Marcus Satterfield says Nebraska quarterback reps are 'as balanced as possible'

The Nebraska football team is in the beginning stages of a total makeover as new coach Matt Rhule takes over the program following the ouster of former coach Scott Frost. And the Nebraska quarterback reps are an interesting topic of conversation

Mostly because Rhule has a, well, unique way of doing things.

It starts out on the practice field with who is getting the lion’s share of the reps. Turns out that is essentially nobody, even at quarterback, at least initially.

“The quarterbacks, we have five quarterbacks who have started games in college,” offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield explained. “They’re competing every day. Coach Rhule is different than any coach I’ve ever worked for, he wants every single human to get as many reps as they possibly can.”

But while many coaches say something along those lines, few actually follow through the way that Rhule does. The coach has a formula, one that has worked in turnarounds at both Temple and Baylor.

Back in college after a brief stint in the NFL, Rhule is ready to get back to doing what works for him.

“He’s not one of those guys that’s just going to be the good players get reps. Everybody’s getting reps,” Satterfield said. “That’s a blessing for us with as many quarterbacks as we have because they’re getting a lot of reps and getting a lot of, not just mental reps, but physical reps.”

The goal of that approach is multi-faceted.

First, it extends the competition further down the depth chart thanks to the Nebraska quarterback reps being so evenly distributed, which can keep younger players engaged when they otherwise might not be. Second, it allows Rhule to constantly evaluate the younger players throughout spring football.

Sattefiled was asked directly who’s getting the most reps at quarterback and his answer was somewhat telling.

“I promise you they’re as balanced as possible because we went into it trying to see what every one of them can do,” he said. “The way that we do our team periods it’s split up to where basically they’re alternating every certain amount of plays. They’re not all equal, but they’re all within probably 10 plays of each other.”

How that shakes out come the fall is anyone’s guess. But for now the Nebraska quarterback reps convey an open competition at the most important position on the roster.

Hard to ask for much more if you’re one of those quarterbacks.