Two in-state players on Nebraska’s roster who began their careers as walk-ons are now on scholarship, head coach Matt Rhule said Wednesday.
At a Lincoln Chamber of Commerce event, Rhule said tight end Nate Boerkircher and linebacker John Bullock have been put on scholarship.
Boerkircher, from Aurora, Nebraska, the same hometown as another former Husker tight end in Austin Allen, is entering his fourth season in the program. A strong blocker and capable receiver, Boerkircher caught a career-high six passes for 52 yards and one touchdown in 2022.
Like last season, Boerkircher will be in the rotation at tight end in 2023. And depending on the eligibility status of LSU and Georgia transfer Arik Gilbert, who will need a waiver from the NCAA to play in 2023, Boerkircher’s role could grow even more.
Bullock was one of the notable spring storylines at Nebraska. An Omaha native and Creighton Prep graduate, Bullock is entering his fifth year in the program.
Mostly a special teams player during his Husker career, Bullock has played in 22 games and recorded a combined six tackles, with five coming in 2021 and one in 2022. During the Red-White spring game, the 6-foot, 210-pound Bullock was starting at inside linebacker on the first-team defense. Bullock moved from safety to linebacker this spring.
Rhule has been high on Bullock all spring and continued to praise the linebacker during the coach’s appearance on the Huskers Radio Network on Monday.
“John Bullock was one of the best players on our team this spring," Rhule said. "John Bullock’s a starting caliber player. He’s a guy that will have a future, hopefully at the next level. Making that move for him from safety to linebacker unlocked a whole future."
Nebraska needs to be at 85 scholarship players before the start of the season. The additions of Boerkircher and Bullock puts the unofficial current scholarship number at 90. You can see the distribution chart here.
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