Running Back by Committee Looking Likely for Huskers

No clear No. 1 identified in Thursday’s post-practice talk; two- or three-man rotation possible in opener
In this story:

The talk was upbeat but revelations were few as assistant coaches on offense spoke with reporters after Thursday's Nebraska football practice, the 18th of fall camp.

At running back, neither offensive coordinator Mark Whipple nor position coach Bryan Applewhite was ready to say who would be in for the first snaps nine days from now against Northwestern.  

“It’s close,” Applewhite said. “I told them it comes down to who’s having the best week of practice, who has that look in their eye, who’s the one that’s ready to go out there and when we kick that ball off in Ireland is ready to go win for Nebraska.”

Applewhite said a two- or three-man rotation is possible to keep fresh legs in the game, although he also said he wouldn’t hesitate to stick with a guy who was proving difficult for the opposition to handle. Gabe Ervin, Anthony Grant, Jaquez Yant and Ajay Allen appear to be the top contenders, while Rahmir Johnson is set for a hybrid role. Johnson said he considers himself a “wide back,” where his receiving skills will also be put to good use.

Whipple also declined to name the starter at quarterback, saying that would be head coach Scott Frost’s call. Frost said earlier in camp that it was Casey Thompson’s job to lose.  

Scroll down for more coverage of Thursday’s session. Refresh this page to see the latest additions. Asterisk indicates item may require a subscription. Go here for the HuskerMax discussion.

Coverage

Non-paywall

More sources


Video


Video recaps


More info



Published
Joe Hudson
JOE HUDSON

Joe Hudson has operated a Husker-related website since 1995 and joined forces with David Max to form HuskerPedia (later renamed HuskerMax) in 1999. It began as a hobby during his 35 years as a newspaper editor and reporter, a career that included stints at the Lincoln Star, Omaha World-Herald, Philadelphia Inquirer and Denver Post. In Denver, Joe was chief of the copy desk during his final 16 years at the Post. He is proud to have been involved in Pulitzer Prize-winning projects in both Philadelphia and Denver. Joe has been a Nebraska football fan since the mid-1960s during his childhood in Omaha. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in journalism and economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1976. He resides a few freeway exits north of Colorado Springs and enjoys bicycling and walking his dogs in his spare time. You can reach him at joeroyhud@outlook.com.