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Well well well, we have arrived at Spring Football for Nebraska. On Saturday, the Huskers will be kicking off their first of 15 practices, which will end on April 12th with the Red-White Spring Game.
To kick off the preview, lets take a look at the Quarterback situation.
Departing:
Taylor Martinez - graduation
Ron Kellogg III - graduation
Currently on Roster:
Tommy Armstrong Jr. - Redshirt Sophomore, appeared in 9 games, started in 8. 51.9% completion percentage, 9 TD/8 Int
Tyson Broekemeier - Redshirt Junior, has not appeared in a game in his Nebraska career
Zack Darlington - Mid-year enrollee
Ryker Fife - Redshirt Sophomore, appeared in 1 game last year, completing 100% of his passes (1) for 5 yards.
Johnny Stanton - Redshirt Freshman
Last season:
Everything was hyped in the July-early August hype pieces that 2013 was going to be the year of Taylor Martinez and SPEED for the offense. Then the season opener at Wyoming happened, when Taylor hurt his foot and shoulder before the end of a frustrating victory, and after a loss to UCLA where Taylor was "too injured to play", the future came soon as Tommy Armstrong made his first start for the Huskers in a victory versus South Dakota State. Even with Armstrong starting a majority of the games, there were moments where Ron Kellogg came in to play "a few series" which seemed to frustrate a lot of folks though the year.
Martinez did make one final appearance for the Huskers in the season after the bye week, but was only a tiny factor in the Huskers loss to Minnesota. Little did we realize that would be the last time Taylor Martinez would wear a Nebraska football jersey and step out on the field as the team's QB. Armstrong started the Northwestern game after that, and Kellogg did finish the game somewhat on a high note...
Alternating wins to Michigan and Penn State with losses to Michigan State and Iowa (where Kellogg made his only career start against the Hawkeyes) helped Nebraska to the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl, where Armstrong led the Huskers to victory against the Georgia Bulldogs.
Spring outlook:
With Martinez and Kellogg out of eligibility, the future is now at the spot. Armstrong is the incumbent starter that will be the man to beat. Johnny Stanton is coming off a redshirt season that saw him fully rehabilitate a torn ACL to his left knee back in September of 2012 in his final HS game. However, the hype that Stanton got from his HS career makes him the prime man to challenge Armstrong for the starting spot.
There has been much said of Ryker Fife and his possible challenging for the spot. However, one can't imagine that Fyfe will do much more than finish the Spring and start the Fall camp period as a third string guy.
Zack Darlington will be working out for the Huskers this Spring, but will not be taking any hits per Nebraska HC Bo Pelini. Darlington did not play after a second concussion in less than a month last August. The second concussion was in a nationally televised HS game for his Apopka HS team that resulted in Darlington being air lifted from the field to a hospital.
Tyson Broekemeier will be starting his third season, and hopefully will be able to get into a game after being in the program for now his third season.
Prediction of depth chart post-Spring ball:
1. Armstrong
2. Stanton
3. Fyfe
4. Broekemeier
5. Darlington
August incoming players:
AJ Bush - signed, and will be on campus in August.