The final addition to Nebraska’s 2018 recruiting class, Andre Hunt felt like he was constantly playing catch-up last season.
Despite possessing the physical tools to be a factor in the wide receiver rotation as a true freshman, Hunt never grasped the Huskers’ playbook to the level he or his coaches thought he should.
As a result, the former three-star from Lancaster (Calif.) Paraclete appeared in just two games without making a catch and ended up redshirting his first season in Lincoln.
This spring, however, has been a completely different story. With Stanley Morgan Jr. graduated and junior J.D. Spielman being the only proven commodity returning to the receiving corps, Hunt sees this offseason as a golden opportunity to cement himself as a fixture in NU’s offense in 2019.
“I think it’s my time,” Hunt said. “With Stanley gone, those shoes need to be filled, and I think that’s what I need to do. You’ve got to know what you’re doing if you want to fill those shoes, so that’s what I’m doing.”
Offensive coordinator and receivers coach Troy Walters has seen a change in Hunt for the better both on and off the field. The window of opportunity seems to have snapped Hunt into shape, Walters said, and his play this spring has made him one of the frontrunners for a starting role in the fall.
“He’s matured a lot,” Walters said. “No. 1, he’s learned the playbook; he knows what to do. He’s another guy that can run, (but) last year he didn’t really know the playbook as much as we’d like, so it slowed him down. Now he knows the playbook, so he can just play, he can use his speed.
“He’s going up against Lamar (Jackson) and D-Cap (Dicaprio Bootle) every day and Cam Taylor, so he’s getting better. His mental toughness – last year he was lackadaisical at times, not focused at times. But now he’s working with the ones, and he’s working against those guys, he’s got to be on it every rep. You’ve seen that.
“He’s made a bunch of plays this spring, and so he’s just got to continue to get better, and he’s a guy that we’re going to definitely depend on and count on this fall.”
