Could Nebraska add a transfer quarterback to the roster this offseason after losing Luke McCaffrey to the transfer portal? Sure, but Coach Scott Frost isn’t ready to say the Huskers will do that just yet. He wants to see how the younger quarterbacks on the roster look—he’s been particularly impressed with Logan Smothers and Heinrich Haarberg so far—and noted that Nebraska does have three scholarships quarterbacks on the roster currently.
One of those quarterbacks is Adrian Martinez, who is a 27-game starter for Nebraska at this point. It’s not like the Huskers are exactly hurting at the spot with those mentioned already, so Frost doesn’t want to look too far down the road. He said he wants to work with the players that want to be on the team and isn’t going to focus too much on adding another quarterback unless it’s necessary.
With that said, Frost said Smothers is a savvy player and has the ability to process information. Both have stood out to Frost.
“I got higher hopes right now than I did when we recruited Logan,” Frost said.
Frost will remain involved with the quarterbacks in 2021, adding that quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco always has the group ready. Frost said that he steps in and is involved as he is needed.
Maybe that means Frost and Verduzco will take a look at the transfer portal for a quarterback, but that’s not on the list of things the Huskers are focused on right now. Making a quick decision could turn out to be a mistake, Frost said, so they’ll stay focused on what they have and evaluate as winter conditioning and spring football progress.
Other news and notes:
>> What does Frost think about the depth on the offensive side of the ball?
“This is the best depth we’ve had by far and the best talent we’ve had at the skill positions by far,” he said.
Frost also added that the depth and experience of the group are two different conversations, but he thinks the wide receivers group are “far and away the deepest and most talented group we’ve had.”
>> Speaking of wide receivers, Nebraska is hoping to get Omar Manning into the mix but it depends on his health.
“We’re trying to get Omar healthy and ready to go,” Frost said. “He’s here and done a good job so far. We’ve got our fingers crossed and want to help him out any way we can.”
Frost doesn’t want to put too much pressure on Manning and doesn’t want him to be overwhelmed, but is excited about what he can do.
>> Nebraska’s 2021 schedule could be rearranged a bit here and there, but that has yet to be determined. For example, it’s unclear if Nebraska will travel to Ireland to play Illinois for the Week 0 game at this point. If it is moved to the United States, Frost isn’t sure if the teams will keep it on Week 0 or not.
Additionally, the locations of a number of games in 2020 were moved around due to the shortened schedule and that could play a role.
>> Myles Farmer and Javin Wright are both on track in their healing from injuries last year. Frost said both will be in “limited capacity” at least this spring.
>> Frost expects to see some “really good competition” on the offensive line in 2021. While younger players may get some attention, Frost pointed to a number of the veterans—like Broc Bando and Matt Sichterman—who will be factors this year.
>> Frost isn’t worried about the criticism he is receiving, calling it the “nature of this job.” He said that people always have thoughts about what a team should or should not be doing.
“Sometimes it can get a little personal,” Frost said. “Winning takes care of a lot of that.”
>> Frost thinks Nebraska is close to making some announcements on the open positions, including the special teams analyst role. Stay tuned on that.
