As the countdown to the beginning of Nebraska’s preseason camp continues, the Journal Star is counting down its annual list of the 30 Most Intriguing Huskers.
The list, as always, is not about the 30 best players or the 30 most important players, but is based instead purely on intrigue. We’ll cover breakout candidates, new faces, old heads and more. The list tends to skew toward youth and inexperience because, well, those types of players are intriguing. But there are more than a few regulars, too.
No. 30: Thomas Fidone, tight end, freshman
No. 29: Will Nixon, wide receiver, freshman
No. 28: Noa Pola-Gates, defensive back, redshirt freshman
No. 27: Sevion Morrison, running back, freshman
No. 26: Bryce Benhart, right tackle, redshirt freshman
No. 25: Myles Farmer, safety, redshirt freshman
No. 24: Casey Rogers, defensive lineman, sophomore
No. 23: Oliver Martin, wide receiver, junior
No. 22: Nash Hutmacher, defensive lineman, freshman
No. 21: Heinrich Haarberg, quarterback, freshman
No. 20: Javin Wright, outside linebacker, redshirt freshman
No. 19: Markese Stepp, running back, sophomore
No. 18: Luke Reimer, inside linebacker, sophomore
No. 17: Zavier Betts, wide receiver, freshman
No. 16: Tyreke Johnson, cornerback, sophomore
No. 15: Quinton Newsome, cornerback, sophomore
No. 14: Pheldarius Payne, outside linebacker, junior
No. 13: JoJo Domann, outside linebacker, senior
No. 12: Damion Daniels, defensive lineman, junior
No. 11: Gabe Ervin Jr., running back, freshman
No. 10: Chris Kolarevic, inside linebacker, junior
No. 9: Jaquez Yant, running back, freshman
No. 8: Ty Robinson, defensive lineman, redshirt freshman
No. 7 Cam Jurgens, center, sophomore
No. 6, Cam Taylor-Britt, cornerback, junior
No. 5: Samori Toure, wide receiver, senior
No. 4: Nick Henrich, inside linebacker, redshirt freshman
No. 3: LT Turner Corcoran, fr.
Identifying the successor to a 40-game starter at a cornerstone position isn’t always an easy proposition. It typically comes with the expectation that bumps are going to pop up along the road.
That all may still end up being true for Nebraska at left tackle in the post-Brenden Jaimes era, but freshman Turner Corcoran made a heck of a first impression last December and did nothing to quell the program’s confidence in him going forward this spring.
In fact, Corcoran, one of the highest-rated recruits Nebraska has landed in the Scott Frost era, had a productive spring after getting off to what he called a slow start.
“As it’s come along, I’ve found the game I want to play, the style I want to play and it’s just gone along well for me,” he said this spring, adding that he thought it “just clicked” one day at practice.
The 6-foot-6, 300-pounder is not just penciled in as the blindside protector for junior quarterback Adrian Martinez. The job is his in 2021 and most likely beyond as long as he’s healthy.
Corcoran is just one part of a young corps in Greg Austin’s position group that has a ton of eligibility ahead – he, Ethan Piper, Bryce Benhart and Brant Banks all have at least four years of it remaining, while Cam Jurgens and Nouredin Nouili have three each – but the left tackle is already approaching something like a leadership role within the group and said after the Red-White Spring Game that he embraces the pressure that comes along with the position he mans.
A world of talent and an impressive starting debut do not necessarily mean that Corcoran will jump right to, say, an All-Big Ten level of play right away this fall. There could be twists and turns on the path yet. Even still, NU coaches and teammates clearly believe the Huskers are in very good hands already.
– Parker Gabriel
