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Spring Preview: Wide receiver

Stanley Morgan leads the way for a young but talented receiving corps that has big shoes to fill.
Stanley Morgan leads the way for a young but talented receiving corps that has big shoes to fill. (Associated Press)

We continue our spring position previews today by taking a look at Nebraska's wide receivers.

Previous updates: QB | RB

What we know right now

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Outside of quarterback, no position group on Nebraska's entire roster lost as much talent and production than the wide receivers.

The Huskers are now without six of their top eight receivers from last season, including three of the top four in Jordan Westerkamp, Brandon Reilly and Alonzo Moore.

The good news is that NU returns junior Stanley Morgan, who ranked second on the team with 33 catches for 453 yards and two touchdowns, and senior De'Mornay Pierson-El, who ranked fifth with 20 grabs, 254 yards and a score.

Along with those two, Nebraska adds a cast of young but talented wide outs who will try to help fill that void, including redshirt freshman J.D. Spielman, who nearly played last year as a true freshman and earned the Scout Team Offensive MVP.

Nebraska also returns former walk-ons Bryan Reimers, who was placed on scholarship for the spring semester, and Gabe Rahn. Those two combined for six catches, 110 yards and two touchdowns last season.

Junior Keyan Williams - the son of NU receivers coach Keith Williams - is also eligible beginning this season after sitting last year following his transfer from Fresno State.

But, the biggest change could come with the arrival three incoming freshmen, two of which who enrolled early to participate in spring ball.

Three former four-star wide outs join the mix this season in Tyjon Lindsey, Keyshawn Johnson and Jaevon McQuitty, with Johnson and McQuitty getting a head start this spring.

How quickly they adapt to the college game should heavily influence what Nebraska's receiver picture looks like with the first game rolls around.

Can De'Mornay Pierson-El finally reach his full potential in 2017?
Can De'Mornay Pierson-El finally reach his full potential in 2017? (Associated Press)

Biggest question to answer

Nebraska's wide receivers will go from one of the most veteran and productive positions on the team to one of the youngest and least experienced this season.

The Huskers know they have at least two known commodities in Morgan and Pierson-El, but the rest of the receiver depth chart is full of unknowns.

A lot of youth is going to have to grow up in a hurry over the next few months of the offseason, and the development of the talent trio of freshmen will be huge to keep the group as one of the most dynamic in the Big Ten.

The good news is Johnson and McQuitty and guys like Spielman, Williams, Reimers, Rahn and even sophomore walk-on Conor Young will get a ton of looks with the first-team offense this spring.

The competition will of course kick up a few more notches in the fall with the arrival of Lindsey, but there is some serious opportunity on the table for Nebraska's many young wide outs this spring

How many of them will be able to take advantage and lock up their places in the wide receiver rotation?

Spring dark horse

The Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year in in 2015 and the son of Minnesota Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman, Spielman has already earned the nickname "Tasmanian Devil" from Keith Williams because of his ability to make people miss in the open field.

In fact, his play during last year's fall camp was so good he nearly cracked the lineup as a true freshman despite undergoing knee surgery just a few months earlier.

Now with a wide-open competition at receiver, Spielman has a chance to further build upon the stock he's already built up with his impressive play on NU's scout team in 2016.

This spring will be big for Spielman to make his mark before the wide out group gets a little more crowded in the fall.

Projected spring depth chart

X receiver

1. Stanley Morgan, Jr.

2. Bryan Reimers, Jr.

-OR-

Jaevon McQuitty, Fr.

Z receiver

1. De'Mornay Pierson-El, Sr.

2. Conor Young, So.

R receiver

1. J.D. Spielman, RFr.

-OR-

Keyan Williams, Jr.

2. Gabe Rahn, Sr.

-OR-

Keyshawn Johnson, Fr.

Other notables: Zack Darlington, Jr.; Brady Pelzer, Jr.; Donovan McDonald, So.; Ne'Land Smith, RFr.

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