Illinois early in the season set up a touchdown. He's been something of ball hawk since arriving on campus. Flash back to August 2018, when Nebraska secondary coach Travis Fisher had glowing praise for Clark, then a true freshman.
"He's just made a lot of plays on the ball," the coach said as the final week of preseason camp commenced. "If Braxton's not leading in interceptions (this month), he's probably tied. He's done a good job this camp of putting his hands on the ball."
Tell us you're not intrigued.
— Steven M. Sipple