Trey Palmer had a simple message in the Nebraska offensive huddle earlier this spring when it was preparing for a two-minute drill.
“Just throw me a deep ball and this thing will be over,†is the way coach Scott Frost recalled it during a news conference on Monday. “Two plays later we threw him a deep ball and it was over. You like to see that kind of confidence and energy coming into the huddle and onto the field every day.â€
The LSU transfer wide receiver has apparently made those kinds of plays all spring behind closed doors as the Huskers have made their way through now 14 practices leading up to Saturday’s Red-White Spring Game at Memorial Stadium.
Nebraska will be calculated about what it puts on display given the Big Ten Network broadcast and the overhaul of its offensive coaching staff, but Frost said there will be some “fun things†over the course of the scrimmage.
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Palmer figures to be featured prominently, both in the scrimmage and this fall when the games actually count.
“Trey’s fit great,†Frost said. “He fits in great because of his personality. He brings energy every single day, he’s made a lot of plays out there, he can really run. I think with some more time working with him, we have a chance to do some special things and I’m looking forward to seeing that develop.â€
Palmer caught 30 passes last year for the Tigers, and his calling card is speed. The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder turned in times of 10.42 seconds in the 100 meters and :21.11 in the 200. Offensive coordinator Mark Whipple said flatly last week, “Trey’s our fastest guy.â€
Palmer made multiple references to waiting until Saturday to see his and his receivers’ work in action.
“I don’t like to talk a lot. I like to show. I show what I can do,†he said Monday.
Whipple’s offenses have typically featured a go-to player who has compiled major numbers, and if you were drawing up a list of candidates at this stage of the offseason for the Huskers, Palmer would likely be the leader.
The junior certainly seems fond of the veteran coordinator’s approach so far. When asked about Whipple’s offense, he began his answer with a long whistle.
“He knows what he’s doing. That’s all I’m going to say. He knows what he’s doing,†Palmer said. “He’s great. He’s experienced. You can tell he’s been doing this for a long time. He’s got an answer for everything, quick, in a hurry. That’s what I like about him. He’s quick with it. He don’t hesitate. Quick, call shots. ‘Oh, you’re going to do this, I’m going to do this.’
“He’s really nice with it.â€
Palmer said the adjustment on the field has happened quickly. He likes talking trash with defensive backs during one-on-ones and team periods, but he was quick to add that they talk with each other about how they’re setting each other up, what they see and how they go about attacking each other, too.
He doesn’t describe himself as a vocal leader, but the other guys at his position seem to naturally gravitate toward him.
“I think they all have seen the way he works, that he don’t mind working and how hard he practices and how hard he finishes,†wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph said Wednesday. “The things that he does on the field when he’s on the field, the way he finishes runs. I think a lot of kids take after that.â€
Joseph, who has known Palmer since his early high school days, coached him at LSU and is, according to Palmer, “a father figure,†to the receiver, gave Palmer a "B" when asked to grade the transition to Lincoln so far.
“He’s really doing a great job transitioning from Louisiana to Nebraska, the way we practiced at LSU to the way we practice now, he’s really coming out and playing hard every snap and doing his best to help this team win,†Joseph said, adding that he thinks Palmer is catching the ball more consistently than he did at any point during his LSU tenure.
In fact, when pressed on what the biggest transition is for Palmer at this stage, Joseph gave some unique — and heady — advice to a kid making the move from the Bayou to the heartland.
“I told him he needs to have a lot of Tony Cachere’s and put it on his food,†Joseph said, referring to the Creole seasoning. “That’s the only problem that he has right now is the food, the food’s not spicy enough for him. So, I told him to get himself some Tony Cachere’s and put it on his food.â€