Nebraska wide receiver Josh Fleeks sent home from camp for being overweight

Baylor transfer Josh Fleeks (Joshua Fleeks) was a big addition for Nebraska this offseason. Unfortunately for the Huskers, it doesn’t appear as though Fleeks will be ready to contribute anytime soon.

Fleeks arrived for preseason camp on Sunday but was sent home for being overweight, according to head coach Matt Rhule.

“Josh Fleeks reported yesterday and was significantly over his weight, so he was sent home to make his weight. So we’ll wait and see how Josh does,” Rhule said.

Josh Fleeks transferred to Nebraska this offseason after spending five years at Baylor. He played receiver, running back and contributed as a returner for the Bears during his time there. In 2022, Fleeks caught two passes for 49 yards and ran three times for 27 yards.

Fleeks played in nine games in 2021, making one start. He caught seven passes for 89 yards that season, including a season-high 43 yards against Texas Southern.

Fleeks’ best season with the Bears came as a sophomore in 2019 when he caught 25 passes for 262 yards and a touchdown and rushed nine times for 27 yards and a score.

Nebraska wide receivers coach Garret McGuire was high on Fleeks this offseason but obviously he has work to do to be any kind of a major contributor.

“We installed a play the other day, and he’s on the tape,” McGuire said. “I think it’s really cool. It’s cool for some of those guys to see, ‘Hey, there’s Josh making plays when he was at Baylor’ because he’s a guy. You look at his tape, and he’s an explosive football player, he’s dynamic, when he gets the ball in his hands, just dynamic.

“(He) has almost like a running back type style when he gets the ball in his hands. And then he’s another dude, he’s about 204 pounds right now. He’s a big receiver that I think we’re gonna be able to use him in a lot of ways, possibly in the return game, you know, just kind of move him around a little bit, just find ways to get him the ball.”

Nebraska defensive lineman Brodie Tagaloa to miss 2023 season after suffering injury in a car wreck

In other news with the Cornhuskers, Rhule announced that tight end Brodie Tagaloa was in an auto accident and was hurt bad enough to keep him out for the year.

“Brodie Tagaloa… unfortunately, Brodie was in a traffic incident, a single-car accident maybe about a week ago, a couple weeks ago,” said Rhule. He added that Tagaloa is back west at his home in California for the time being, but is still a member of the team and will hopefully be back on the field next season.

“He’s home in California with his family recuperating. I face timed him last night, and so he had a cut to his face and had to have surgery on his knee. We expect him to miss the year unfortunately. Brodie was coming along great but he’s got a bright future and good things will happen for Brodie. So he’s with us, he’s just home with his family recuperating post-accident.”

Tagaloa did not appear in a game last season while redshirting.