Spring Look Back: Quarterback
We begin our spring positional recaps today by giving our final take on Nebraska's quarterbacks...
WHAT WE LEARNED: The No. 2 QB is likely on the roster
There was zero question about who Nebraska’s starting quarterback would be this season, as Adrian Martinez returns for his fourth year as the starter in 2021.
However, the depth chart behind was one of the most pressing question marks on the roster.
Second-year freshman Logan Smothers and early-enrollee freshman Heinrich Haarberg had 15 spring practices to make their case as viable backup options.
If they didn’t, NU would likely have to turn to the transfer portal to find a veteran quarterback to provide a little more experience and stability under center.
Both young QBs seemed to do enough to keep the coaching staff content going into the summer, including each showing flashes late in the Red-White Spring Game.
The door is never completely shut on the transfer portal, but at this point – and head coach Scott Frost even said as much following the spring game – it looks like Nebraska is ready to roll with what it has at quarterback this season.
BIGGEST SPRING CONCERN: Can Martinez cut the mental mistakes?
Martinez has no competition for the starting job this season, but that doesn’t mean that the fourth-year junior still doesn’t have a lot to prove in 2021.
For as many times as Martinez has flashed game-changing potential over the past three years, a nagging tendency to make costly mistakes with the football at the worst possible times has marred his tenure in Lincoln.
Martinez has thrown 20 interceptions with 27 fumbles (15 lost) in 28 career starts as a Husker. He was picked off eight times as a true freshman in 2018, then nine times as a sophomore in 2019.
He only had three interceptions in seven games last year, but he turned the ball over four times alone in the regular-season finale at Rutgers.
On the flip side, Martinez also has 53 total touchdowns and a 64-percent completion rate for his career.
If he can figure out how to take better care of the football, it will directly lead to more success and wins for Nebraska. His quarterback coach, Mario Verduzco, probably put it best earlier this spring.
“No more friggin’ turnovers. That’s it,” Verduzco said. “Just got to take care of the damn football.”
SPRING SURPRISE: Haarberg’s big spring push
As mentioned, the rapid development of Haarberg through his first 15 collegiate practices changed the conversation of Nebraska’s quarterback situation a bit.
While he's still very raw as an early enrollee, Haarberg has looked every bit the part physically with a solid 6-foot-5 frame and a powerful right arm.
The former Kearney (Neb.) Catholic standout has put himself firmly in contention with Smothers for the No. 2 job. A solid performance in the Spring Game further solidified him as a legitimate contender to be the top backup.
Haarberg went 9-of-23 for 121 yards and an interception, but he also threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to win the scrimmage on the final play for the White team.
Frost wasn’t shy with his praise for Haarberg this spring, either.
“Haarberg has been impressing everybody with his athletic ability and just his arm strength,” Frost said. “He’s got a long way to go learning it, but he’s working hard at that and doing a good job, and his talent definitely shines through quite often.”
LOOKING AHEAD: Young QBs will hopefully have time to learn and grow
If all goes as planned, Smothers, Haarberg, or any other quarterback on the roster not named Martinez won’t need to take a meaningful snap this season.
Frost and his staff remain as bullish as ever on Martinez’s ability and potential, and they feel that if he can stay healthy and cut back on the mistakes, he could be an all-conference type of player.
If that’s the case, the No. 2 quarterback job – which has been more valuable than ever the past three years due to Martinez’s injury history – will become an afterthought.
As of right now, neither Haarberg nor Smothers look ready to step in and win games in the Big Ten. So the Huskers desperately need Martinez to play well and stay on the field.
Martinez looked great physically this spring. He dropped some weight from his frame, looked explosive as a runner in the spring game, and his receivers said he was throwing the ball harder than ever.
Martinez carries so much importance in determining what Frost’s fourth season ultimately becomes. A big year could not only get the program back on track, but it would also provide a valuable year of development for the rest of the QB depth.