It’s been 647 days since Tanner Lee last played in a live college football game, when he was the starting quarterback as a sophomore for Tulane in a loss to SMU on Nov. 21, 2015.

That was also the last time he’s even taken a real hit, when he was knocked out of the game with a broken hand, thus marking the beginning of the end of his time with the Green Wave.

After sitting out last season following his transfer to Nebraska, the junior from Destrehan, La., now finds himself less than a week away from finally returning to field as the Huskers’ starting quarterback this season.

“I’m extremely ready, extremely excited to get out there in some live action,” Lee said. “I’ve missed that. I’ve been doing a lot of practicing the past couple years. Just thinking back to where I was when I ended my career at Tulane and not knowing where I was going to be, and to be in the position I am now, I feel extremely humbled and lucky and blessed for that.

“I’m extremely ready to get back to playing football.”

While his career numbers at Tulane were fairly pedestrian, the hype surrounding Lee’s potential has skyrocketed over the past 12 months. From Nebraska’s coaches to NFL scouts to national media personalities, all have said Lee could be a future high draft pick, possibly going as early as 2018.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Lee has all the physical attributes of a professional quarterback, and NU head coach Mike Riley said he was excited for the rest of the college football world to see what the Huskers have seen the for the past year.

“This has been a big story about the quarterback, why he came here,” Riley said. “People ask me about that all the time, how’s he going to handle all the attention? I think that’s why he came here. Not necessarily for the attention, but for this arena, this kind of place. He wanted to put himself in it.”

Lee is well aware of the pressure that comes with being a starting quarterback, especially at a place like Nebraska. He also knows with great pressure comes great opportunity.

“I feel like the only thing I want to do is put my team in the best position to win,” Lee said. “I think Coach Riley has given me an unbelievable opportunity to come here, and I want to do everything I can with that opportunity.

“It is the next chapter in my career, and I’m just extremely lucky to be here and playing at a school like this with its traditions. It’s not something I take for granted, ever.”

- Robin Washut

As Riley hinted during Monday morning's weekly press conference, several Nebraska defensive players got a very pleasant surprise when they arrived at their lockers prior to practice.

In all, 16 Huskers were awarded a coveted Blackshirt practice jersey on Monday: defensive linemen Freedom Akinmoladun, Mick Stoltenberg, Carlos Davis, Khalil Davis; linebackers Marcus Newby, Dedrick Young, Chris Weber, Alex Davis, Luke Gifford, Mohamed Barry; and defensive backs Lamar Jackson, Eric Lee, Dicaprio Bootle, Aaron Williams, Joshua Kalu, and Antonio Reed.

No defensive players or coaches were available to media after practice, but many of the Blackshirts will be available for comment on Monday.

- Robin Washut

Junior captain Jerald Foster isn’t shy about saying the offensive line was rocked a little bit in spring and fall camp.

In what he described as “a grind” of a first week, Nebraska’s starting left guard saw multiple looks and blitzes that kept the unit on its toes.

But offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh, consistent with the aura around much of the team this fall camp, showed a quiet confidence in his unit throughout.

“Coach Cav, he would always come in and just have a smile on his face and be like, 'it’s great that you guys are seeing all this,'” Foster said. “It’s just going to make the game that much easier when we see eight blitzes in a period when you would maybe see three to four different blitzes in a game.”

Returning four of five starters from 2016, Nebraska’s offensive line feels better about what it can do in different situations. In the running game and pass protection, seeing different stunts by the defense has allowed the offense to try new things in the trenches.

Foster said the line feels comfortable getting out and running through the whole play, perhaps a change in philosophy from the injury-riddled unit from a year ago.

Underclassmen in the two-deep like Boe Wilson, Matt Farniok, and John Raridon figure to see a larger role rotating in with the starting group.

Now a captain for the first time in his Husker career, Foster sees everyone in the offensive line room as well as the entire offense starting to gel.

“We’ve really gotten better about being closer just as a whole offense,” Foster said. “Having the 11 all going in the same direction … I can’t wait to see what we’re going to show out there."

- Matt Reynoldson

Nebraska’s special teams units will likely have a different look this fall under the direction of Scott Booker.

Booker is overseeing all facets of special teams this season after Riley fired special teams coordinator Bruce Read at the end of the regular season last year.

Players say the new coach has brought some different ideas to the table, but the biggest difference may be in the way the phase of the game is treated and practiced.

“Obviously we have a new coach and we implemented some different things that we hadn’t before,” kicker Drew Brown said. “The way practice is a little bit different, but I think it’s going to benefit us in the long run.

“Guys are more involved, they are more excited and I think you’re going to see it out on the field for game days. You’re going to notice that big difference. It’s going to be good for us. I think the new just kind of attitude that we have is going to benefit us in a lot of games.”

Brown is obviously a big part of the Huskers’ kicking game just as senior De’Mornay Pierson-El is a big part of the return game.

Pierson-El echoed Brown’s sentiment that the overall intensity of the special teams units may be the biggest difference compared to last year.

“I think that’s something that’s going to come with time and come with Coach Booker’s scheme,” Pierson-El said. “It’s just getting after it. You have to want to be on special teams, and I think he has a group of guys out there who want to be on there. Everybody has to do their job.”

- Nate Clouse

***Offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf said Arkansas State’s defensive line and overall pass rush would be a huge test for NU’s offense on Saturday. He said the Huskers would have to utilize a lot of extra help in pass protection as well as relying on the screen game and draw runs.

***In fact, Langsdorf said he led off the Arkansas State scouting report with how good the Red Wolves’ pass rush was, as they ranked sixth in the country in sacks as a team last year.

***Langsdorf said for those buying into all the Lee hype lately: “Cool your jets a little bit.”

Langsdorf said the staff is obviously excited about Lee’s ability, but he’ll only be as good as the rest of the offense around him. If the other 10 guys play well, Langsdorf said Lee will obviously reap the benefit of that.

***Langsdorf said the plan all along was to redshirt Gebbia this season if possible. While it’s not out of the question that he still could play this year if necessary, the hope is Gebbia will benefit from a year off and still working with the varsity team in practice the way O’Brien did last year.

***Langsdorf said the staff has discussed which running back will start on Saturday and have come to a decision, but wouldn’t say who it would be.

***Langsdorf said pass protection wouldn’t be the end all factor in which running back plays the most vs. ASU.

***Offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh said Matt Farniok has had an “outstanding” fall and will definitely be a big factor in the o-line rotation despite not being a starter. Farniok will be an option at both left guard and right tackle.

***Receivers coach Keith Williams said his son, wide out Keyan Williams, is still day-to-day with a hamstring injury. Keyan did not practice again on Monday.