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Nebraska Football’s Matt Rhule Sees On-Field Role for Heinrich Haarberg

After Friday's practice, the Huskers’ head coach cited the multi-position versatility of the team’s No. 2 quarterback and said, ‘We’re going to use him.’

Joe Hudson

Oct 21, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Heinrich Haarberg (10) runs the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium.
Oct 21, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Heinrich Haarberg (10) runs the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
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Heinrich Haarberg didn't win Nebraska football's starting quarterback job, but don't expect him to be relegated to holding a clipboard on the sidelines this fall.

Speaking after Friday morning's practice, head coach Matt Rhule said the junior's talents and versatility are too valuable to allow to go to waste.

“He can go out and do anything. ... Heinrich to me could be a great safety, probably he’d be a great tailback, wideout, tight end, and so we have the opportunity to use him when needed. At the same time, I don’t want to lose my number two quarterback, so there’s a fine line there. ... But we made a decision that we are going to attack, that we’re going to go all in on this team and attack with everything we have and Heinrich is a part of that, so we’re going to use him.”

Exactly how Haarberg will be used is something Rhule declined to say. “I probably don’t want to give too much out there to everybody,” he said.

On Saturday, the Huskers will be exactly one week away from the season's opening kickoff against UTEP. Rhule said Saturday's practice will be a “mock game.”

Other topics Rhule addressed Friday are in the coverage links below. Refresh this page to see the latest additions. Asterisk indicates item may require a subscription. | HuskerMax discussion

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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.

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