Nebraska transfer RB Markese Stepp out for spring with injury

When running back Markese Stepp came to Nebraska from USC, the big question was his overall durability.

It appears that will be tested right away NU. Husker head coach Scott Frost confirmed on Wednesday that Stepp will miss the remainder of the spring with an injury, but back to action later this summer. Frost also confirmed defensive end Ben Stille and defensive back Marques Buford are also out with injuries this spring.

“It was an injury thing he didn’t know he had,” Frost said of Stepp.

This latest setback adds to a list of injuries that dates back to 2016 for Stepp.

The 6-foot, 235 pound Stepp missed his junior season of high school with a hamstring injury, and three games his senior year in 2017.

During his freshman season at USC in 2018, he suffered a concussion and played in just four games to preserve his redshirt. After playing seven games in 2019, he suffered an ankle injury that caused him to miss the rest of the 2019 season.

In 2020, Stepp played in all five of USC's games, finishing with 45 carries, but had just 28 yards on 19 carries over the Trojans final three games, after starting off with 135 yards on 26 carries over USC's first two games.

With Stepp out, that shifts the focus to freshmen Sevion Morrison, Gabe Ervin, Marvin Scott, Rahmir Johnson and Ronald Thompkins this spring. Johnson, Morrison and Thompkins also did not practice on Wednesday.