CHICAGO – After his session on the dais at Big Ten Media Days, Nebraska Coach Mike Riley spent about 10 minutes diving into a few different topics with the local media including some roster management news.
Riley was asked about the status of junior wide receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. and junior safety Antonio Reed, who were arrested in Florida in May for marijuana possession. Riley said they have not yet determined any consequences in regards to the season.
“We have taken some great, gigantic steps with those two kids that got into trouble in Florida since that time,” Riley said. “I’ve been really proud of the work that’s been done behind the scenes in that way. What we do as far as games or anything else going forward has not been finally decided. But like I said, I’ve been really pleased with the steps that have been taken and excited by the progress that has been made.”
Originally arrested for felony possession, Morgan’s charge was reduced to a misdemeanor shortly after. Reed was not charged.
Morgan, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound junior is Nebraska’s leading returning receiver. He totaled 757 yards and five touchdowns during his first two years in Lincoln. Reed has played in 25 games with one start during his first two season at Nebraska, totaling 32 tackles, two pass break-ups and a quarterback hurry.
Nebraska has suspended multiple players for offseason infractions to open the season in each of Riley’s first two years in Lincoln.
Riley also touched on the status of a couple players nursing an offseason injury, sophomore outside linebacker Alex Davis and freshman inside linebacker Avery Roberts.
“Alex had a stress fracture that we think is going to be fine for going into camp and participating in our camp,” Riley said. “And then the same thing for Avery, whether Avery is 100 percent from the very start, I think Avery will be ready to play.”
Davis was listed as the first-string boundary outside linebacker during the spring. The 6-foot-5, 255-pound redshirt sophomore recorded two tackles at defensive end in 2016. Roberts, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound interior linebacker enrolled at Nebraska early and participated in spring ball, rising up the depth chart to crack the two-deep by the end of the spring.
“Then there are guys that have had recurring kinds of things like DaiShon Neal that we have to be mindful of as we practice,” Riley continued. “I think that that’s another very, very important factor looking of your team physically is that some guys just have to be monitored in a different way because of their history, so we have to always be mindful of the and do a good job with it.”
Stay tuned for more updates as the players will speak to the media in the afternoon.
