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 safeties.
Monday: Defensive line
Tuesday: Inside linebacker
Wednesday: Outside linebacker
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Thursday: Cornerbacks
Today: Safeties
Saturday: Defensive two-deep
Returning scholarship players: seniors Marquel Dismuke and Deontai Williams; redshirt freshmen Myles Farmer, Javin Wright and Noa Pola-Gates; freshman Isaac Gifford.
New this spring: None. Koby Bretz arrives this summer.
Veteran presence: Nebraska has it in spades in the middle of its secondary, considering Williams and Dismuke are both multi-year contributors and each decided to return for a sixth collegiate season.
Both seniors have dealt with serious injuries over the course of their careers, but both stayed healthy and played in all eight games for the Huskers in 2020, finishing third and fourth on the roster in tackles.
Spring storyline
Nebraska got a big boost this offseason when its starting senior pair decided to come back for another year in Lincoln. Those two still have room to get better — head coach Scott Frost, for example, said he believes Deontai Williams is a no-doubt NFL player with another year of development — but much of the focus this spring will be on the young guys coming up behind those two.
Farmer intercepted two passes against Northwestern and was working his way into a bigger role before a freak pregame injury at Purdue ended his season. Pola-Gates played mostly on special teams and is one of the most athletic players on the roster. Gifford impressed in his first year on campus and played on special teams, too. Can they crack the rotation? Wright missed the entire season with a knee injury, but said recently he’s up to 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. What kind of role might he fill? Does anybody else, like Nadab Joseph, Quinton Newsome or Marques Buford, get a look at playing safety? These are all questions to sort through over the next month.
— 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