The Nebraska football team officially starts spring practice on Feb. 28, as they practice for two weeks, take a week off for spring break and then are back for three more weeks before the spring game set for April 9.
As spring practice approaches, it's time to take an in-depth look at each of Nebraska's position groups. The last position group in the series are the Huskers' secondary, which will have to replace three starters.
What we know: Nebraska restocked on defensive backs over the off-season
Starting safeties Marquel Dismuke and Deontai Williams and cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt graduated from Nebraska and/or are entering the 2022 NFL draft. The Huskers brought in seven defensive backs including four transfers to replace the experience and talent they lost.
Five of those defensive backs will be on campus for spring camp including cornerbacks Tommi Hill, Jaedon Gould, Omar Brown, Javier Morton and safety DeShon Singleton. Gould is the only freshman on campus with four transfers.
Freshman Malcolm Hartzog and Jalil Martin have yet to arrive on campus.
Brown, who transferred from Northern Iowa, will be out for spring with an injury. Arizona State transfer, Hill, is the only addition with Power Five experience as he played 59 defensive snaps for the Sun Devils as a freshman in 2021.
Morton and Singleton will both likely compete for a starting position as they both have extensive JUCO experience and the Huskers have lots of room for competition with one returning starter.
Biggest question: Where do reserves fit in with new transfers?
Quinton Newsome started at cornerback opposite Taylor-Britt in 2021 and Braxton Clark was the third corner in. However, with three transfers throwing their hat into the ring, will Clark be able to earn a starting position?
Clark played in every game in 2021 and was poised for a big role the season before but suffered a season-ending injury during fall camp. In 2021, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound cornerback had four tackles and two pass breakups.
Clark's time at Nebraska is coming to a close as the 2022 season will be his fifth with the team (he redshirted in 2018). Can he make the breakthrough in 2022?
Marques Buford Jr., Tamon Lynum and Tyreke Johnson are other cornerbacks who could find themselves in the mix.
Myles Farmer, who started when Williams was injured, seems to be the front runner for one of the safety positions. Noa Pola-Gates was seemingly the next man up after the departure of Dismuke and Williams, but will now have to compete with Singleton.
Can Clark and Pola-Gates earn starting roles with talented and experienced transfers and freshmen competing for the roles?
Spring darkhorse: DeShon Singleton
Singleton will be one of the top competitors at the safety position and could earn a starting spot with a big spring and fall camp.
During his one season at Hutchinson C.C. in Kansas, Singleton had 21 tackles, two interceptions and two pass breakups in six games. The Blue Dragons went 9-2 in the 2021 season.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound safety displayed an ability to tackle in open space, find the ball for interceptions and pass breakups and throw receivers off their routes with bump-and-run coverage.
With three transfers and two participating in spring camp, the cornerback position has more competition was Newsome, Clark, Hill and Morton battling it out. However, Singleton has a better chance at making a significant impact at safety.
