Over the final week before Nebraska starts spring football on March 9, the Journal Star is taking a closer look at six players coming off redshirt seasons that have interesting springs ahead.
The Huskers have 21 redshirt freshmen plus a couple of older players coming off of a redshirt season in which they were either limited to four or fewer games or didn’t play at all. That represents more than 30% of NU’s scholarship players on the roster.
It’s a group that will have a lot to say about Nebraska’s fortunes in 2020 and beyond.
Luke McCaffrey, redshirt freshman, quarterback
Let’s jump right into it. McCaffrey played in four games for Nebraska as a freshman and put his athleticism and play-making ability on display. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry on 24 attempts, completed 9 of 12 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a pass for 12 yards.
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McCaffrey, like all of Nebraska’s quarterbacks, will have his eyes on the starting job. Can anybody pry it away from Adrian Martinez, a two-year starter and team captain? That remains to be seen. Whether it happens or not, there will be plenty of conversation about McCaffrey. The Husker coaches are adamant he is a quarterback and will continue to be a quarterback. They also used him in some other spot roles during the 2019 season.
Now, the redshirt season is over and the clock is ticking. There’s no use keeping McCaffrey, who is considered one of the very best athletes on the team, on the sideline if he can help Nebraska win football games, regardless of what that looks like. NU will be careful not to stunt his development at quarterback, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be used in other ways. The 2019 season showed just that.
What’s 2020 got in store for McCaffrey? Clues might start to filter in this spring.