As he enters his fourth season at Nebraska, everyone knows who J.D. Spielman is.

The redshirt junior wide receiver ranked second on the team in 2018 with 68 catches for 818 yards and a team-high eight touchdown catches last season, and he now returns as the Huskers’ clear No. 1 option in the passing game in 2019.

But as much of an established entity as he might be, Spielman’s coaches are doing all they can to make sure his best is yet to come.

“I’m challenging him to be the best in the country,” NU offensive coordinator and receivers coach Troy Walters said. “That’s the way he’s got to practice and not have any letdowns. A lot of times when you’ve been there and done that and you’ve got the stats and the accolades that he has, it’s easy to let down.

“But I tell him every practice - I challenge him to be the best out there, to be the best. You’re going up against Rondale Moore at Purdue and all the great receivers in the country, you’re competing against those guys with how you practice. He’s really embraced that role and he’s doing a great job.”

Spielman has proven capable of being a dynamic performer after two impressive years in Lincoln, and he could very well break a number of the school records set by Stanley Morgan Jr. last year by the time his college career comes to a close.

His role this season takes on even more importance given the dearth of returning experience and production in Nebraska’s receiving corps. After Spielman, the next highest returning receiver is sophomore walk-on Kade Warner, who caught 17 passes for 95 yards.

“We’re going to miss Stan, but it’s great to have JD back,” head coach Scott Frost said. “He should have been a 1,000-yard receiver for us as well (last year), so it’s a luxury for a guy like that to come back.”

The other challenge being issued for Spielman this year is to step up as the leader of the wide receiver room. A quiet and reserved personality by nature, Spielman is being pushed to be more vocal and to take more command of the group this spring.

Walters said Spielman had made good progress in that regard so far, but the true test likely wouldn’t come until the pressure gets turned up during the season.

“I told him there’s going to be times where he’s got to step up vocally and call guys out and encourage and cheer,” Walters said. “He’s got to be more vocal, and he understands that. He’s adapting to that role this spring, and he’ll continue to grow in that role. Come the season, he’ll be exactly what we need.”

Spielman played through a foot injury at the end of last season that was still on the mend through winter conditioning, but Walters said the Eden Prairie, Minn., native was finally healthy and now “looks like the J.D. from last year.”

While his development as a leader will continue to be a work in progress, Walters said Spielman has also been tasked to know Nebraska’s offense “better than I do” to give NU the ability to move him around from play to play in order to avoid double teams and exploit coverage mismatches.

“He’s a gamer. He’s a baller,” Walter said. “When the ball’s thrown his way he’s going to find a way to make a play. He runs good routes. He’s stronger than he looks being a smaller guy, so he can run through contact, he can get off press. He’s versatile so he can play outside, he can return kicks, he can play in the slot, and he’s tough… He just makes plays.”