Position questions pile up for Husker football

The drought is over. Football players will be dragged out of their winter hibernation and stuffed into red Nebraska polo shirts, faces smiling at a press conference crowd awaiting the spring season's official announcement. But without a slate of games to occupy fans, knowing what to watch for can be difficult and foggy. With spring's true competition coming on the depth chart, here's a quick guide to some of the position battles that will matter come the fall.

1) Finding a quarterback

There's no beating around the bush. This is the biggest story coming out of spring practice for NU, which needs to find a replacement for departed senior Joe Ganz.

What was expected to be a hotly-contested battle between four quarterbacks has quickly fizzled. Patrick Witt, last season's No. 2 quarterback, has left the team and intends to transfer. True freshman Cody Green has been discussed widely as the Cornhuskers' quarterback of the future, but a rumored injury may take him out of spring practice and put him at a stark disadvantage.

That leaves junior Zac Lee and redshirt freshman Kody Spano as the only able-bodied quarterbacks on Nebraska's roster. Lee, whose attributes are similar to those of Ganz, is the early favorite but will still have to earn the spot over Spano and Green, when he returns.

2) Offensive playmakers needed

Quarterback aside, Nebraska lost several key contributors from last season.

Gone are wide receivers Nate Swift and Todd Peterson. Both were clutch in their roles, and Swift leaves as the all-time school leader in receptions.

They'll be replaced by Menelik Holt and Niles Paul, two receivers who played last season in lesser roles.

Nebraska will also have to replace I-back Marlon Lucky, a balanced running back who did most of his damage catching the ball. Last year's starter will be replaced by Roy Helu, the junior from California that lead the team in rushing last season.

Nebraska also has two new openings on the offensive line following the graduations of Matt Slauson and Lydon Murtha, arguably the Huskers' two strongest in the trenches.

3) Opening up auditions at linebacker

Other than Phillip Dillard, the linebacking core is largely young and inexperienced. Among the names that could see time are senior Colton Koehler, juniors Latravis Washington and Blake Lawrence, walk-on sophomore Mathew May, and redshirt freshmen Will Compton, Sean Fisher and Alonzo Whaley.

Coach Bo Pelini opted to redshirt the three freshman last season, revealing after the season that though he opted for another year of development with each, all would have been capable of playing and contributing late last season as the linebacking core wore thin.

4) Big returns on the defensive line

Seniors Ndamukong Suh and Barry Turner return to bolster a Nebraska defensive front which should be one of the best in the Big 12 Conference. Junior Pierre Allen gained valuable experience after Turner's injury last season. The only question mark resides in the second defensive tackle spot.

It seems to be a three-man race for the final spot on the strength of the Blackshirts defense. Candidates include senior Jared Crick and redshirt freshman Baker Steinkuhler, among others. Suh and Turner will provide solid leadership for the NU defense, and Suh will be one of the best defensive lineman in the country.

5) Replacing the unsung hero

Frankly, Nebraska doesn't have a punter to fill the void left by Dan Titchener and Jake Wesch, who both graduate after serving consistently for Nebraska. Redshirt freshman Brett Maher and sophomore Jonathan Damkroger are listed as the two NU punters, but both juniors Adi Kunalic and Alex Henery have expressed interest in punting. It's at least a two-man race, with the potential for up to four.

michaelschaefer@dailynebraskan.com
spencerschubert@dailynebraskan.com