As the March 30 start of spring football draws nearer for Nebraska, the Journal Star is taking a brief look at each position on the roster and where the Huskers stand. Defense week continues with a look at Travis Fisher’s cornerbacks.
Monday: Defensive line
Tuesday: Inside linebacker
Wednesday: Outside linebacker
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Today: Cornerbacks
Friday: Safeties
Saturday: Defensive two-deep
Returning scholarship players: junior Cam Taylor-Britt; sophomores Quinton Newsome, Braxton Clark and Nadab Joseph; freshman Tamon Lynum.
New this spring: freshman Marques Buford.
Veteran presence: Taylor-Britt has steadily ascended into a standout on defense for Nebraska and he will enter 2021 as perhaps the Blackshirts’ best player and top professional prospect. He settled in nicely to a full-time cornerback role in 2020, earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in the process and could be one of the best defensive backs in the country this fall.Â
Spring storyline
While Taylor-Britt’s continued ascendance will be fun to track, the real action this spring will be the competition for the starting job opposite him.
Nebraska has several candidates for the job, beginning with sophomores Quinton Newsome and Braxton Clark. Newsome has been a productive role player the past two years and now will try to solidify a full-time job. Clark is a huge corner at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, but he has played well in spot duty, including a start in 2019 at Purdue. He missed all of 2020 with a shoulder injury but should be healthy or mostly healthy this spring.
Lynum made a strong first impression in 2020, and a fully healthy Joseph could certainly push for the job, too, after getting eligible last year and seeing some special teams action before an injury ended his year prematurely.
Then there’s Buford, who arrived on campus in January full of confidence. He has stiff competition, but NU coaches were confident he’d dive right in. The Huskers have had some attrition at this position the past 12 months, but if Clark is back fully healthy and the others take a step forward, this has a chance to be a strong group in 2021.
— Parker Gabriel
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