Nebraska Spring Look Back: Secondary
Next in our spring football positional recaps, we will be giving our final take on Nebraska's secondary...
WHAT WE LEARNED: The lineup reset has gone well so far
When it came to experience, leadership, and overall talent, few Nebraska position groups were hit harder by offseason attrituion than the secondary.
Gone are multi-year starters Cam Taylor-Britt, Deontai Williams, and Marquel Dismuke, leaving behind three sets of large shoes the Huskers had to fill.
Based on reports out of spring practices, at least, it sounded like NU got off to a strong start in reloading its defensive backfield.
The return of Quinton Newsome and Braxton Clark and the addition of transfer cornerback Tommi Hill seemed to shore up the top cornerback group coming out of spring ball.
Nebraska also brought back Myles Farmer as its most experienced safety, and new faces like Marques Buford, DaShon Singleton, and Noa Pola-Gates all showed flashes.
The Huskers also look to have viable options at the nickel spot, led by Luke Gifford.
There is still a lot of work that needs to be done in terms of solidfying the defensive backfield depth, especially at safety. But NU at least appears to have made some solid headway in that regard so far.
BIGGEST SPRING CONCERN: Safety depth still a work in progress
As mentioned, Nebraska is still far from locking in its depth chart at safety coming out of spring practices.
Farmer is by far the most known commodity, but it sounds like hasn't cemented himself as a surefire starter just yet.
Buford garnered a lot of praise for his rapid development since last season and right now appears to be the other frontrunner along with Farmer for a starting job in 2022.
The Huskers had high hopes for Singleton and thought he could immediately push for a top spot, but he remains a work in progress with plenty to prove in fall camp.
This spring was a critical opportunity for Pola-Gates to finally make his move into the starting conversation but didn't seem to do much to answer the questions about his potential.
All that being said, it should also be noted that NU is still actively recruiting the transfer portal for additional safety depth, a fairly clear indication of how the staff feels about that unit right now.
SPRING SURPRISE: Marques Buford's rapid rise
Talent was never a question for Buford, as he possessed all of the physical tools Nebraska covets in its defensive backs.
The question was whether his best fit at the college level would be cornerback or safety?
The Huskers apparently found their answer after playing him almost exclusively at safety this spring. Buford immediately emerged as one of the top players in that role, and he exited the spring in the lead for the starting job opposite Farmer.
What's especially interesting about Buford is that he's not just in the discussion at safety. Depending on what NU does with any potential additions in the transfer portal this summer, he could also be an option at nickel.
LOOKING AHEAD: Plenty of questions remain
Nebraska's secondary is very much a work in progress, even though there was some clarity gained this spring.
The top cornerback group is all but settled with Newsome, Hill, and Clark. But safety is still wide-open, and what happens there could impact who takes over at nickel.
The Huskers brought in seven new defensive backs from the transfer and high school ranks. Right now, Hill is the only lock to play a major role in 2022.
Singleton and Javier Morton still needs to show more, and no one has any idea where Northern Iowa transfer Omar Brown stacks up after missing the spring with an injury.
The true freshmen - Jaeden Gould, Malcolm Hartzog, and Jalil Martin - are all still at least a year away from pushing for defensive snaps.
That's why NU hasn't closed the door on adding another transfer this summer. Nebraska has been linked to Alabama transfer safety Kaine Williams, who would immediately push for a starting job this fall should be choose the Huskers.