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Nebraska quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas
***Thomas said Nebraska would hold its first formal scrimmage on Saturday. He said, “It’s been pretty fluid” with the backup quarterback rotation thus far, and that would continue into the scrimmage.***Thomas said he’d seen “an eagerness to learn” from the rest of the QB room behind Raiola. There are no egos, and everyone wants to help each other improve.
***Thomas said he was excited about TJ Lateef’s skill set, and his mental understanding of the offense was really coming along.
***Thomas said using GoPro cameras on the quarterbacks was a new tool for him. He said they use it to hear what the QBs are saying before the snaps (delivering play calls, calling audibles, snap cadence, etc.).
***Thomas said the offensive install was in, and now it was about mastering the “conceptual” aspects of the system.
***Thomas coached at Arrowhead Stadium during his time in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. He said the players didn’t need to get caught up in playing in that atmosphere, instead focusing their work leading up to the game.
***Thomas said Raiola occasionally anticipates routes “too much,” though he added that was one of Raiola’s strengths. They’re working to find a balance between anticipating those throws while also “taking what’s there.”
Another aspect of that anticipation involved putting more zip on the ball, especially when throwing into tighter windows in the red zone.
Linebackers coach Rob Dvoracek
***Dvoracek said his ideal number of an in-game rotation at inside linebacker was “as many as you can.” He doesn’t have a specific number and instead will focus on getting everyone ready to play if needed.***Dvoracek said Dawson Merritt was “a great young man” with “a great pedigree.” He said the freshman had a very high ceiling, and he’s excited to see what Merritt can become.
***Dvoracek said Javin Wright was full-go, and his versatility would be a valuable weapon for Nebraska’s defense. Above all, Wright’s experience and understanding of the game helped make him a leader of the unit.
***Dvoracek said Marques Watson-Trent brought experience, production, and leadership to NU’s linebacker room.
***Dvoracek said Vincent Shavers had “the right mindset” entering his second season. He shows up each day and comes ready to work.
***Dvoracek said he misses John Bullock as a person and having him around each day. He admitted that Bullock left big shoes to fill in many ways on Nebraska’s defense.
***Dvoracek said NU’s freshmen linebackers were “doing everything” right now and no one had a specific spot.
Linebacker Javin Wright
***Wright said it had been “extremely fun” being full-go again in fall camp. He said it allowed him to “immerse” himself in football and take his mental understanding of the game to the next level.***Wright said his message to the younger players was to “slow down your mind, learn football, and cut out all distractions… Keep the main thing the main thing, and that’s football.”
***Wright said there was “a burning passion inside of me” to play football because “it got taken away from me several times.” He has big goals for himself, and he knows this is his last chance to achieve them.
***Wright said he and Watson-Trent were “the old guys in the room.” Having another veteran to share ideas with and help lead the unit has been a great addition for him.
***Wright said Shavers was “very mature” compared to last year. With that has come more seriousness about football, which has translated into his game this fall. “I love playing next to him.”
Offensive lineman Tyler Knaak
***Tyler Knaak credited OL coach Donovan Raiola with playing a significant role as a mentor on and off the field. When he left Utah, Knaak said he “didn’t really know what was going on in my life,” but he’s found his home at Nebraska.***Knaak said coming back from his injury last season “wasn’t easy, at all.” But he stuck with it every day and held himself “to a higher standard every day.”
***Knaak said his biggest gains this offseason were on the mental side. That included consistent technique and “attacking the weight room as much as we do the field.”
***Knaak said the offensive tackle competition forced everyone to step up their game every day. That said, the players do everything they can to help and learn from each other. Overall, Knaak called the offensive line “an elite unit” with depth across the board.
***He also said quarterback Dylan Raiola had taken “a massive leap” in his command of the offense and communicating with the o-line. Knaack assumed that Dylan, being the son and nephew of two offensive linemen, helped him understand what the unit needed from him.
----RWashut
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