Top 40 Huskers for 2017: 36-40

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.

Nebraska will likely be relying on a couple true freshmen to make immediate impacts at wide receiver this season, and Jaevon McQuitty is going to be one of them.

A former four-star prospect who enrolled early to participate in spring practices, McQuitty looked physically ready to hit the ground running in his first year as a Husker.

Getting an early jump on learning the playbook and adjusting to the mental grind of the college game this spring will be huge in making sure McQuitty is ready to role when called upon.

Matt Farniok was one of the more heralded recruits when he came to Nebraska in the 2016 class.

Though he redshirted his first year, it should only be a matter of time before he gets his chance with the starting unit.

With Cole Conrad moving from tackle to center this spring, the Huskers' depth chart at tackle got even slimmer, meaning Farniok should be next in line behind either left tackle Nick Gates or right tackle David Knevel.

There were a few points last season when Nebraska nearly pulled the trigger and played Boe Wilson as a true freshman. While he ended up hanging onto his redshirt, Wilson still managed to make quite the impression in his first collegiate season.

At this point Wilson is expected to be the No. 2 right guard behind Tanner Farmer, but he will once again go into the year on the cusp of breaking into the starting lineup and very well could force a rotation in games at either guard position.

Given Nebraska's injury issues on the offensive line last season, there's little doubt Wilson will get his chance to show what he can do in 2017.

After serving as a backup safety his first two seasons, Antonio Reed was expected to be a frontrunner to replace All-Big Ten safety Nate Gerry in Nebraska's starting lineup entering the spring.

However, NU's staff made a surprising change by moving cornerback Joshua Kalu to safety midway through spring ball, and Kalu all but solidified the first-team spot opposite Aaron Williams.

That being said, Reed will continue to push for playing time in 2017 and should still have a big role in one way or another. He made his first career start in the Music City Bowl in place of Gerry (suspension) and finished with a career-high five tackles.

While the role of the fullback in college football is shrinking more and more by the year, a player with Luke McNitt's versatility is bound to make an impact in 2017.

A former quarterback at Nebraska-Kearney who started his Husker career as a tight end after transferring to NU in 2014, McNitt provides a solid lead blocker with the ability to make plays as a receiver.

The senior from Kearney, Neb., played in all 13 games last season and emerged as one of Nebraska's top special teams players.