Could Nebraska football start 7-0? Which freshmen could start? Huskers mailbag (2024)

LINCOLN, Neb. — As we await results from the last big recruiting weekend of June at Nebraska, the time has arrived to open the mailbag.

July is right around the corner. The countdown is on to Big Ten media days and the start of preseason camp.

Thanks for your submissions.

Note: Submitted questions have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Nebraska’s schedule looks very manageable, although I feel like we say that every year. Could the Huskers enjoy a Mizzou-type of breakout year? — Grant G.

Missouri improved from 6-7 in 2022 to 11-2 last year, its fourth season with Eliah Drinkwitz in charge, and recorded a winning season for the first time since 2018. So on the surface, a potential Nebraska breakout in 2024 aligns well with Mizzou’s 2023 accomplishments. I appreciate where your head’s at, Grant.

Yes, the Huskers’ schedule appears manageable. But to come anywhere near 11 wins, they likely must start 7-0. Nebraska could be favored in every game before Oct. 26 at Ohio State. But even with improvements, believing the Huskers will head to Columbus, Ohio, with a perfect record — and a top-15 national ranking — is perhaps too optimistic.

Consider that Nebraska is 0-3 against Colorado since 2018, 1-3 against Illinois since 2020 and 2-4 against Purdue since 2018. And that it must face an improving Rutgers squad in addition to Indiana on the road in the first seven games of the season.

So no, I don’t think the Huskers will win them all. They could open 5-2 or even 6-1 and still call it a good start. But four of their five best opponents await in the final six weeks of the season. Eight wins for Nebraska in 2024 would represent a huge jump.

Still, it’s not akin to what the Tigers did last season in taking down nationally ranked Kansas State, Kentucky and Tennessee before defeating Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.

Look for that type of season, along with College Football Playoff contention if all stays on track, in Matt Rhule’s fourth year.

If Nebraska starts 7-0, it will be the result of which position or position group shining through? — Gregory P B.

The offensive and defensive lines.

As mentioned, there’s not an opponent among the first seven for Nebraska that it can’t beat. Achieving consistency has proved problematic for the Huskers over the past decade, though. Consistency starts up front on both sides of the line. A quarterback can have a bad day. Weather can swing games. Sloppy game management can sink a solid effort.

But physical and reliable linemen help erase problems. For the first time in several seasons, a case exists at Nebraska that the offensive and defensive lines are its primary strengths. In the Big Ten, that’s of added value compared to every other league.

To start 7-0, Nebraska must avoid inconsistency and the wild swings that have largely defined the past seven seasons. One way to do that is by leaning on its line play.

If Dylan Raiola is the quarterback, what differences do you expect in play calling compared to last year? — Buck B.

Where do you want me to start? I anticipate the differences to be vast. Nebraska will not abandon its running game, which ranked second in the Big Ten last year in yards per game, fourth in yards per attempt and first in attempts per game. But it will trend away from the QB run.

The Rhule plan alongside offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield and co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas calls for the use of an RPO element in this system. You surely noticed it in the spring game. Raiola can make those short throws to the tight ends and receivers that fell outside of Heinrich Haarberg’s comfort zone.

But let’s not overcomplicate this. Here’s Rhule’s answer from his media availability last week regarding Nebraska’s improved wide receivers:

“We’re going to be able to run the ball. But we’re not going to be able to run the ball on some of the (stacked) boxes we saw last year. And we couldn’t last year without running the quarterback. We’ll be able to run the quarterback, but we don’t want to live on that.

“We want to be able to line up and run the ball versus two-high-safety looks. And if you try to play one-high or you try to zone pressure us, we’re going to absolutely murder you. And you need players to do that.”

Rhule’s talking about the receivers, yes. But make no mistake, he’s also talking about the QB.

🏈"We want to be able to line up & run the ball vs. 2 high safety looks & if you try to play 1-high or you try to zone pressure us, we're going to absolutely murder you." #Huskers head coach Matt Rhule with high praise for his wide receivers heading in 2024. pic.twitter.com/OjgQwf1rmj

— Adam Krueger (@AdamKruegerTV) June 20, 2024

What is realistic for the number of true freshmen who will start in Week 1? — Bob C.

One. After Raiola, the true freshmen in the best position to start are wide receiver Jacory Barney and linebacker Vincent Shavers, with Mario Buford as a distant fourth at cornerback.

Barney is a dynamic return specialist, and he caught three passes for 66 yards in the spring game. He’s in a position for extensive playing time. But unless he shows extraordinary readiness in preseason camp, he’s set to come off the bench in the opener behind seniors Jahmal Banks and Isaiah Neyor, junior Alex Bullock and sophom*ores Jaylen Lloyd and Malachi Coleman.

Shavers could also crack the rotation, but the Huskers will lean on seniors John Bullock, MJ Sherman and Javin Wright, with Mikai Gbayor, newcomer Stefon Thompson, Princewill Umanmielen and Maverick Noonan also in contention for plenty of reps.

I appreciated all the coverage of the nutrition staff and directors of strength and conditioning and sports science at Nebraska. I’m curious why we haven’t heard more about how sports psychology plays a role, particularly as this team tries to move past giving away games in the past few seasons. — Scot G.

It’s an area seemingly in flux and housed mostly under the AD’s umbrella, similar to athletic medicine, instead of the football program. Brett Haskell left Nebraska six months ago to take a position with the National Women’s Soccer League. She served as the director of sports psychology since 2018 and earned regular praise from football players in Lincoln.

Nebraska named Brianna Ward, with the school since 2022, to Haskell’s former post in April.

The athletic department lists a staff of six on its sports psychology team. Sports psychology has proven instrumental in the Huskers’ success since the Tom Osborne era, in which Jack Stark played a key role in the mental preparation of Nebraska athletes.

In your article about Jalyn Gramstad, you mentioned he could allow the Huskers to use Haarberg in a more versatile role. Why do so many people believe Haarberg could do that? Sure, he has straight-line speed, but we saw him struggle last year with lateral agility. Would you rather have Haarberg at tight end over Thomas Fidone or Carter Nelson? Are you taking a wide receiver off the field to put him on it? — Brian J.

Haarberg’s athleticism, away from the QB spot, is entirely untapped. He caught a pass in the opener last year at Minnesota, but Haarberg practiced minimally in a pass-catching role before then. Imagine what he could do with extensive training as a “slash” kind of weapon.

I’m not ready to critique his lateral agility. Haarberg took more hits in 2023 than any offensive skill player at Nebraska and kept pushing forward. He’s big, athletic and fast, and he can offer skills to complement the likes of Fidone, Nelson and the Nebraska receivers.

No, he won’t supplant them, but that’s the beauty of it. He could give the Huskers an X-factor. Even as a decoy, because of the ever-present threat of a trick play that features him as a passer, the defense must pay him attention.

In scheming offensively, the Huskers look for matchup problems. If Haarberg wants to embrace a multi-position role, he won’t have to give up on QB. It’s not guaranteed to work, but he might make Nebraska more dangerous and boost his visibility as an NFL prospect.

Nebraska hasn’t had many notable NFL players since Ndamukong Suh and Lavonte David. I do think Rhule’s new-look Cornhuskers are going to change that soon. Which players on the roster could turn heads at the NFL level, perhaps as soon as next year? — Grant G.

Among Huskers in their third years and older, I see a variety of NFL prospects: Fidone, Banks and Neyor among offensive skill players; Bryce Benhart, Micah Mazzccua, Ben Scott and Teddy Prochazka on the O-line; Nash Hutmacher, Ty Robinson and Jimari Butler, who might get lost as a tweener, up front on defense; the rangy and skilled Wright at linebacker; and Isaac Gifford, Tommi Hill and DeShon Singleton in the secondary.

They won’t all get drafted next year. A few might opt to return. But Nebraska is seemingly on track to get over the hump in the fight to end its drought of producing NFL talent.

On which part of the defense do you expect to see the biggest improvement over last year? — Bryan B.

Tony White’s first defense at Nebraska forced just 14 turnovers. Another year of experience in this scheme ought to allow defenders to feel more comfortable in going after the ball. Also, Nebraska ranked eighth in the Big Ten in holding opponents to a 36.7 percent conversion rate on third down. Considering their 4.6 yards allowed per play average, fifth in the league, I expect the Blackshirts to fare better, too, in getting off the field on third down.

What does Nebraska baseball need to do differently to get past the NCAA regionals? — Christina M.

Win more games in the regular season, continue to schedule tough out-of-conference opponents and secure a regional host site in Lincoln. When the Huskers go on the road, they’re far more likely to get matched against a power program like Florida. The Gators, as a No. 3 seed out of four teams in Stillwater, Okla., beat the Huskers twice in regional play, then toppled Oklahoma State and Clemson and made the final four standing at the College World Series.

Nebraska has advanced four times past the regionals. It hosted in three of those four years, and in all three seasons, it advanced to the CWS. Since 2014, it has played in six regionals — all on the road — and failed each time to make it out of the first weekend of the postseason.

What does Will Bolt need to do to lock down the state borders like the football team is trying to do? — Thomas T.

There’s no secret other than to win games. Nebraska can work to upgrade its facilities. But it can’t change that it plays in the Big Ten, a second-tier baseball conference. Top prospects such as Camden Kozeal out of Millard West (Vanderbilt), Kale Fountain from Norris (signed with LSU) and Tyson Lewis of Millard West (signed with Arkansas) have options. The Huskers won’t always look the most attractive to that level of player.

What sports other than football and volleyball will you be watching closely in 2024-25? — Skyler S.

The men’s and women’s basketball teams, of course. Fred Hoiberg put in time to add nine newcomers, including four transfers from 2024-25 Big Ten programs. Amy Williams returns dynamic talent in Alexis Markowski and Natalie Potts, and the women signed national-level recruit Britt Prince out of Omaha.

Baseball always has my attention. And Jordy Bahl, back from an ACL tear in 2025, will add intrigue to Nebraska softball.

(Top photo of Matt Rhule: Dylan Widger / USA Today)