Nebraska Spring Ball HQ
Nebraska football is now heading into the final stretch of its 2024 spring practice season.
The Huskers have 12 practices in the books, including two scrimmages held on each of the past two Saturdays, with two more practices ahead this week and the Red-White Spring Game this Saturday to punctuate all of it.
Inside Nebraska has been hard at work throughout the first four weeks of the Huskers' five-week practice slate, putting together daily coverage of written columns, feature stories and analysis pieces, recruiting reports and the latest transfer portal activity, plus our array of digital content in both video and audio formats.
We've organized that coverage into a single spot – a one-stop shop below featuring our Top 10 pieces of the spring, all of our practice highlight films, Rapid Recap videos, and all of our written content that did not crack the Top 10.
Updated April 27 at 5:15 p.m.
Spring Game Coverage – Saturday (April 27)
GAME COVERAGE:
>> Matt Rhule: Demitrius Bell, Blye Hill suffer "significant" injuries
>> Five standouts from Husker Spring Game
>> Snap Judgments: Flashes of explosive offense, Raiola as star at spring game
>> LIVE: Notes & Observations from the field at Nebraska Spring Game
RECRUITING:
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Spring Game Preview
>> Marik: Top five young Huskers to watch during spring game
>> Inside Nebraska's Bold Predictions: Spring Game Edition
>> Rhule on spring game format, expectations for QBs and more
>> Players to watch, QB plans, Matt Rhule lays out format
>> Fact or Fiction: Nebraska's spring game will springboard its 2025 class
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PRACTICE HIGHLIGHT FILMS
Open Practice No. 1 – Thursday, March 28
Open Practice No. 2 – Tuesday, April 9
Open Practice No. 3 – Tuesday, April 16
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INSIDE NEBRASKA'S TOP 10 STORIES OF THE SPRING
10 – Ten Huskers who have stood out this spring
Five spring practices stand between Nebraska and its April 27 spring game.
Now that spring ball is a little over halfway done, now is a good time to make a list of 10 players who have stood out this spring.
>>> READ THE FULL STORY HERE <<<
9 – Husker O-linemen, their "sixth sense" and teacher Ben Scott
By now, Husker fans know Tony White’s 3-3-5 defense is capable of giving opposing offenses several different looks and pressures to deal with.
The versatile scheme is what helped the Huskers have the best statistical season since joining the Big Ten in 2011. Last season Nebraska’s veteran unit held opponents to 18.3 points per game (12th nationally), 92.92 rushing yards (9th) and 2.97 yards per carry (6th).
It couldn’t have been easy for enemy offensive lines to determine who to block when the line of scrimmage is littered with anywhere from three to seven Huskers who may rush or threaten to before dropping into coverage after the snap.
>>> READ THE FULL STORY HERE <<<
8 – Rhule to staff: Watch Rahmir Johnson's 2021 Michigan game
Nebraska’s running back room is at an odd spot as the program enters the final stretch of spring ball.
Multiple members of the room are being held out of practice or limited because of injury setbacks from last season. Rahmir Johnson and Gabe Ervin Jr. are two players who fall in that category. And the last update given on Kwinten Ives was that he has missed practice time with a hamstring, though he was on the field practicing Tuesday.
>>> READ THE FULL STORY HERE <<<
7 – Background on Rhule's eye-popping eval of Raiola, Kaelin advanced skillsets
Through eight spring practices, Dylan Raiola and Daniel Kaelin look far more advanced than any of their freshman QB predecessors who have come through the Nebraska football program.
That is, at least, what you could glean from the way Matt Rhule describes them, plus the way they have looked at practice (mainly Raiola) as we hit the back half of the spring slate.
>>> READ THE FULL STORY HERE <<<
6 – Tuesday Tim-Bits: Visit updates and sobering developments
Recruiting isn't all sunshine and rainbows unfortunately. In a special Tuesday edition of Recruiting Tim-Bits, we talk about some sobering developments with Texas targets, concern potentially arising with linebacker recruiting, touch on some visitors currently on campus or expected to be on campus this week.
>>> READ THE FULL STORY HERE <<<
5 – Rhule and Husker staff learn from Bill Belichick
The clinic that Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule and his vast behind-the-scenes staff put on this weekend was a treat for the 800-ish high school coaches who invaded downtown Lincoln on Friday and Saturday.
The high school coaches had the opportunity to hear presentations from former longtime New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on Friday and Nebraska great Tom Osborne on Saturday.
Ask any football person, and that's a pretty legit two-man crew.
But the high school coaches weren't the only ones learning. The Husker staff was, too. Before the clinic on Friday, Belichick was nice enough to give a presentation to Rhule's staff.
>>> READ THE FULL STORY HERE <<<
4 – Rhule on the transfer portal: "If something happens, it happens"
College football's spring transfer portal window opened Tuesday and closes April 30.
On Tuesday during a press conference following spring practice No. 10 for this team, Rhule didn’t seem worried.
>>> READ THE FULL STORY HERE <<<
3 – Nebraska pass game needs to be better, and Jaylen Lloyd is here to help
The deep-ball catches are seemingly piling up for Jaylen Lloyd this spring.
Those of us outside the Nebraska football program who don’t get to watch practice day in and day out are limited to brief glimpses of the action via the team’s social media videos. In those 2 or 3 seconds when they happen to include a tasty practice rep we're all starving to consume, you can’t learn anything of substance.
But maybe we can learn something from these clips. Or, at the very least, have a thought be confirmed.
>>> READ THE FULL STORY HERE <<<
2 – Overanalysis: Every throw from Raiola, Kaelin in Tuesday's two-minute drill
Nebraska held its second open viewing window of 2024 spring ball on Tuesday, April 9. It featured a 12-minute team scrimmage session of 11-on-11 two-minute drills which was – pretty inarguably – the best open viewing window the media has been allowed throughout Matt Rhule’s open practice sessions, whether that be in the spring or the fall.
We know that you are going to overassess, overanalyze and overthink each (and all) of the plays made by the Huskers’ two freshmen quarterbacks during the 15-play scrimmage session.
So, instead of you guys overanalyzing all of it, we did it for you!
>>> READ THE FULL STORY HERE <<<
1 – Three Thoughts: One QB-WR combo to bank on, another dangerous duo forming
The Huskers have (somehow) just four practices remaining ahead of the annual spring game on April 27, a four-session stretch that includes the most important practice day of the spring campaign, this Saturday’s scrimmage that will be starting up roughly 48 hours from now.
Before we hit the weekend and get to pick the brain of Matt Rhule following Saturday’s scrimmage – and prior to Tony White, Rob Dvoracek and a set of players scheduled to speak at the podiums after practice today – here are three midweek takeaways on Rhule and the ‘Skers. They're more in the realm of three rolling thoughts that have come to mind and set in over the last week or two.
The subjects? The most exciting ones, of course: Quarterbacks and Receivers.
>>> READ THE FULL STORY HERE <<<
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RAPID RECAP VIDEO ANALYSIS
SPRING BALL WEEK 1
SPRING BALL WEEK 2
SPRING BALL WEEK 3
SPRING BALL WEEK 4
SPRING BALL WEEK 5
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BEST OF THE REST
All of our spring ball stories that did not crack the top 10:
Open Practices
Quarterbacks
>> Everything Matt Rhule said on Nebraska QB competition after three practices
>> Freshman QBs progressing at rapid pace
>> Dylan Raiola's "surreal" Memorial Stadium moment, early spring ball lessons
>> Daniel Kaelin adjusting to life on campus, embracing competition
>> Heinrich Haarberg making adjustments to QB mechanics, rugged playing style
>> Huskers' rare QB scene & the top QB-WR connections so far
>> Rhule holds out veterans from scrimmage, what he saw in QBs
>> Husker QB1 battle to extend into fall, but one is separating from the pack
>> Dylan Raiola took control of Nebraska QB1 battle on Saturday – here's how
Running Backs
>> Surprise name emerges in RB room
>> What E.J. Barthel said about Emmett Johnson, Dante Dowdell & the Husker RBs
>> Barthel on mastering personnel and pass protection from the RBs
>> Emmett Johnson’s 2023 ascension and his current place in the Husker RB room
Wide Receivers & Tight Ends
>> Can Isaiah Neyor regain old form? If so, Husker offense's ceiling will soar
>> Jaylen Lloyd feeling comfortable and confident heading into Year Two
>> Three takeaways from Thomas Fidone's press conference
Offensive Line
>> Now healthy, Teddy Prochazka enjoying every spring rep he gets
>> Young Husker O-linemen showing good things, pushing veterans
Defensive Line
>> How wrestling changed Nash Hutmacher after breakout football season
>> Attacking in waves: Terrance Knighton building diverse DL room
>> Riley Van Poppel killed The Bear as freshman, stage set for Year 2 breakout
Linebacker
>> John Bullock settling in to new leadership role
>> MJ Sherman on team growth, young 'backers and the importance of mat drills
Defensive Backs
>> Three Spring Ball Thoughts on Nebraska's Defensive Backs
>> Hartzog talks possible position move, names young WRs & DBs who are "ready"
>> Tommi Hill and that corner spot opposite him — who's it going to be?
>> Not content with how 2023 ended, Isaac Gifford continues to push teammates
>> Everything Coop said of young DBs, Gifford's gauge of QBs & WRs
>> Rhule: "Hill and Hill" could be coming to a defensive backfield near you
The Rest
>> Spring ball notebook: Rhule touches on several topics as practices continue
>> Upon Further Review: Three final takeaways after Wk 1 of Husker spring ball
>> Most important, most revealing time of Huskers' 2024 spring season is here
>> Tony White reveals standouts from NU's first scrimmage, other spring risers
>> Tony White makes tweaks after scrimmage that "wasn't good enough"
>> New year, new coach Rob: Dvoracek another rising star on Rhule staff
>> Rhule on scrimmage: Offense had "most dominant day" since he's been at NU
>> In-helmet communication, tablets with video a welcomed change for Rhule
>> Rhule on spring game format, expectations for QBs and more
Quick Hits
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TRANSFER PORTAL, COMMITMENT ANALYSIS & RECRUITING REPORTS
Transfer Portal:
>> Nebraska Transfer Tracker: Four targets Husker staff is monitoring
>> Huskers land Nebraska native, Montana LB Vince Genatone
Commitment Analysis:
Recruiting Reports:
>> Three Nebraska recruiting goals for April
>> Five Texas prospects Nebraska should consider offering
>> Recruiting Tim-Bits: Notes on two priority Nebraska targets
>> Ten 2026 prospects Nebraska should consider offering
>> Priority linebacker targets headline weekend visitor list
>> Who's next to commit & resetting the 2025 WR board
>> Notes & Observations from Kansas City 7v7 Tournament
>> Recruiting Tim-Bits: Latest on top targets, visit tracker and the QB board
>> Nebraska Red-White Game Visitor Preview
>> Fact or Fiction: Nebraska's spring game will springboard its 2025 class
Player Profiles:
2025:
2026:
2027:
Recruiting Mailbags:
>> April 3: Who's next to commit, positions of need and more
>> April 10: Christian Jones, Cortez Mills, who's first in 2026?