It doesn't take much to get the Nebraska football media buzzing.
After eight Husker players took the podium following the spring's first practice Monday, the pressing question was, "Where's Adrian Martinez? Shouldn't the two-year starting quarterback be at this thing?"
Let the speculation begin. Martinez's absence provided fodder for talking heads all over the state.Â
Through two seasons, Cam Taylor-Britt is seen as a leader. So maybe it was no coincidence that he sported a not-so-subtle message Monday.Â
OK, maybe not.
"I think he had a paper due or something," Nebraska head coach Scott Frost told the Journal Star following his own turn at the podium.Â
Oh, yes, Martinez is a student. Forgot about that. Not much to read into, I guess. But that's what media does. That's the game. Take bits of information and blow it up into profound wisdom for the masses. It'll happen throughout the spring with Nebraska's quarterback situation. It's all sort of fun, and ridiculous.Â
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For now, we know this: Martinez, who was superb in 2018 and so-so in 2019, will be limited during the spring season following offseason surgery on his non-throwing (left) shoulder. He'll wear a green "hands-off" jersey in practice. We should add that Martinez started off the spring Monday taking most of the reps with the first-string offense. He's in a great frame of mind, according to his coaches.Â
We also know this: Redshirt freshman quarterback Luke McCaffrey -- a fan favorite in part because he's, well, not the starter -- is working exclusively at QB right now. But come fall, if McCaffrey isn’t “the guy,†a move to receiver could be in play, Frost said.
For now, though, Frost wants McCaffrey to try to win the starting quarterback job. So, let's see how this all plays out in the weeks leading to the April 18 Spring Game. Let's be patient. That's possible, right?
Let's also make clear that Frost believes McCaffrey's long-term future is at quarterback. But at the same time, the receiver door is open, for now. As for that discussion, one part in particular interests me: Could McCaffrey even pull it off at a high level? Isn't it pretty hard to do?
"No, not really," Frost told me, citing McCaffrey's speed, athleticism and knowledge of the offense. "We didn't practice him at receiver at all before the Maryland game last season, and he just went out and did it because the quarterbacks know what everybody's supposed to do.
"But I want to emphasize that he's not a receiver; he's a quarterback. We don't even entertain thoughts of that (McCaffrey playing receiver) until ... he's not the quarterback and we determine we need another receiver. That's the only reason we'd even think about it."Â
Frost then shared a conversation he's had with the 6-foot-2, 200-pound McCaffrey, who appeared in four games last season and completed 9 of 12 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 24 times for 166 (6.9 per carry).
"I tell Luke, 'It's funny. When you run a 4.9-second 40 (40-yard dash) and you miss a couple throws, everybody tells you to throw it better or get your feet in the right place. But when you run a 4.49 and you miss a throw, everybody says you should be playing receiver,'" Frost said. "I dealt with that. Any good athlete who plays quarterback deals with that."Â
Then Frost got to the bottom line.Â
"We 100% believe that Luke McCaffrey is a quarterback," Frost said.Â
The conversation is interesting for a variety of reasons. For one thing, how a head coach handles these type of personnel matters often goes a long way toward defining him in the eyes of fans.
The first notebook of the spring season is jam-packed: Approach with Spielman; Hickman moves to WR; Farniok working at guard; NIL announcement and more.Â
What's more, this particular situation is somewhat delicate because of a simple fact: McCaffrey came to Lincoln to play quarterback, not receiver. Yes, that matters to Frost. But the conversation can't end there.Â
"Yeah, I care about what a kid wants, but I'm going to play him where we need to play him," Frost said. "And I'll just tell you this: Before he's done here, he's going to be a really good quarterback."Â
Martinez, though, is "the guy" to start the spring. But he'll have to prove himself because he has excellent quarterbacks behind him. That's only good for Martinez, assuming he responds the right way, and everything I know about Adrian suggests he'll do what it takes. But how much will the quarterback competition be compromised by Martinez's injury?
Frost didn't seem overly concerned.
"He just can't get hit," the coach said. "He can't get tackled to the ground. But we don't do that really in the spring anyway."
So, McCaffrey will push Martinez, as will smooth-operating junior Noah Vedral. We shouldn't forget about Vedral in these discussions.Â
"Maybe he gets forgotten a little bit in the minds of the fans, but not in our opinion (as coaches)," Frost said. "There's a reason he went in second (as the top backup) last season. I thought he did a really good job when he went in there, and he had a really good practice today.Â
"I know the fans kind of talk about the other two more. But Noah's right in there with them in our minds as coaches."Â
There's no question Nebraska has a good situation at quarterback, with a couple of young guns (Logan Smothers, too) chasing a couple of vets. It should all work out in time, as long as Frost handles it well.Â
Feels like the fun's just starting.