Jeremy Pernell: Roster Shuffling Gives Nebraska’s Tight Ends Room a New Look

Young and unproven group is brimming with potential

Fourth in a series breaking down Nebraska's 2023 post-spring roster by position. | HuskerMax discussion

Like the wide receiver room, the tight end position at Nebraska is in a state of reconstruction. New head coach Matt Rhule moved a few roster pieces around this spring and gave the room a new look.

Sophomore AJ Rollins and redshirt freshman Brodie Tagaloa were moved to the defensive line. Joining the fray are redshirt freshmen Jake Appleget, formerly at linebacker, and Janiran Bonner, who moves over from wide receiver.

James Carnie wasn't with the team this spring, and his name officially appeared in the transfer portal a few days before the spring game.

This room is young and unproven, but there are pieces in place that could make it one of the best groups in the Big Ten. Sophomores Thomas Fidone II and Arik Gilbert were the top-rated tight ends in their respective recruiting classes, with Gilbert being the highest-rated tight end in the modern history of recruiting rankings.

Nebraska Athletics photo

Arik Gilbert with position coach Bob Wager.

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Nebraska Athletics photo

Thomas Fidone

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Kenny Larabee photo, KLIN

Nate Boerkircher

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Kenny Larabee photo, KLIN

Janiran Bonner

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Nebraska Athletics photo

Tight ends coach Bob Wager

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Gilbert started eight games for LSU as a true freshman in 2020 and was voted to the Freshman All-SEC Team by the conference's coaches after catching 35 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns. Gilbert transferred to Georgia in June 2021 but hasn't played much since his time in Baton Rouge. Gilbert has dealt with mental health issues and didn't play at all in 2021 and missed most of 2022 because of them.

Rhule has done an excellent job of putting a support system in place for Gilbert so that he can regulate matters. Rhule wants Gilbert to be healthy, first and foremost. If Gilbert is equanimous and dialed in on the field, the sky's the limit with his football future. There is no question he's an NFL talent.

Gilbert will need to receive an NCAA waiver to play this season because he has transferred twice since the beginning of his college eligibility. He's expected to be cleared, but this is the NCAA we're talking about, so you never know.

The headliner of Nebraska's 2021 recruiting class, Fidone arrived in Lincoln as the highest-rated prospect to sign with the Huskers since 2008. Like Gilbert, Fidone has NFL potential if he can manage to stay healthy. His first two seasons in Lincoln were marred by injuries.

After enrolling early and impressing during spring practices, Fidone was primed to be an immediate contributor in despite the presence of Austin Allen and Travis Vokolek. Instead, an ACL tear in April 2021 derailed his momentum. The injury kept him off the field until he played three snaps against Wisconsin in late November. Those three snaps remain the only ones Fidone has had in a Husker uniform. In March 2022, Fidone suffered another ACL tear. He probably could have played late in the year, but the previous staff decided to hold him out.

He was limited this spring, mainly as a precaution, but he's TE1 heading into fall camp. I can imagine a lot of 12 personnel this fall if these two guys play up to their potential. Absolute matchup nightmares, the both of them.

Don't overlook sophomore Nate Boerkircher, either. He was the primary backup last year to Vokolek and came out of spring as TE2. When the roster shuffle is complete and the dust settles getting the team to 85 scholarships, don't be surprised if Boerkircher is no longer a walk-on.

Janiran Bonner is a guy who can be a Swiss Army Knife in Marcus Satterfield's offense. He started the spring game at fullback and is someone who can line up all over the formation.

I'm not sure how much playing time Appleget gets this fall with the guys in front of him, but I like his long-term potential. I thought he was better suited for offense when he came out of Lincoln Southeast last year, so obviously I like Rhule moving him over from defense.

Ismael Smith Flores joins the room at the end of the month but with the depth in front of him in coach Bob Wager's room, I anticipate a redshirt season. Remember, Smith Flores has played only one year of organized football.

Redshirt freshman Chase Androff is someone the last staff took a flier on as a developmental in-line tight end. He's behind junior walk-on John Goodwin and I can't help but wonder what his long-term future looks like with the new staff.

Looking ahead, the staff would like to sign two tight ends in this class. They already have a commitment from Katy (Texas) Taylor High School's Ian Flynt, who fits the profile of an in-line tight end.

The top target at the position - and one of the top targets overall - is Ainsworth athlete Carter Nelson. The top player in Nebraska, Nelson was originally offered by the previous staff on May 11, 2022, but he has seen his recruitment blow up nationally this spring. He's currently sitting at around 30 offers and is a priority target of some of the nation's top programs. He's the first in-state recruit to receive an offer from Alabama's Nick Saban and is also the first eight-man player Saban has ever offered.

Nelson is doing his due diligence, having taken spring trips to Colorado, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Auburn and Ole Miss. He was also in Lincoln three times in March (2nd, 10th, 25th) and attended the Red-White game. I expect him to be a Husker when all is said and done.