Final take: Quarterback race far from over

I think most of us went into Saturday’s spring game thinking redshirt freshman quarterback Tristan Gebbia had an edge in Nebraska’s starting quarterback battle.

However, I think after it ended, the tune changed pretty quickly.

Gebbia had a solid day from all accounts, but the performance by true freshman quarterback Adrian Martinez left everybody wondering if the Fresno native is ready now to be the guy in 2018?

No true freshman has started a season opener for Nebraska in program history. Cody Green and Tommie Frazier both started games late in the season their true freshman years.

That’s what’s going to make this debate so interesting going forward. Martinez appears to have the physical tools, athletic ability, and the maturity to handle it all, but it hasn’t been done in school history for a reason.

It’s not easy to be the starting quarterback at Nebraska, let alone as a kid just removed from high school that missed his entire senior season with a shoulder injury.

Frost has a lot to think about from now until August, and you can bet he’s going to play this thing out all the way to the end.

“I told the quarterbacks just before the game to just go play, we’re not going to choose who the starting quarterback is today,” Frost said. In a game like that, you might be the guy that’s in there when the right play is called, and the right guy is open. You might be the guy that’s in there when somebody misses a protection, and you get sacked, and quarterbacks can look good or bad through no fault of their own. So, we’re not going to judge them too much on the play today.

“To speak on Adrian (Martinez), the one thing that impresses me is his composure as an 18-year old that could still be in high school to come out and do some good things. That was a good job, but I thought all four handled the situation really well.”

The final numbers for Martinez were a game-high 60 yards rushing for three scores, to go along with 10-of-13 completed passes for 114 yards and one touchdown.

Gebbia was right with him completing 12-of-17 passes for 125 yards and two scores, but he doesn’t have anywhere close to the same athletic ability or physical size of Martinez.

As Frost said following Saturday’s game, he’s nowhere near a decision, but you have to think in his mind he has an idea of how he wants to play things.

What we don’t know is if Saturday’s performance was enough to shut down talks of possibly taking a graduate transfer at quarterback? Frost strikes me as such a loyal guy in how he operates, that if he truly likes this group right now, he may not want to disrupt the chemistry of the locker room by making a move like that.

I also have to think between Martinez, Gebbia and sophomore Andrew Bunch, there’s enough there right now to get it done. This is not a situation where they lack options. All three showed they are capable of making plays in the offense.

I’d also be curious to hear Frost speak on the subject of comparing Martinez right now to McKenzie Milton when he first came to UCF as a freshman.

My guess is Frost would say Martinez is further ahead than Milton at this stage of the game but does that necessarily mean he’s ready to be the guy now? Only time will tell, and it should make for one hell of a summer for talk radio in Nebraska.

Now on the to breakdown.

***Former players were everywhere. And even the ones that weren't in Lincoln tweeted about the spring game. I thought it was cool that Ndamukong Suh even made a public message in support of Frost and the Huskers. It was a big step in the right direction for the relationship with NU and Suh, as things went pretty dark following a 2013 incident with Suh and former Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst following the Northwestern game. With new leadership now at NU, it appears the past is the past.

***I really liked what I saw from JUCO running back Greg Bell. The former Arizona Western product had 95 yards on 10 offensive touches. He comes out of the spring with a leg up on the competition right now.

***The 28 yard run by wide receiver Tyjon Lindsey was the first time I felt we ever saw him look like the guy we knew back in high school. That was a pretty good taste of what he could be in this offense going forward.

Lindsey told me after the game he's as focused as ever. He's going to load up his class schedule this summer and not even go back home to California in May. Lindsey said there are "too many distractions" back home, and he'd rather be here to keep working.

***Defensive lineman Carlos Davis told me after the game he can play all three positions on the line, which is why he started out at the nose on Saturday. That will obviously be Mick Stoltenberg's spot during the season, but it was good to get some work there on Saturday. The strange thing for Davis was being on a different team than his brother Khalil. It's the first time they've been on opposite sidelines.

***Frost said after the game they will begin individual player meetings starting Monday. My guess is that's where some hard conversations will take place. I think Frost is going to be pretty honest with some guys on where they stand going forward, as in the grand scheme of things there is still some roster management that has to take place before the start of the 2018 season.

***You did it again Husker Nation. Over 86,000 fans were in attendance on a cold, 48-degree overcast day. The turnout and support for Frost is what this day will be remembered for 20 years from now. There were no Jack Hoffman runs or cats coming out of the Tunnel Walk. This day was about one guy coming home, and over 86,000 fans were there to welcome him.

Sean Callahan can be reached at sean@huskeronline.com and he can be heard each day at 6:45 am and 5:05 pm on Big Red Radio 1110 KFAB in Omaha during the football season. He can also be seen on KETV Channel 7 in Omaha during the fall and each week he appears on NET's Big Red Wrap-UpTuesday's at 7 pm.