Nebraska is halfway to Dublin. Here are 10 hot topics at midpoint of offseason

LINCOLN, Neb. — It’s all downhill from right here to Dublin.

Nebraska opens the soccer season 4 months from Wednesday at Aviva Stadium in opposition to Northwestern. 4 months in the past Tuesday, Iowa beat the Huskers for the seventh consecutive yr.

We’re formally nearer to the following recreation than the final one. Welcome to the second half of the offseason.

Nebraska stays in a precarious spot as a program on the heels of spring observe, which answered a couple of questions however left many unknowns about coach Scott Frost’s fifth staff in Lincoln.

Popping out of halftime, let’s reset the highest storylines for the 122 days forward.

1. Because the portal turns. Sunday looms because the deadline for gamers to enter the switch portal as a way to obtain clearance to play at a brand new program in 2022. (No exhausting date, exterior of enrollment deadlines, exists to decide on a brand new college.) For the Huskers, portal motion already charges because the chief subject of this offseason. They added 9 Division I transfers in January, with Furman kicker Timmy Bleekrode set to hitch the group this summer time. Twelve Huskers on scholarship have entered the portal since November — most just lately defensive lineman Casey Rogers, who visited USC final weekend and acquired different provides from the likes of TCU, Auburn, Washington, Arkansas and Purdue.

2. An enormous resolution. The Huskers are nonetheless in play for the largest catch within the portal, former TCU defensive finish Ochaun Mathis. He visited Lincoln for the Pink-White recreation and introduced this week that he’ll make his selection recognized Saturday between Nebraska and Texas. Mathis is from Manor, Texas, a 15-mile drive from the UT campus. However the Huskers aren’t out of this, partly due to their determined want for a move rusher of Mathis’ caliber. He recorded 15 1/2 sacks over the previous three seasons at TCU and will flip momentum for Nebraska in its summer time bid to rebuild the defensive entrance after its lack of Damion Daniels, Deontre Thomas and Jordon Riley, all with remaining eligibility, along with Rogers since December.

3. D-line drama. With or with out Mathis, the line of defense charges as a priority for the Huskers, who’ve improved steadily on the place group over the previous 4 seasons. “It’s no secret that our numbers are method down on the D-line,” Frost mentioned Monday in his month-to-month look on the Huskers Radio Community. Remaining on scholarship on the inside spots are Ty Robinson, Nash Hutmacher, Mosai Newsom, Marquis Black, Ru’Quan Buckley and Jailen Weaver. Solely Robinson returns with beginning expertise. “We like what we’ve,” Frost mentioned. Nevertheless it’s not sufficient. Defensive lineman Devin Drew, previously of Texas Tech, visited Nebraska final weekend. If the Huskers add three our bodies on the place, they’ll really feel snug.

4. The QB narrative. Frost continues to counsel that the race is unsettled regardless of proof on the contrary from early in spring observe that Casey Thompson would succeed Adrian Martinez because the Huskers’ starter. These 15 practices in entrance of Frost and offensive coordinator Mark Whipple may have narrowed the hole between Thompson and a gaggle that features Logan Smothers, getting into his third yr at Nebraska, Florida State switch Chubba Purdy and second-year QB Heinrich Haarberg. And naturally, Frost may really feel compelled to maintain his playing cards hidden for numerous causes — to maintain Northwestern at the hours of darkness and to keep away from offering a cause for one of many returning quarterbacks to open that portal door between now and Sunday.

5. The subsequent step in recruiting. Nebraska began nicely in amassing pledges for the Class of 2023, with 5 commitments. Nevertheless it has not added a member to this group since QB William Watson III of Springfield, Mass., dedicated on Feb. 22. Watson stood amongst a big group of prospects in attendance on the Pink-White recreation, a red-letter day for the Huskers’ recruiting efforts and identify, picture and likeness publicity. Nebraska assistants hit the street after spring observe to go to prospects’ faculties and to extend consciousness within the recruiting group in regards to the plan at work in Frost’s program. They’ve sorely missed this time throughout the previous two years as pandemic restrictions curtailed spring recruiting. Clearly, Nebraska nonetheless has floor to achieve, beginning close to home with the 2023 class.

6. The NFL Draft. The Huskers’ 11-year drought with out a first-round choose is unlikely to finish Thursday evening, however Nebraska, in a change, is outstanding in draft conversations. Throughout Rounds 2 and three Friday, search for heart Cam Jurgens and cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt to listen to their names referred to as. And linebacker JoJo Domann has a shot, too, in response to Dane Brugler’s newest prospect rankings. Nebraska, amazingly, hasn’t positioned three gamers within the first three rounds of the identical draft since 2007. Its most up-to-date second-rounders got here in 2015, Ameer Abdullah and Randy Gregory. All of this issues to recruits and in reconstructing the Huskers’ picture as a producer of expertise below Frost.

7. There’s a flip facet to shedding quite a lot of expertise. Together with Jurgens, Taylor-Britt and Domann, tight finish Austin Allen seems more likely to land within the draft. Large receiver Samori Toure, safeties Deontai Williams and Marquel Dismuke, defensive finish Ben Stille and defensive sort out Damion Daniels will obtain alternatives to make NFL rosters. So for observers who imagine the Huskers are on observe to win in 2022 just because they misplaced by small margins in 2021, take into account the absence of all that expertise. Transfers alone, until Nebraska provides 5 – 6 extra key components, gained’t make up for the departures. The summer time forward, capped by preseason camp, charges as vital for the Huskers to develop, come collectively and fill the holes left by the lack of NFL-bound contributors.

8. A time to heal. Frost reiterated Monday that he expects many of the gamers injured or rehabilitating throughout the spring to make a full restoration earlier than camp opens in three months. That’s good news for Sean Beckton, the Huskers’ tight ends coach who misplaced practically all of his firepower in March. It signifies that the offensive line should be at full energy when preseason camp opens, creating wanted competitors for the highest jobs at each sort out positions as Teddy Prochazka and Turner Corcoran return. With operating again Gabe Ervin, inside linebacker Luke Reimer and promising newcomers like receiver Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda and cornerback Omar Brown at work, Nebraska is a distinct staff than what it confirmed within the spring recreation.

9. The race at operating again. It doesn’t cease now that new assistant Bryan Applewhite has moved offstage. Applewhite has made clear that regardless of who performed nicely within the spring, competitors begins anew in the summertime. Ervin ranks as a contender with prime spring performers Jaquez Yant, Anthony Grant and Rahmir Johnson. Markese Stepp is attempting to get wholesome. Ajay Allen and Emmett Johnson are on their option to Lincoln. Former commit Deondre Jackson is not. A prediction: This group of backs, buoyed by Applewhite’s recent method, stands a powerful probability to price because the Huskers’ most improved place group. In that case, it bodes nicely for Mark Whipple’s offense and Thompson’s capability to remain wholesome.

10. NIL fever. How does all of it come collectively to enhance the product on the sphere? How does the uneven distribution of funds affect chemistry? The Huskers established a partnership final summer time with Athlete Branding and Advertising, LLC, which serves as a bridge between the donor group and student-athletes. The college works with Opendorse, just lately establishing a market by way of the corporate’s platform to additional empower lots of the identical athletes. Nebraska additionally struck a cope with Altius Sports activities Companions to bolster the college’s NIL program. Who’s really in cost in Lincoln of making certain that the NIL course of operates easily? It’s a storyline rising in significance — and one which gained’t let up when the Huskers contact down in Eire.

(Prime photograph of Casey Thompson: Rebecca S. Gratz / Related Press)