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Nebraska Huskers Spring Football: Previewing The Receivers And Tight Ends

The Huskers' wide recevers corps is stocked, but with Ben Cotton and Kyler Reed gone, what can the Big Red do to fill the void?

Eric Francis

Wide Receivers

No. 18 Quincy Enunwa (Sr.) 6-2, 225 41 catches for 472 yards and one TD
No. 80 Kenny Bell (Jr.) 6-1, 185 50 catches for 863 yards and eight TDs
No. 15 Brion Carnes (Sr.) 6-1, 190 N/A
No. 88 Tyler Evans (Jr.) 6-1, 195 two catches for 27 yards
No. 10 Jamal Turner (Jr.) 6-1, 185 32 catches for 417 yards and three TDs
No. 7 Taariq Allen (So.) 6-3, 195 two catches for 11 yards
No. 2 Alonzo Moore (RFr.) 6-2, 185 N/A
No. 1 Jordan Westerkamp (RFr.) 6-0, 200 N/A

Tight Ends

No. 88 David Sutton 6-3, 240 N/A
No. 84 Sam Cotton 6-4, 235 N/A
Greg Hart 6-5, 225 N/A
Cethan Carter 6-4, 230 N/A

1. Throw To The Fro - What started as a catchphrase has now blossomed into an obvious choice for any Husker quarterback. Kenny Bell picks up where Rex Burkhead left off as a fan favorite, and rightly so. The reliable pass-snagger had only slightly less yardage than the Nos. 2 and 3 receivers combined, not to mention twice as many touchdowns.

As an upperclassman, look for Bell to not only do more damage as an even bigger part of Tim Beck's offense, but to lead by example both on and off the field.

2. Completing The Set - Defensive coordinators have to account for Bell every time he's on the field, but who fills out the formations? Quincy Enunwa and Jamal Turner will likely return, but watch for Taariq Allen as a fourth receiver. Injury cut what could've been a very productive 2012 season short.

3. Possible Surprises - Beck and wide receivers coach Rich Fisher have an embarrassment of riches to work with. Reports out of spring practice indicate that Alonzo Moore has made strides and Jordan "Air German" Westerkamp allegedly never dropped a pass in practice last year. Be sure to watch Nos. 1 and 2, respectively on offense during the Red-White Game.

4. Tight End Troubles - Ben Cotton and Kyler Reed are gone leaving the Huskers in a tight spot at tight end. Cotton was one of the best run blockers on the team, while Reed was responsible for 357 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Walk-on Jake Long appears to be the heir apparent for now, at least. Honestly, the tight end position is likely open through fall camp. The Huskers need to find at least one dominant run blocker out of the bunch. Look for incoming freshman Cethan Carter as a potential injection of immediate athleticism.

5. Double Down On Quincy? - The idea of moving Enunwa inside as a tight end has been tossed around. It's a thought. A horrible thought, but a thought. His place is on the outside as he has far better hands than Ben Cotton did, and is incredibly effective at blocking on the outside.

If Barney Cotton and Kyle Brey can't find one person on the tight end roster to put on the field who can contribute to Nebraska's game plan in a positive way, it should come as a surprise.

Don't expect an All-American effort from whomever that player may be, but the two coaches have more than enough time to identify if what they have to work with is sufficient.

If it's not, pick between Hart and Carter, then drill as much of the offense into their head as possible before kickoff.