Next in our spring football positional recaps, we will be giving our final take on Nebraska's tight ends...
WHAT WE LEARNED: Huskers have something in walk-on Nate Boerkircher
Nebraska's tight ends were plagued by injury this spring and four of their top players sat out of spring practice with injuries. Walk-on Nate Boerkircher took full advantage of getting more reps and became the No. 1 tight end for spring camp.
The Aurora, Neb. native played in three games in 2021 as a second-year freshman. He had two receptions for a total of 14 yards. Nebraska coaches were excited about Boerkircher's potential in 2021.
He built upon that this spring as tight end coach Sean Beckton said he was really proud of how hard Boerkircher worked during the offseason into the spring. Beckton said he's "improved in all facets."
It's hard to know what Boerkircher's role will be during the season but he did everything he could to put himself in a good position.
BIGGEST SPRING CONCERN: Injuries
As mentioned before, all four of Nebraska's projected top tight ends were injured for spring practice. No.1 tight end Travis Vokolek had shoulder surgery after the 2021 season and was always expected to miss spring. Nebraska's staff wasn't too concerned about Vokolek missing time because he's a fifth-year senior.
However, the other three tight ends that went down could have a big impact on the Huskers depending on when they can return.
Redshirt freshman Thomas Fidone, the top tight end in the 2021 recruiting class, suffered another knee injury this spring after tearing his ACL before the 2021 season. We do not know the extent of the injury and it's unclear if he will be back for the fall.
Fourth-year sophomore Chris Hickman was seen with a sling on his right arm at Nebraska's Pro Day and junior Chancellor Brewington is out with an undisclosed injury.
Who will be ready to play in the fall and if so, how much will missing spring practice set them back?
SPRING SURPRISE: AJ Rollins
Redshirt freshman tight end A.J. Rollins was a pleasant surprise in the Red-White spring game. He caught four passes for 39 yards.
Rollins made a great play on a 27-yard pass from quarterback Chubba Purdy, that was perfectly thrown. The Creighton Prep product also brought down an 8-yard pass from Purdy.
The 6-foot-6, 230-pound athlete made a big jump with spring with more reps and more attention from Beckton and Vokolek, his "coaching assistant," as Vokolek called himself.
Beckton said Rollins was always physical, but he focused on making him a better receiver this spring. His catching abilities were displayed in the spring game. Rollins had a big spring development-wise.
LOOKING AHEAD: Who will be available come fall?
The biggest question heading into the offseason for the tight ends is which players will be back from injury for fall practice and the season.
Vokolek is the only one we know will be back unless he suffers another injury or faces a major setback in his recovery. Outside of that, there are three players who we know little about their situation (Fidone, Hickman and Brewington).
Depending on how Nebraska feels about the chances of these players' full recovery, they could look to add a tight end from the transfer portal. The Huskers would likely go for an experienced tight end with one year of availability left as they feel good about the young guys in the group.
Speaking of young guys, freshman Chase Androff from Minnesota will be arriving this summer and could add some much-needed depth to the tight end room.
