Nebraska is going pedal to the metal from the get-go.
This past week, the awaited announcement finally happened regarding who will be under center. As many have heard, Dylan Raiola will be the guy. The 19-year-old will be leading a veteran offensive unit. Coach Rhule was asked in yesterday’s press conference how he would ease the true freshman into the starting role, and he said, “No, no, no, we’re not thinking that way; I would rather lose the first game than the last game. We’re not going to ease into it. We’re going to play.”
The remaining single digits were also made public last week. Seeing nine of the ten players being on the defense was not a surprise. The starting defensive line and defensive backs will all be rocking single digits. The veteran leadership starts with the Blackshirts. I have noticed that, from this football team, the defense is all in on supporting the offense. I do not recall, in my lifetime as a 21-year-old, ever seeing this tight unity across both sides of the ball for the Huskers.
Yesterday morning, the depth chart was also released. The top four running backs were listed with “OR” by their names. This consisted of Emmett Johnson, Rahmir Johnson, Gabe Ervin and Dante Dowdell. Coach Rhule said in yesterday’s press conference, “We’re going to play them all; we have different roles for all of them. I was hoping we’d be a little more dialed in on where they are, but I feel they’ve competed enough to give them all a chance.” It will be interesting to see how the entire offense gels with each of these backs in the game. With the unique skill set that each brings, it should depend on the defensive formation for who is in at certain times, or maybe one will grasp the opportunity.
Janiran Bonner was listed at the top for the wideout in the slot. Bonner started at fullback for the Cornhuskers this past season. Coach Rhule said yesterday, “I think anytime that you have a guy that you can say is your starting slot receiver, who was willing to be your starting fullback, there’s something special about that type of guy: their brain.” The redshirt sophomore is physical, tough and fast. Bonner should be crucial in not just catching passes, but maybe even more important-blocking on the perimeter for the ball carriers.
The unknown aspect of the depth chart being released was the uncertainty of who will be the placekicker. Coach Rhule said yesterday, “We will make a decision Thursday or Friday of who is going to kick.” Sophomore Tristan Alvano, who started last year, suffered a groin injury that led into fall camp. When he was out of action, Iowa Western transfer John Hohl, took the opportunity and now is in the mix. Hohl is from Lincoln, Nebraska, and was ranked as one of the top transfer kickers in the nation. It appears that if it’s Alvano, he will only be placekicking. Hohl or punter Brain Buschini will be kicking the ball off. The special teams woes have affected many outcomes for the Huskers over the past few years. Will Nebraska finally fix this problem?
This past weekend, Heinrich Haarberg was seen in photos sitting next to Raiola at fan day. What amazed me, is how Haarberg presents himself professionally, amongst fans and teammates. He will be a crucial piece for NU. In Rhule’s press conference from last Friday, he was asked the question fans have been wondering about how they will use him in special packages. He said, “That remains to be seen I don’t want to give too much out to everyone. I think in fairness to Heinrich, I have so much respect for him as a competitor. He can go out and do anything. Heinrich to me could be a great safety, linebacker, wideout, tailback or tight end. We have the opportunity to use him when needed. At the same time, I don’t want to lose my No. 2 quarterback because he ran a dive.” Coach Rhule understands the need to utilize Haarberg to help the Cornhuskers win big games. Now the question arises of not if we will see Haarberg and Raiola on the field at the same time, but when.
The UTEP Miners who are members of Conference USA, finished their 2023 season at 3-9. They will be led by first-year coach Scotty Walden who had a successful season at Austin Peay State this past year at 9-3. When Walden took the job he had 48 players who either graduated or entered the transfer portal. The Miners will be led by Jevon Jackson, who followed Walden to El Paso from Austin Peay. Jackson had a solid 2023 campaign, totaling 1,373 yards on the ground.
There is no doubt who the better football team is on paper. This will mark the first time since 2019, that the Cornhuskers open the season against a Group-of-Five opponent and are on their home turf. That last home game was the last time NU won their first game of the season. The key for this game is for the team to get into a groove and find their identities. This will be the perfect opportunity for a true freshman to make a debut. I expect Nebraska to run the football, let Raiola show the nation his arm talent and play physical defense. The Huskers should have UTEP beat by the fourth quarter. The only problem awaiting Big Red is looking ahead to Colorado the following week. It’s clear that Coach Rhule is excited. He’s not saying that this team will win a certain amount of games and win a championship, but the tone of how he talks about his team shows that he sees the potential for a season fans have been waiting years for. I predict Nebraska beats UTEP 38-7. Walden will have his hands full stepping up to the FBS level in one of the most hostile environments in the country; he better buckle his seatbelt.
