Official Fall Practice Thread

[BBTown Bomber]

Frosty lookin THICC

Love the Busch interview. I’m working very hard to believe everything he says. I wanna believe, I wanna believe.

Please don’t burn me again. I’m gettin’ too old to put up with this losing shit.

.

 

[ChocaEgg]

Damn we are fucking amazing at putting out vids that get you hype

 

[Kaladin]

Damn we are fucking amazing at putting out vids that get you hype

ya we winnin 10+ this year

 

[ChocaEgg]

Fidoneforseason or troll?

 

[BBTown Bomber]

Fidoneforseason or troll?

#noneedtorush

 

[Krup21]

Chaz in Socal is such a douche canoe

 

[vailhusker]

Chaz in Socal is such a douche canoe

Yea, unfortunately to post the Gessford tweets the Calabasas Creeper's tweets came with them.

 

[vailhusker]

 

[vailhusker]

 

[vailhusker]

 

[Bootleg11]

Yea, unfortunately to post the Gessford tweets the Calabasas Creeper's tweets came with them.

#CalabasasCreeper

 

[NEHusker54]

Chaz in Socal is such a douche canoe

Krup!

 

[vailhusker]

 

[vailhusker]

 

[vailhusker]

On3 Nugs

Defensive coordinator Erik Chinander​

***Chinander said he was pleased with the defense’s performance during Nebraska’s first fall scrimmage on Saturday. He felt the first-team groups played very well, forcing a couple of turnovers and getting consistent pressure on the QB.
However, Chinander said the second- and third-team units needed to “tighten up” some things and close the gap between the top group.
***Chinander made it clear that it wasn’t just one first-team unit right now. He said they rotated heavily in the scrimmage, especially in the secondary and linebacker. On Saturday, three cornerbacks, three safeties, three nickels, and three inside linebackers all got first-team reps.
***Chinander said cornerback Tommi Hill “shows flashes” every day in practice, but the key for him was continuing to build consistency. “But you can see how high his ceiling is,” Chinander said.
***Chinander said Nash Hutmacher was a bit ahead of Stephon Wynn just because of his familiarity with the defense, which allows him to play faster. Chinander said he was interested to see how that competition played out later in camp once Wynn caught up with his understanding of the defense.
***Chinander said Hutmacher had improved his lateral quickness, agility, and change of direction this offseason, which had allowed him to make a jump as a player.
***Chinander said Ochaun Mathis had “a really good scrimmage” on Saturday. Chinander said Mathis was still adjusting to a new defense and role than what he did at TCU, but he was getting better every day.
***A big reason why Mathis has hit the ground running at NU is that, as Chinander put it, he’s “a big-time effort guy” in everything he does. His commitment to improving his conditioning and learning the defense has allowed him to catch up quickly.
***Chinander said Mathis was playing primarily the boundary defensive end spot, which mainly focuses on rushing the passer. Chinander said Garrett Nelson and Caleb Tannor moved more to different spots because of their experience.
***Chinander said he’d like to get Devin Drew on campus and in practice as soon as possible, but Drew was still figuring things out on the academic side to get cleared and registered for classes at UNL.
Chinander said they know Drew would be a good player and what he brings to the table, but the key would be getting him caught up physically and mentally after missing so much of the offseason.
***Chinander said he was eager to put more emphasis on special teams as a staff because the better NU’s special teams were, the easier life would be for the defense. He added that guys who played on special teams might have the edge over those who didn’t when narrowing down the travel roster for road games.
***Chinander said NU had some normal “bumps and bruises” on defense during camp, but there hadn’t been any “catastrophic” injuries so far.

Defensive backs coach Travis Fisher​

***Fisher said there were no “ones” in the secondary right now, as guys were battling for reps daily in practice.
***Fisher said Omar Brown (who was out during last Monday’s practice) was on the field today and got some reps with the first-team defense.
***Fisher said Kaine Williams had a pick-six during Monday’s practice.

Cornerback Tommi Hill​

***Hill confirmed that he had been working as one of the No. 1 cornerbacks during camp but admitted that he still needed to improve his overall knowledge of the defense.
He said he’d spent a lot of time with guys like Myles Farmer and Quinton Newsome to get up to speed as quickly as possible. Hill called Farmer and Newsome the two best leaders in the secondary.
***Hill called himself “the lock-down corner Nebraska needs.” No shortage of confidence there.

Defensive lineman Stephon Wynn​

***Wynn is working at the nose and defensive tackle in camp and feels comfortable playing either spot.
***Wynn called Nelson one of the best leaders he’d ever been around, even going back to his time at Alabama.
***Wynn said he felt NU’s defensive line had the chance to be really good this season, and Saturday’s scrimmage was a glimpse of that.

Defensive lineman Colton Feist​

***Feist said he was finally healthy again after suffering an injury last year during fall camp. As a result, he’d gotten more reps and worked on his technique more than ever, which had played significant parts in his jump this offseason.
***Feist said the door opened for him to make a push up the depth chart when so many other defensive linemen left after last season. But it also was because of the work he’d put in on and off the field.

Inside linebacker Nick Henrich​

***Henrich said the overall effort and intensity of the defense in Saturday’s scrimmage was a significant positive. He said the defense created turnovers, pressured the quarterbacks, and tackled well for the most part.
***As one of the top returning leaders on defense, Henrich said he wanted to help establish a “culture of accountability” with all the new faces added to that side of the ball. He said all of his new teammates had embraced that culture.
***Henrich praised Nebraska’s running backs for their play in the scrimmage. He said all the backs ran hard and hit gaps at full speed.
***Henrich said Mathis was “as humble and hard-working of a guy as you’ll find.” Despite Mathis’ high profile when he arrived at NU, Henrich said he immediately embraced the Huskers’ culture and bought into what they were doing.
***Henrich said he’d seen a lot of progress made by other ILBs like Eteva Magua-Clements, Ernest Hausmann, and Garrett Snodgrass.

EDGE Ochaun Mathis​

***Mathis said there was a noticeable difference in scrimmages at Nebraska compared to TCU. He said there were many more people inside Memorial Stadium on Saturday than there ever were with the Horned Frogs, and the overall level of intensity was much higher at NU.
***Mathis said Nebraska treated its scrimmage like a real game, with guys sprinting on and off the field and players needing to be ready to go in on special teams at all times.
***Mathis said the most challenging part of his adjustment to Nebraska was getting used to the conditioning program here. He said it took a couple of weeks, but now he felt in great shape and wasn’t limited at all.
***Mathis said he was welcomed “with open arms” by Nebraska’s defensive line room when he arrived. He said he made it a point to spend as much time as possible with his new d-line teammates to get to know them and earn their trust.
***Mathis said he watched a lot of film from NFL guys like Kahlil Mack and Myles Garrett. He said NU strength coach Zach Duval, who worked with Mack, told him he had many of the same attributes as Mack.

 

[vailhusker]

Spoiler: Insideher Projected Two-Deep Offense

Offense: Two-deep projection as Nebraska fall camp passes midway point​

Steve Marik • InsideNebraska
Staff Writer
RELATED
Insider Notes: Camp, scrimmage | Nebraska Fall Camp Central Page
Nine down, six more to go.
Nebraska is nearly two-thirds of the way through its 15-practice fall camp that wraps up on August 14. There is still some time to go before the Huskers open the season 19 days from now, but that time is dwindling.
Nebraska is holding its 10th practice of fall camp this morning, and we will get to meet with Scott Frost, Erik Chinander and Mark Whipple one more time each this week – in addition to more assistants and players on both sides of the ball before the conclusion of camp.
After that, beginning on Aug. 15 is when the Husker staff will be taking the most time to lock in game preparations for Northwestern and who will be lining up at each position on the two-deep roster.
"Going into the week when we’re getting ready for Northwestern, you’ll figure out who’s ready to go and who’s not," said receivers coach Mickey Joseph when speaking about his own position group.
We have already started to get a better picture of the players who are emerging on both sides of the ball, though, throughout our time watching one open practice and getting a chance to speak with offensive and defensive coaches and players. Offensive line coach Donovan Raiola is the only position coach who we have not spoken with during fall camp.
The following projections are subject to change based on health, player progressions and what we see and hear over the next three weeks. But without further adieu, here are our projections right now for the two-deep roster as it stands on August 8, starting with the offense with the defense coming later this morning:

Quarterback​

1 – Casey Thompson
2 – Chubba Purdy
Since Thompson arrived in Lincoln, he's acted like a starting quarterback.
Whether it was gathering the offensive linemen for a night out to diving into new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple's playbook and knowing all his teammates responsibilities on any given play, Thompson is QB1 material — and his starting experience at Texas gives him a leg up on the competition.
Thompson's arm talent is there, too. Thanks to an offseason procedure on an injured thumb on his throwing hand, the passes look good coming out of his hand and have the kind of power and zip behind them you're looking for.
"I gotta tell you, his play has really risen since the spring, and I think that had something to do with it," Frost said of Thompson's thumb last week. "We have a lot of quarterbacks playing well right now, but I've been really pleased with what I've seen from Casey, and we'll let them keeping working.
"Right now, it's his (Thompson's) job to lose."
But it'd be smart to not count out Purdy, who will continue to push Thompson during fall camp. During the portion of the practice that media were able to attend, there wasn't a stark drop off from Purdy's passes to those from Thompson. Both quarterbacks looked at home throwing on the run, too.
It seems like Nebraska has a solid group of quarterbacks entering the 2022 season.

Running back​

1 – Anthony Grant
2 – Gabe Ervin Jr.
The competition at running back is one of the fiercest of all the position groups on the team. Grant, Ervin, Jaquez Yant and the do-everything Rahmir Johnson have been getting after it, making it hard on coaches to find a starter.
“The competition’s been unbelievable,” running backs coach Bryan Applewhite said last week. “They’re holding each other accountable and competing against each other at the same time. It’s been really good."
But there seems to be a player emerging — sources confirmed to Inside Nebraska that Grant is that player. According to Applewhite, the New Mexico Military Institute transfer is everything he saw on film during the recruiting process, which even spanned to Applewhite's time last season coaching at TCU.
“He adds another dimension to the room,” Applewhite said during a 'Sports Nightly' appearance. “He’s a very competitive young man, he wants to win and he’s an extremely hard worker. He’s deceptively strong, and everyone saw how fast he is (in the spring game) — he can go zero to 60 pretty quick.”
Life isn't fair, and that's been true for Ervin, who last season was the first true freshman to start at running back in Nebraska football's modern era. Ervin beat everyone else out in 2021 because he's a smart player and does things that young backs don't always do, like pass protect.
But a season-ending knee injury at Oklahoma cut his first year short. Ervin is back for fall camp, though, and while he didn't compete in spring ball, that hasn't kept him from improving his mind and body — he's added 10 pounds of good weight and is currently at around 220 pounds. He played last season at 210.

Wide receiver (X)​

1 – Marcus Washington
2 – Omar Manning
Washington wasn't in Lincoln during spring ball, but from the short time he has been, the Texas transfer has made a good impression on receivers coach Mickey Joseph.
Joseph recruited Washington while the coach was at LSU, so Joseph knows what the Huskers are getting in the 6-2, 190-pounder.
“He reminds me of a kid I used to have, Racey McMath, who’s with the (Tennessee) Titans right now," Joseph said during a 'Sports Nightly' appearance. "He’s gonna play special teams, but he brings attitude to the room. He’s kind of the bully, you go get him. He’ll set the tone, and that’s what I like about him.”
Washington has the most experience catching passes from the presumed starting quarterback, Thompson. Washington caught 18 passes for 277 yards and two scores last year with the Longhorns.
Manning had his best season last year, catching 26 passes for 380 yards and two touchdowns. But fans would like to see more from the big 6-4, 225-pounder. Manning was the first receiver Joseph mentioned when the coach was talking about which receivers have had good camps.

Wide receiver (Z)​

1 – Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda
2 – Oliver Martin
While Garcia-Castaneda was in Lincoln for spring ball, the New Mexico State transfer didn't compete because he was rehabbing an injury. The 6-foot, 185-pounder is fully healthy now, though, and is working to shake the rust off from not playing since November as quickly as he can.
Joseph doesn't seem like the type of coach who will play someone simply because they were there for the spring. Results need to be seen in 2022, so Joseph will likely start who he believes gives the offense the best chance at scoring points, and Garcia-Castaneda has a history of bringing big-play ability to an offense.
When healthy, Martin is one of the faster players on the team. Like Garcia-Castaneda, he can take the top off the defense. In the spring, Martin said he was fully recovered from his leg injury last year and, just as important, his confidence is back.

Slot receiver​

1 – Trey Palmer
2 – Alante Brown
Considering where he came from — LSU — Palmer will have plenty of expectations as a Husker in 2022, both as a receiver and return specialist.
In the past, Whipple has identified his most dangerous player and featured him in the offense. If Whipple continues that trend in Lincoln, Palmer might be the pick to get the bulk of the targets in the passing game. He showed flashes of being dynamic after the catch at LSU, and he'll likely get every opportunity to do that consistently at Nebraska.
This is the year Brown has been waited for. The past two seasons, he couldn't crack the rotation at wideout. But with a fresh set of eyes and a new coaching style from Joseph, Brown has an opportunity to get more game reps in 2022.
Brown even got a shoutout from Frost following last Friday's practice:
"He gets along with everybody, there's not anybody on the team with a better work ethic than him," Frost said of Brown. "He kind of set the example for everybody else right now."

Tight end​

1 – Travis Vokolek
2 – Nate Boerkircher
There's no debate who will be the Huskers' No. 1 tight end in 2022. Vokolek is a proven leader and run blocker who will get the opportunities in the pass game he didn't last year while playing with Austin Allen.
But the competition behind Vokolek is heating up between Chancellor Brewington and walk-on Nate Boerkircher.
Brewington didn't practice in the spring, which opened the door of opportunity for Boerkircher, who tight ends coach Sean Beckton has raved about during spring and fall camp. Boerkircher has continued to work on his frame and has grown to 6-4, 230 pounds. The 6-3 Brewington, after playing last season at 210 pounds, has bulked up to 225.
The backup spot could go either way between Brewington and Boerkircher, but let's give Boerkircher the nod today.
“He (Boerkircher) caught coach Whipple’s eye early on, and coach Whipple thought he was a scholarship kid,” Beckton said. “I told him, ‘No, he’s a walk-on kid.’ Since day one when we got here a couple years ago, his pass-catching skills, I knew then he’ll have a chance to, if he ever got big enough and strong enough, he’d be able to help this football team.”

Left tackle​

1 – Teddy Prochazka
2 – Brant Banks
Considering Prochazka's season-ending knee injury from last year, expectations should be tempered for the 6-10, 320-pound second-year player from Elkhorn South.
Yes, what Prochazka showed in limited action last year was good. But the staff is rightly taking it slow with the left tackle to ensure he's completely ready to step on the field and block Big Ten edge rushers again. It wouldn't be shocking to see the team limit the snaps Prochazka plays early in the season as a way of easing him back into football shape.
Banks is entering his fourth season in the program and is someone who the staff will lean on for a spot start if needed — not just at tackle, either.

Left guard​

1 – Turner Corcoran
2 – Brant Banks
While the 6-6, 300-pound Corcoran didn't compete in last Saturday's scrimmage — Banks was the first-team left guard — sources say the injury isn't thought to be serious.
Following the news that projected starter Nouredin Nouili would miss the 2022 season due to a failed drug test, Corcoran was a popular pick to take over the left guard position because of his experience and ability to play multiple positions along the O-line.
Corcoran has developed into more of a vocal leader, and his position coach has noticed.
“He’s earned that," first-year O-line coach Donovan Raiola said earlier this year. "He’s a good football player and he’ll keep improving. I’m excited about Turner and what he brings to our unit.”

Center​

1 – Trent Hixson
2 – Ethan Piper
Hixson has a chance to write one heck of a redemption story in his sixth and final year as a Husker.
Once a 12-game starter at left guard in 2019, the 6-4, 305-pound Hixson saw Piper take his job in 2020. After a couple spot starts at left guard in 2021, Hixson has made the move to center and was taking the first-team reps there all spring and now in fall.
“He’s really bought into everything that we’ve brought here, and he’s believing in the things that we’re teaching," Raiola said. "You can see his game improve each day.”
Piper, a Norfolk Catholic product, could be an option if spot starts are needed at both center or both guard positions.

Right guard​

1 – Broc Bando
2 – Kevin Williams Jr.
It's now or never for Bando, one of two sixth-year seniors along Nebraska's offensive line. During the spring game, Bando was working at right guard with the first-team offense, and that continued last Saturday in the team's first fall scrimmage.
Bando, a 6-5, 310-pounder from Lincoln, was going to start at right tackle against Fordham last season, but got sick just before the game, which derailed his season. He's back now, though, and wants to show the coaches and fan base he belongs.
“I’m just looking forward to showing my best, show I’m here, came back for a sixth year,” Bando said. “And prove to everyone I’m supposed to be here.”
Williams, a native of Omaha, played both guard and tackle at Northern Colorado. At 6-5, 325 pounds, he will be an option to play both those positions again at Nebraska, and will push perceived starters in the process.

Right tackle​

1 – Bryce Benhart
2 – Hunter Anthony
It should be noted that Nebraska's offensive linemen — as an entire unit — struggled in pass protection last year. It wasn't one player's fault.
But Benhart will be the one playing under the microscope the most this season after how his 2021 campaign went. But like others in the O-line room, maybe new coaching blood and teaching ways will make a difference with the 6-9, 315-pounder.
“I thought Bryce got better every day," Raiola said earlier this year. "He improved, he’s working really hard to get better with his run blocking and his pass blocking. He’s shown that he’s taken those steps in the right direction.”
Raiola will never say a bad thing about one of his players in front of a microphone, so fans will have to wait and see what kind of improvements Benhart has actually made.
Here's one thing we know, though: If Benhart can hold down that right tackle spot, it will help solve other problems along the line. It would allow Corcoran to stay at left guard and not slide down to right tackle, which would leave a void at left guard again.
Benhart is the key. But it's also good to remember Raiola has been mixing and matching his linemen at different positions all spring and fall. That should help in case changes need to be made during the season.
As for Anthony, he has starting experience at both right guard and right tackle from his days at Oklahoma State. He played in 23 career games and made five starts with the Cowboys. In 2020, he started the season-opener at right tackle, but a foot injury in that game kept him off the field for the next eight games.
If a spot start at right tackle is needed, and Corcoran isn't available, Anthony could be the option. But so would Williams, too.
https://nebraska.rivals.com/news/of...ion-as-nebraska-fall-camp-passes-midway-point

 

[vailhusker]

 

[vailhusker]

@Jim14510

 

[Jim14510]

@Jim14510

And it's official.

 

[vailhusker]

Spoiler: Insideher Projected Two-Deep Defense

Nebraska Defense: Two-deep projection​

Zack Carpenter • InsideNebraska
Publisher
@Zack_Carp

RELATED
Offense: Two-deep projection | Nebraska Fall Camp Central Page | Insider Notes: Camp, scrimmage
Nebraska is now two-thirds of the way through its 15-practice fall camp that wraps up on August 14. There is still some time to go before the Huskers open the season 18 days from now, but that time is dwindling with just five fall camp practices remaining.
The Huskers held their 10th practice on Monday morning, and we met with defensive coordinator Erik Chinander, defensive backs coach Travis Fisher and a handful of defensive players. They provided some crucial background and information – especially Chinander – on how the competitions at different positions is going as players try to lock up spots.
"I think there is a lot of good and a lot of stuff to clean up," Chinander said. "I am pretty happy with how the ones operated. Pretty happy with how they tackled. I think the twos and threes we need to tighten up a little bit. We have to have a little more separation on who is going to be those next guys up. We rotate a lot of guys in with the ones so it wasn’t just a pure one mix. It was kind of a 1a, 1b mix, and I think a lot of those guys showed great competition. There’s a few guys that kind of separated themselves, but there’s still a lot of competition at just about every position.”
Beginning on Aug. 15 is when the Husker staff will be taking the most time to lock in game preparations for Northwestern and who will be lining up at each position on the two-deep roster.
We have already started to get a better picture of the players who are emerging on both sides of the ball, though, throughout our time watching one open practice and getting a chance to speak with offensive and defensive coaches and players. Inside Nebraska staff writer Steve Marik gave his projections of the offensive two-deep on Monday morning, and today I'm giving my projections for the defensive two-deep depth chart as it stands on August 9.

EDGE​

1 – Garrett Nelson
2 – Blaise Gunnerson
Nelson is easily the the spot we can lock down with the most confidence at EDGE and probably on the entire defense (no shade thrown at the two linebacker spots). He's the team leader and a potential college football star who has already entrenched himself as one of the Big Ten's best defensive players.
After him, I like Gunnerson to lock up the No. 2 spot behind Nelson, and Jimari Butler would slot in behind him. Chinander on Monday said, unprompted, that Gunnerson and Butler were having "tremendous camps" and that he expects both of them to be in the rotation at EDGE along with Nelson, Caleb Tannor and Ochaun Mathis.

Defensive line​

1 – Ty Robinson
2 – Stephon Wynn Jr.
Just like Nelson, no debate about Robinson's top spot on the interior defensive line. The other three linemen are also known, but their place in the pecking order is up for debate and is still to play out over the next week of camp.

Defensive line​

1 – Colton Feist
2 – Nash Hutmacher
Outside of defensive back, there is not a position group that has more of an interesting flavor as to the main two-deep spots than defensive line. Other than Robinson's spot as the one who will get the most snaps, who is named the starter and who is named as a backup does not matter quite as much here as it does at other spots with a heavy rotation expected under Chinander and Mike Dawson.
Feist might be the biggest surprise in terms of how he has elevated himself up the depth chart over the offseason and throughout camp. Chinander heaped a ton of praise on him this week for his work.
“Colton Feist is a guy who came in here as a walk-on guy that not many people outside the program knew about," Chinander said. "And he’s just worked and worked and worked, and he’s put himself in a position to play a ton of snaps this year — whether he gets to be a starter or whether he’s the first guy in the rotation. He’s done an unbelievable job with technique, he’s a powerful guy, he knows what’s going on, he’s got good anticipation of the game. He can really run for a big guy. He’s playing on some special teams for us as well.”
Chinander made it a point to say that Feist has "shown that he belongs with the starters and/or that first rotation," so it wouldn't surprise me if he winds up being listed as a starter opposite Robinson by the time the season opener rolls around.
Hutmacher and Wynn are continuing to battle it out as well. Wynn is behind Hutmacher right now because Hutmacher knows the ins and outs of the Huskers' system better and is better positioned right now for the majority of snaps in the early portion of the season over Wynn. But it's a neck-and-neck fight between those two for reps, and that's one of the more intense position battles that Nebraska will watch play out.

EDGE​

1 – Caleb Tannor
2 – Ochaun Mathis
Let the Ochaun Mathis hype train continue to roll. He was unveiled at Monday's press conference after a standout scrimmage, and the excitement level is high for the TCU transfer to make a substantial impact from day one. Tannor will still get the starting nod, but him, Mathis and Nelson will be the three highest in terms of snaps throughout the season. We have written it and said it a dozen times already, but that trio is as dynamic of a pass-rushing rotation that the Huskers can put on the field.
This is a hard one to peg the order of because Tannor and Mathis are each going to play a lot – plus, Tannor is more of an outside linebacker who would be the top EDGE here in a 3-4 scheme while Mathis is going to be used as more of a traditional defensive end and would be the top EDGE in this spot in a 4-3 front.

Inside linebacker (Mike)​

1 – Nick Henrich
2 – Eteva Mauga-Clements

Inside linebacker (Will)​

1 – Luke Reimer
2 – Garrett Snodgrass
Reimer and Henrich represent one of the Big Ten's top linebacker duos, so their spots are solidified. But Chinander did mention that they have had three linebackers rotating in with the ones. Mauga-Clements and Snodgrass were the top backups a season ago, and both looked impressive when we watched them at the open practice last week – especially Mauga-Clements, who was aggressive and flying around during individual drills.
The time is coming for Ernest Hausmann, the vaunted freshman who already has sky-high expectations centered around him in Lincoln, but I don't expect him to supplant either for one of the top backup roles – at least not early in the season and certainly not for the season opener. But I think Hausmann has a shot at getting snaps this season if he continues to progress.

Cornerback​

1 – Quinton Newsome
2 – Malcolm Hartzog
And now we arrive at the defensive backs: the place where the top spots seem to be determined from the outside looking in but still have guys jostling for position.
Fisher was asked if he has the top four already set at cornerback and safety, to which he firmly and succinctly replied, "No," and Chinander said the team has three cornerbacks, three safeties and three nickels all rotating in with the first-team. So there is a lot left to play out here.
It speaks to the lack of depth at cornerback that I'm penciling in a true freshman in Hartzog to be on the two-deep. Truthfully, I doubt he winds up on the two-deep for the season opener or the early portion of the season. But based on rumblings of how impressive Hartzog has been, I will go ahead and slide him into that spot. In reality, though, the loser in the battle between Braxton Clark and Tommi Hill would be the backup to Newsome.
I would place Omar Brown there, but his move to safety has me placing him on the two-deep behind Farmer. But I'm curious whether or not Brown would move back into a cornerback role in a pinch.
Brown was practicing with the first-team on Monday, and Fisher said that he has been practicing with "pretty much every group that we’ve got," which I took to mean that he's practicing with multiple defensive back groups and practicing with the ones and the twos.

Cornerback​

1 – Braxton Clark
2 – Tommi Hill
I badly want to project Hill as the top cornerback opposite of Newsome. I believe that he will eventually take over that spot from Clark, but I think it's the Husker veteran who will get the nod against Northwestern. The hype for Hill has been heavy, and that hype is for real so far.
“Tommi’s come a long way. He’s progressing," Fisher said on Monday. "The kid has so much passion and enthusiasm at practice. He plays with his heart on the outside of his jersey. I’m just talking about he’s into it every rep, very passionate about competing, flying around, sparking the defense, doing what you ask him to do. To be a young guy, it’s very rewarding for a coach for a guy who day to day just keeps showing up.”
Those are some heavy words and gives a glimpse into Hill's ceiling. Now, it's about putting those days together consistently and grasping the Huskers' defensive schemes. It won't surprise me if Hill does wind up as the opening-day starter at one cornerback spot, but my official prediction as of today is Clark.

Safety​

1 – Myles Farmer
2 – DeShon Singleton
Farmer and Buford, it would appear, will lock up the two starting safety spots.

Safety​

1 – Marques Buford Jr.
2 – Omar Brown
However, Fisher refuted the notion that they each have those cemented.
“No," Fisher said when asked if Farmer and Buford are firmly entrenched as the top-two safeties. "I got guys that are coming along. I’ve got guys that are a little bit banged up that are just coming back, and I’ve got guys that could easily be in that first group. It just depends how much they can get ready for this first game. I’ve got new guys that are coming in. It’s competitive throughout this whole deal. It’ll probably be like that throughout this whole season. Overtaking the (safety) position isn’t happening today, especially how tight the secondary is and how they’re competing.”

Nickel​

1 – Isaac Gifford
2 – Chris Kolarevic
Javin Wright is the player I want to slot into this two-deep, but I can't. He has been impressive throughout practice, according to Greg Smith's insider report, and Chinander sang his praises this week. It still feels, however, like Wright will need more time to get his legs back under him as he nurses his way back to full health and comfortability on the field. That leaves Kolarevic as the guy I'm slotting into that No. 2 nickel spot. In the end, it may not matter who is listed as the backup since Wright and Kolarevic serve different roles as nickel corners and will be on the field in different packages and situations.
“Right now, there’s three guys that are all running with the ones: Isaac (Gifford), Javin (Wright) and Chris Kolarvic, and I think those guys are doing a really good job," Chinander said. "I think it’s gonna be really hard to see who’s gonna be the starter. But I think all of those guys are gonna earn the right to be on the field. Those guys need to make a huge impact on special teams, too, because we’ve got three legitimate guys that can all play there. So we can keep those guys fresh and they can operate on special teams as well.”