We missed another practice report yesterday; we are still trying to do a better job of getting organized and I apologize for that.

Where there worthwhile things to learn? We learned:

That running back Tre Bryant is back and ready to go for the season.

Defensive lineman Ben Stille is at 290 pounds, up from 255 last season.

Our quarterbacks are too close in performance for Scott Frost to name a starter. That’s kind of expected, isn’t it?

Adrian Martinez is impressed by Maurice Washington as is offensive coordinator Troy Walters.

UCF transfer Noah Vedral, meanwhile, will redshirt and not seek a waiver with the NCAA to play this season.

Martinez came to Nebraska at 198 points, and checked into preseason camp at 218. He says he feels “faster than he’s ever been.”

Everyone is saying and doing the right things. This is good.

Huskers’ Offense Improves Day by Day - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site

“Guys stepped on that field ready to go,” Walters said. “Anytime you put full pads on there’s that extra juice. There was a part of it where we made it live for two or three plays. Guys got after it, so it was good to see that when we throw the pads on, we don’t take a step back, and that is very encouraging.”

Coach Walters mentioned the status of junior running back Tre Bryant after his 2017 season was cut short due to a knee injury.

“He’s (Tre Bryant) full go,” Walters said. “We’re going to be smart with his reps and make sure he’s ready to go September 1st, but he looks good. He’s making all the cuts. You can tell he’s been in the play book over the summer and even the spring. He knows what to do. He’s worked his tail off to get back on that field, and he’s going to be an added bonus to our offense.”

Camp notes: QBs still even; Washington impressing - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site

Quarterback battle won’t likely be settled soon; meantime, a freshman running back is turning heads in practice, while the Blackshirts are making strides, too.

Huskers Ranked 2nd in AVCA Preseason Poll - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site

The Nebraska volleyball team is ranked second in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, which was released on Wednesday. Stanford, which received 43 first-place votes, took the No. 1 ranking with 1,575 points. Texas (1,389), Minnesota (1,342) and Kentucky (1,260) rounded out the top five. Other Big Ten teams in the top 10 included No. 6 Penn State and No. 9 Wisconsin.

I asked our VB guy Ty what he thought about that ranking and here’s what he had to say:

The Huskers are absolutely a Top 10, perhaps a Top 5 team. However, losing Kelly Hunter is a HUGE loss, and replacing Albrecht and Holman will be another challenge. I’d anticipate early season hiccups, but this team will find their legs quickly.

Offseason Chats: A Q&A with Corn Nation - Hammer and Rails

Jon Johnston and the Corn Nation staff stops by to talk Nebraska football.

We did this.

Don Brown and Jay Harbaugh like what they are seeing from Shea Patterson - Maize n Brew
The Michigan coaches spoke to the media on Wednesday afternoon

Let’s not forget that Courtney Smith is the victim, not Buckeye football - Land-Grant Holy Land
It’s about an entire system that failed a victim of domestic violence.

Minnesota Basketball: Check Out Williams Arena’s New Court - The Daily Gopher

The Barn gets a bit of a face lift for the 2018-19 season

Interesting court change. That and the media will apparently no longer be courtside. I wonder what they’ll do with photographers....?

Chris Lemonis hired as Mississippi State baseball coach - The Crimson Quarry
After 4 years as IU skipper, Lemonis will take over a program that made a College World Series run this season.

8 Fearless Predictions for Penn State Nittany Lions Football in 2018 - Black Shoe Diaries
Here’s a few things WE ARE expecting from the Nittany Lions this fall.

Blast from the past

Then There’s This

Shake Shack is Bringing Cashless Kiosks to More Locations - Eater
Shake Shack is expanding its experiment with cashierless ordering to more stores with a focus on markets like the Bay Area and Seattle with higher minimum wages

Startling jump in NFL player claims for Parkinson’s and ALS pushes payout projections past 65-year total in 18 months

As of July 30, the number of former players applying for and receiving payments under the agreement for diagnoses of Parkinson’s and ALS is significantly larger than projected—raising the possibility that retired professional football players may be at greater risk of developing both.

You get the idea when you read this that the writer wanted to have more impact with fear, uncertainty, and doubt than already exists. Unfortunately, what you should get out of it is a lot of “we don’t know”, because they don’t know.

My favorite part was hearing again about how much higher the risk of developing a neurodegenerative disease after you’ve had a brain trauma.