LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska coach Scott Frost last week spelled out the expected changes in his daily routine during this fifth season of his in charge of the Huskers.
Observers might not notice much difference from a year ago, Frost said, as he hands off responsibility to first-year offensive coordinator Mark Whipple in order to focus more on running the team as a whole.
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“It’s going to be a collaboration,” Frost said of the approach to running the Nebraska offense. “I’m not divorcing myself from it.”
The new method of organization was on display Monday at the Hawks Championship Center. Nebraska opened a 30-minute portion of its fifth practice of the preseason to members of the media — the first such availability since last August.
Frost took a notably new role, mingling on the sidelines at times. When on the practice field, he spent time with the tight ends, who were catching passes from the quarterbacks, and hovered mainly near the offensive drills. Never in the period open for viewing did he work directly with the quarterbacks, the area Frost formerly had the most involvement.
It appeared in line with his description of the arrangement.
Here we go with the offensive side. pic.twitter.com/YO7dIaXkYS
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) August 1, 2022
“I trust that I don’t have to run every offensive unit meeting now,” he said at Big Ten media days. “I don’t have to do all the game planning. I can spend some time with the defense for a few days if I need to and know that (the offense) is going to keep on the track and keep going in the right direction.
“Whip’s as experienced as anybody you’re going to find in football. We’re going to collaborate, and I’m going to let him take it.”
Though Frost plans to remain “hands on” and said that the subtle changes make him “a little sad,” he believes it’s for the best.
On Monday, Whipple reported progress out of the QB drills. He’s got six quarterbacks in camp, all healthy, led by fifth-year junior Casey Thompson, the Texas transfer, and Florida State transfer Chubba Purdy, a third-year freshman. Both arrived in Lincoln before the spring and have spent time recovering from 2021 injuries.
Sophomore Logan Smothers stood next in line after the newcomers, followed by redshirt freshman Heinrich Haarberg, true freshman Richard Torres and junior walk-on Matt Masker.
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From the spring, Whipple said, “you can see a difference now.”
“They’re not looking around when they make a mistake,” he said. “That’s kind of when you can see you’re making progress.”
Thompson, in particular, has advanced since the spring, according to Whipple. He’s completely healthy this month after dealing with some lingering trouble that stemmed from a thumb injury suffered last October, the coordinator said.
“He can understand what the defense is doing,” Whipple said. “That’s where he has a leg up over the other guys.”
The offense worked Monday on red zone situations, practicing the drill, per Whipple’s instruction, like it was playing the first quarter against Northwestern four weeks from now in the season opener.
“We were all right,” he said. “We didn’t turn it over. … Yeah, I want a touchdown all the time. But if it’s not there, be smart. We’ve got a good kicker, and I want to get points on the board.”
Whipple noted that first games of the season “are lost more often (by quarterbacks) than they’re won.”
Among the Huskers players sidelined Monday was tight end Thomas Fidone II, in attendance but not counting as part of the 110-man camp roster. He continues to recover from a March knee injury, his second in two spring seasons.
Freshman tight end Brodie Tagaloa, redshirt freshman tight end AJ Rollins, defensive backs Omar Brown, Jalil Martin, Kaine Williams and linebacker Seth Malcom were also held out.
Despite the absences, Nebraska’s situation at tight end remains much better than four months ago, when walk-on freshman Nate Boerkircher earned a Red-White game start. Back are seniors Travis Vokolek and Chancellor Brewington and fourth-year sophomore Chris Hickman.
Redshirt freshman James Carnie, Rollins, Boerkircher, Hickman and Brewington are battling for the No. 2 tight end spot.
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“The only person I’ve really anointed has been Travis,” tight ends coach Sean Beckton said.
Brewington checked into camp at 225 pounds, he said, after playing at about 210 last year.
“There’s a difference, for sure,” he said. “I can feel it.”
As for Fidone, the former four-star signee out of Council Bluffs, Iowa, has worked at a pace in rehab “ahead of where he should be right now,” Beckton said.
But the Huskers won’t rush him.
“Whenever his doctors say he’s clear, he’s going to be ready to go,” Beckton said. “I want long term with him. If there’s any inkling he could reinjure himself, I’m not going to put him out there.”
Observations from the morning session:
• Turner Corcoran, Trent Hixson and Ethan Piper led the pace in drills for the offensive line. Corcoran has returned from injury, lining up Monday at left guard next to left tackle Teddy Prochazka — also back in contact work after a 2021 knee injury kept him out of spring practice. Hixson played center for the top unit, with Broc Bando at right guard and Bryce Benhart at right tackle.
First-year offensive line coach Donovan Raiola has raised the standard, Bando said. “He’s always pushing us to be better. It’s not just him holding us to it. Everyone knows what to do.”
Bando, in his sixth season at Nebraska, entered camp at 310 pounds. He lost some 30 pounds early last year after missing more than a month in the first half of the season because of a bout with mononucleosis.
• Junior edge rusher Garrett Nelson and sophomore defensive tackle Ty Robinson, both multi-year starters, directed the dynamic warm-up in the first minutes of practice. Nelson was especially loud, validating the words of Frost, who described Nelson as the Huskers’ best leader in several seasons.
• Newcomer Ochaun Mathis received encouragement after a pass-rush drill from Nelson and returning starter Caleb Tannor.
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Together, they look in line to form one of the strongest position groupings on the roster. Mathis is a 6-foot-5, 260-pound TCU transfer who started 34 games at the Big 12 school and collected 15.5 sacks.
Nebraska newcomer Ochaun Mathis. pic.twitter.com/im11MomAGf
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) August 1, 2022
• Kicker Timmy Bleekrode and punter Brian Buschini showed strong legs in the morning heat. Bleekrode also displayed his punting skills. On returns, Beckton said the competition will be fierce among receivers Oliver Martin, Trey Palmer and Alante Brown, plus defensive back Tommi Hill and all of the running backs.
“It’s a dogfight in every drill that we’re doing,” Beckton said of the special teams, “guys fighting each other, working extremely hard.”
• On the subject of running backs, new assistant coach Bryan Applewhite appears blessed with a skilled, deep group. Rahmir Johnson leads the returnees after rushing for 495 yards and four touchdowns in seven starts last year. But he’s far from in control of the position. Gabe Ervin Jr. is back from injury; Jaquez Yant looks big and fast; juco transfer Anthony Grant brings perhaps the most diverse set of skills; and true freshmen Ajay Allen and Emmett Johnson fared well Monday in pass-catching work.
Allen turns the corner especially well on the wheel route. He made a jumping catch in the end zone that showed excellent body control and the moves that allowed him to gain 2,200 yards and score 34 touchdowns as a high school senior last year in Monroe, La.
• Whipple hinted, though, that none of the freshmen on offense look in position to make an early impact because of the Huskers’ experience at the skill spots.
First-year receivers coach and associate head coach Mickey Joseph won’t be available to answer questions regularly during the season. Nebraska, in a policy change, is limiting media access to position coaches.
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So Joseph, the former Nebraska QB, made sure to get his point across Monday.
He was not happy with the receivers’ work, saying they got their “butts whooped” in the two-hour practice.
“Nobody stepped up and did anything,” Joseph said. “I told them if I’ve got to lead the room, I’ll lead the room. They know one thing. I’m going to be hard on them. I’m not going to look away and act like I don’t see it.
“My thing is, I rule with an iron fist. They understand that. They accept that. I’m never going to cater to them. I’m never going to tell them what they want to hear. I’m always going to tell the truth. And I’m going to demand that they play with excellence. That’s how you win.”
Joseph said he expects the chemistry to take hold among the receiving corps when he settles on a top group of six receivers and Nebraska’s starting QB is entrenched.
Brown and Palmer took turns Monday in front of the media, seeming to understand Joseph’s disappointment.
“If you see sloppiness, it needs to be corrected,” Brown said. “We want to be able to stop it before it gets worse and Mick gets on us or Coach Whip gets on us. Coach Mick holds us to a higher standard. We don’t just want to meet it. We want more.”
Said Palmer, subdued Monday after his more lively spring media session: “No days off.”
Joseph identified Omar Manning, Martin, Palmer, Brown and transfers Marcus Washington and Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda as top performers early in camp.
“They all know they’re playing for spots,” he said. “We’ve got 16 (receivers) in camp right now. I’m going to take the best.”
(Photo of Scott Frost: Robert Goddin / USA Today)
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