Moses Bryant is a running back once again. The Nebraska coaches moved the walk-on from Elkhorn South from cornerback to running back earlier this spring.
And Bryant is more than familiar with the position. The redshirt freshman still holds the Nebraska high school record with 105 career touchdowns, having added 25 alone during his senior season. He also holds the Class B rushing record with 5,454 yards.
Running backs coach Ryan Held said the staff moved Bryant after the first week of spring football. The room is thin after the graduation of Devine Ozigbo, as well as with the uncertainty surrouding Maurice Washington and his legal issues. The Huskers, as a result, only have two scholarship running backs on the roster this spring.
With all that considered, the Nebraska staff was willing to see if Bryant can give the running backs some spark and much-needed depth going forward.
“We know where he is at at corner,” Held said following Monday’s practice. “I think he did a lot of good things over there but I think running back is the spot and maybe where he wants to play just for his own mind or whatever. I think he’s a guy that can give us some juice at that position and again, that position has to be right.
“Come fall, we’ll get a few more guys to come in but I’m excited. We’ve gotten better at times this spring but I’m excited for the other guys to come in where we can get the running back position to a position of strength.”
Those “other guys” that Held mentioned are Rahmir Johnson, Dedrick Mills and Ronald Thompkins. All three are set to join the Nebraska program this summer.
With a few weeks under his belt, Bryant is slowly finding his way back at a spot he once knew well. There’s still some adjustment to be made, which the coaches are monitoring. For now, it’s all a little trial and error and Bryant is handling it well.
“He does a lot of good things,” Held said. “He just has to learn to play. We moved him about a week into the deal so he kind of had to play catch up. He didn’t get the initial install that the other guys have just due to playing the position. But when he knows what he is is doing and gets the work right, he does some good stuff.
“He’s a guy that can run, he can catch the ball, so we’ll see if it’s a position that works for him but I think he’s a guy that has a chance to give us something there.”
Erin is the Deputy Editor and Digital Marketing Strategist for Hail Varsity. She has covered Nebraska athletics since 2012, which has included stops at Bleacher Report, Cox Media Group’s Land of 10, and even Hail Varsity (previously from 2012-2017). She has also been featured on the Big Ten Network, NET’s Big Red Wrap-Up, and a varsity of radio shows nationwide. When not covering the Huskers, Erin is probably at Chipotle.
