Five things learned from fall camp

1) Castille kicked off team

Star I-back Quentin Castille was dismissed from the program on Saturday by coach Bo Pelini for violating team rules. Without the bruising junior, NU's run game will be significantly different than expected entering the team's first game against Florida Atlantic.

Castille and Roy Helu Jr. were expected to form a sort of thunder-and-lightning duo that would pace NU's offense to start the season. Some pundits even expected the two to combine for 2,000 yards rushing.

Castille rushed for 467 yards and six scores last year as a sophomore, highlighted by his breakout Gator Bowl performance in which he led NU with 125 rushing yards.

Without Castille, the Cornhuskers have significantly less depth at the I-back position. Sophomore Austin Jones, redshirt freshmen Collins Okafor and Lester Ward and true freshmen Rex Burkhead and Dontrayeavous are battling for the top backup spots behind Helu Jr., and none of them have ever seen the field for NU.

With less than two weeks left before the season opener, Burkhead has risen up to No. 2 on the depth chart.

"He's smart, he's very talented, he's tough and he learns well," Pelini said. "We have a long way to go before we play a football game. I'm not trying to elevate him to where he's Franco Harris yet, but he's coming along.

2) Spano reinjures knee, out for season

After making an unbelievably fast recovery from a torn left ACL suffered in the spring, Kody Spano was said to be 100 percent healthy entering fall camp. A few days into camp, however, the redshirt freshman quarterback once again tore his ACL.

Coach Bo Pelini said he hopes to have Spano back for winter conditioning, but his absence this fall certainly hurts NU's quarterback situation should Zac Lee face injury issues this fall.

Backing Lee right now is converted linebacker Latravis Washington, touted true freshman Cody Green. Omaha Westside walk-on Ron Kellogg Jr. was also added to the Cornhuskers' 105-man roster to replace Spano.

"You just get the next guy ready, that's all," offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said. "Those kids have been battling from day one. They're still in the learning process, they're battling each other. They're pretty even right now."

Because Green joined the program in time for spring practices, he and Washington have spent almost an equal amount of time learning the playbook. Both would benefit from receiving redshirts this fall, but that won't be an option if Lee struggles or goes down.

"With Kody out, I just need to keep moving forward," Washington said. "I've got a long way to go but I've been progressing really well this fall."

3) Newcomers making big first impressions

The first recruiting class recruited entirely by Pelini's staff may have earned a No. 28 ranking from Rivals.com, but it's already evident the group has several quality players.

In addition to the quick rise of Burkhead, middle linebacker Eric Martin has impressed this fall. After battling three older players for playing time at middle linebacker, the Moreno Valley, Calif., native moved outside and has earned the title of one of NU's hardest hitters.

"I saw two of the hardest hits I've seen in the last year, and that was just in helmets the other day," Ekeler said in the third day of camp. "He's got some talent. We've got to bring him along, but we're excited about him. He lowers the boom. It's just who he is."

Brent Qvale emerged as one of the most hyped freshmen on the team through the first two weeks of camp, but an unspecified injury has held him out for the past week. The 6-foot-7, 330-pound right guard from Williston, N.D., quickly impressed offensive line coach Barney Cotton.

"He's been a great surprise," Cotton said. "He has good feet, and he's so big that sometimes you can't see the defender in front of him. He kind of blocks out the sun. These new guys are everything we hoped they'd be."

4) Christensen battling for starting right guard spot

Senior Andy Christensen rose up the depth chart this fall and is now battling junior Ricky Henry for the starting right guard spot.

Christensen is in his sixth season in the program after receiving a medical redshirt for the 2008 season. He was accused of first-degree sexual assault, a charge he was acquitted of in September.

The 6-foot-3 guard got back in shape and is down to 310 pounds, 20 less than he weighed last fall. He's played in 17 games for Nebraska in 2006 and 2007 and earned the redshirt after suffering a season-ending knee injury against USC in 2007.

Christensen didn't have to come back for another season, but he felt he needed to. He wanted to finish what he started six years ago.

"One of the main reasons I came back is the guys on our team," he said. "I also wanted to come back and end things the right way."

5) Six walk-ons finally earn scholarships

Seconds after announcing the dismissal of Quentin Castille, Pelini decided it was time to announce which NU walk-ons had reached the goal they'd set since they first got on campus.

Six Huskers received scholarships Saturday, highlighted by kicker/punter Alex Henery. Henery entered NU lore when he hit the game-clinching win over Colorado last fall and is the most accurate returning placekicker in the nation in his first two seasons at 89.7 percent.

Along with Henery, fellow Nebraska natives Dreu Young, Wes Cammack, Derek Meyer, Colton Koehler and Mike Caputo were awarded scholarships.