When you start to look ahead to the 2017 season on offense, yes Nebraska loses their four-year starting quarterback Tommy Armstrong, but that may not be their biggest hole to fill.
The wide receiver and tight end positions graduate six players in Jordan Westerkamp, Brandon Reilly, Cethan Carter, Alonzo Moore, Sam Cotton and Trey Foster that have a combined 371 career receptions for 5,557 yards and 39 touchdowns. They return Stanley Morgan Jr., De’Mornay Pierson-El and Bryan Reimers in that have a combined 108 catches for 1,415 yards and 12 touchdowns, while they don’t have any returning production at the tight end position.
When wide receivers coach Keith Williams looks ahead to 2017, he knows this recruiting cycle and the upcoming off-season will be big for the future of the position.
“I’m missing them already,” Williams said when talking about his talented senior group of receivers led by Westerkamp. “They are great players but great guys and they are great for the room and great guys and I’m going to miss that part about it.”
Morgan Jr. knows he’s going to have to pick-up the slack and being that No. 1 type receiver for the Huskers going forward.
Luckily, he’s been able to learn a lot from guys like Westerkamp, Reilly and Moore.
“Those guys have been in the huddle since I got here,” Morgan Jr. said. “It’s just a comfort having those guys with me. Going out I just feel comfortable with those guys with me. It’ll just be different. I’m going to be the leader next year. I’m going to be the guy to step up.”
Some other names to watch for 2017 that are on the current roster are transfer Keyan Williams, freshman J.D. Spielman, redshirt freshman Lavan Alston and walk-ons Gabe Rahn and Conor Young.
Keith Williams knows how important this off-season will be for players like Morgan Jr. to take a step forward.
“Continue his personal growth,” Keith Williams said when asked what he wants to see from Morgan Jr. “I don’t want him to do anything outside his character level or comfort level per say. He’s ready to be a leader and he understands that and he’s ready for the transition in terms of being a leader and anything else he’s going to do.”
Morgan Jr. feels like the last two years have gotten him ready for this moment and he’s looking forward to the challenge.
“It came fast,” Morgan Jr. said. “It’s so crazy to think that there will be no more (Westerkamp), Brandon (Reilly) or Moore or Cethan Carter. It’ll be (Pierson-El) or me or guy like Keyan Williams stepping up.”
The Huskers continue their bowl preparations for Tennessee this week, with scheduled practices Monday through Friday before departing on Sunday.
