Voting Criteria: Player's importance to the team in 2017, talent and potential for the upcoming season. A player's long term/NFL potential was not taken into consideration.
Voting Panel: Publisher Sean Callahan, HuskerOnline.com staff Robin Washut, Nate Clouse, Gregg Peterson, and HOL interns Matt Reynoldson and David Eickholt.
5. De'Mornay Pierson-El, WR/PR, Sr.
For the past two seasons, De’Mornay Pierson-El has been trying to recapture the magic he showed during a breakout freshman year back in 2014.
The former Freshman All-American led the nation with 596 punt return yards and three touchdowns while adding 23 receptions for 321 yards and four scores in his first year as a Husker.
But then Pierson-El had his sophomore season cut short by a foot fracture and then torn ACL in 2015. He was clearly still not his normal self last season as a junior, either, catching 20 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown while averaging just 7.3 yards on 23 punt returns.
The good news is that Pierson-El looked as good as he has in years this past spring, and NU is hoping his final season is just as good as his first. The 5-9, 195, senior was named preseason first-team All-Big Ten by Athlon as a returner.
4. Nick Gates, OT, Jr.
When Nick Gates is at his best, he's by far Nebraska's top offensive lineman and one of the better tackles in the entire Big Ten.
However, the 6-5, 290, junior from Las Vegas is working to get back to the level he was at when he was named a Freshman All-American two seasons ago.
Gates struggled mightily over the final two games of 2016, and that clearly was still lingering in the back of his mind this spring.
The Huskers are counting on Gates snapping out of it and getting back to his old self, and if he can they'll have one of the best tackles in the conference to anchor the offense up front.
3. Stanley Morgan Jr., WR, Jr.
Stanley Morgan Jr. put together a decent sophomore season in 2016, ranking second on the team with 33 catches for 453 yards and two touchdowns while catching at least one pass in all 13 games he played.
But entering his junior season this year, the 6-1, 200, native of New Orleans could be in for a serious breakout campaign.
Not only has he established himself as the Huskers' clear No. 1 wide out, he'll also be the go-to guy for NU's highly acclaimed new starting quarterback Tanner Lee.
Based on the chemistry Morgan and Lee developed this spring, Morgan could prove to be one of the Big Ten's best wide outs when all is said and done.
2. Chris Jones, CB, Sr.
When the voting for this list was done a couple weeks ago, there was no question that senior cornerback Chris Jones was the marquee player on Nebraska's defense.
The 6-0, 195, native of Jacksonville, Fla., was coming off an impressive junior campaign where he nabbed three interceptions with 10 pass breakups to earn honorable-mention all-conference accolades.
Jones was locked in as the Huskers’ clear top corner entering 2017, and he was definitely being noticed around the league, earning first-team Preseason All-Big Ten from Athlon and second-team honors from Lindy’s.
But his role for this season changed in a major way when it was announced that he would likely miss the next 4-6 months due to a meniscus tear in his knee.
Jones promised via social media that he would be back well before that timeframe, and NU is certainly hoping he is right. In the meantime, the Huskers must find a way to get by without their most decorated defensive player.
1. Tanner Lee, QB, Jr.
There isn't a single player on Nebraska's entire roster who will ultimately decide what the 2017 season will bring more than junior quarterback Tanner Lee.
After sitting out last season, the transfer from Tulane takes the reigns from four-year starter Tommy Armstrong. Lee and Armstrong are completely different styles of quarterbacks, and as a result Nebraska’s offense should take on a much different look this year.
Lee started two seasons at Tulane before transferring to NU last summer, and the hype train is now charging full speed ahead about his potential.
Analysts like ESPN’s Chris Mortensen and Senior Bowl scout Patrick Woo have publicly stated that not only could Lee be a high draft pick, there’s a chance he could have a decision to make whether to forego his senior year and declare for the NFL after this season.
But if Nebraska wants to compete for a Big Ten West Division title and beyond, Lee is going to have to live up to all that’s been advertised.
