Five Nebraska storylines to watch at Big Ten Media Days
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule will make his debut at Big Ten Media Days on Thursday in Indianapolis. He will be joined by quarterback Jeff Sims, offensive lineman Ethan Piper, and linebacker Luke Reimer.
Here are five of the biggest storylines we will be watching as the Huskers make the rounds at Lucas Oil Stadium…
Rhule makes his official Big Ten debut
There’s no question that the top billing of Nebraska’s appearance in Indianapolis will be Rhule’s introduction to the rest of the Big Ten.
Husker fans immediately saw how well Rhule, the son of a preacher, could carry a room at the podium. His introductory press conference in Lincoln did wonders to ease some of the concerns the NU faithful might have had.
There will be plenty of sideshows at this year’s conference event with the issues at Northwestern and Michigan. But it would not be a surprise if Rhule became one of the stars of Media Days on Thursday.
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Sims’ vault as one of the faces of Nebraska’s program
Sims has yet to take a single game snap as a Nebraska quarterback, yet he was still chosen as one of the Huskers’ three player representatives at Media Day.
It makes sense in many ways, given the natural profile of his position and the lack of established returning names on NU’s offense. But it’s still notable that the Georgia Tech transfer who has only been on campus since January got this responsibility.
Word of Sims’ talent and potential on the field has already spread around the league. Now he’ll get to continue that rise in the Big Ten spotlight.
Piper’s role as the voice of NU’s offensive line
One could make a strong case that the offensive line play will define Nebraska’s 2023 season. Rhule decided to address that topic head-on by picking Piper to join him in Indy.
What is most significant about that wasn’t necessarily that Rhule brought an o-lineman to the event, but that he chose Piper. A player who has been in and out of the starting lineup the past couple of years, Piper’s selection represents an impressive offseason for him.
Not only has the junior from Norfolk emerged as a likely Week 1 starter, but he’s also established himself as one of the team’s top vocal leaders on and off the field. Piper will get to solidify that role during his media run on Thursday.
Any update on Arik Gilbert’s waiver?
There aren’t many pressing news items Rhule needs to address at Media Day, but one of them is the status of Arik Gilbert’s eligibility waiver.
The tight end transfer from Georgia is still awaiting clearance from the NCAA to play this season. Nebraska didn’t formally submit his waiver appeal until around June, and there have been no updates on his status since.
There’s a chance Rhule still won’t know the NCAA’s ruling by Thursday. If nothing else, we should at least get some clarity on where things stand going into fall camp.
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Could this be the start of Reimer’s All-Big Ten campaign?
Reimer was the lone defensive player chosen to represent Nebraska at Big Ten Media Days. That’s significant in itself, but could Thursday also be the start of a breakout 2023 campaign for the senior linebacker?
With 245 career tackles, Reimer should pass Mike Brown (287) for third place on NU’s all-time tackle list. He’ll also have a chance to move into second place above the great Jerry Murtaugh (342).
Reimer’s speed should make him an ideal fit in new defensive coordinator Tony White’s 3-3-5 system, and the tackle opportunities will be there in bunches. If Nebraska can take a step forward as a team, the senior from Lincoln North Star could play his way into the All-Big Ten discussion.
