Instant Takes: Nebraska Red-White Spring Game

The debut of Nebraska Football’s 2024 squad gave Husker fans a promising glimpse of their offense, but they suffered two concerning injuries.

Freshman wide receiver Demetrius Bell and transfer cornerback Byle Hill both went down with apparent right knee injuries and were carted off the field. Head Coach Matt Rhule said after the game that both seemed to suffer patella injuries. Bell looks to be significant and Hill’s could be less significant. Two major blows to NU.

The White team defeated the Red 25-21 as many players switched between teams, including the quarterbacks.

Here are three takes from the first glimpse of the Huskers’ 2024 team:

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Raiola leads quarterback race

Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola lived up to the hype. He showed off his extremely accurate and powerful arm with the ability to move well in the pocket.

The former five-star threw for 239 yards with two touchdowns. Although he was wearing a green no-contact jersey, Raiola showed a great feel for the pocket when faced with pressure. He puts a great zip on the ball. He went 16-for-22 with one interception.

Raiola started off his first drive as a Husker with a 75-yard drive to score a touchdown. He found Janarian Bonner in the corner of the endzone for a 16-yard touchdown. The quarterback went 4-for-4 for 40 passing yards and three rushing yards.

In the first quarter, Raiola went 8-for-11 for 85 yards and one touchdown. Haarberg and Kaelin went 1-for-8 for five yards. However, Haarberg started the second quarter with a 41-yard touchdown pass to freshman receiver Jacory Barney Jr.

Haarberg finished going 8-for-13 for 163 passing yards and ripped off a 17-yard rush. Kaelin went 9-for-16 for 91 passing yards.

Based on the spring game, Raiola definitely has a leg up on the competition. He put up some great numbers in one half of football and is a clear natural at the position. His command of the offense is obvious.

But Haarberg and Kaelin seem to be keeping the competition closer than some might think. But to this reporter’s eye, it seems the battle will come down to Raiola and Haarberg with Raiola earning the starting job. His ability to run the offense and make great throws is higher than Haarberg’s. But the junior QB has improved over the off-season.

Raiola has all the tools to be an elite college quarterback and Nebraska has come great weapons for him.

Receiving core clearly improved

Nebraska’s receiving core looks to have improved from last season. Three receivers (Janarian Bonner, Jacory Barney Jr and Jaylen Lloyd) had a touchdown and Alex Bullock added a two-point conversion. The Huskers had four wide receivers with over 40 yards – three with over 50 yards. Three tight ends had over 45 receiving yards.

Texas transfer Isaiah Neyor clearly looked like a starter. He had a couple of catches for over 10 yards. Lloyd led the group with nearly 100 yards.

Jahmal Banks, a transfer from Wake Forest, didn’t play much at all. He started with Raiola on the first drive but didn’t play much after that. During spring scrimmages, Banks, among other veterans, didn’t play much due to their amount of experience. Defensive linemen Nash Hutmacher and Ty Robinson didn’t play during the Red-White game either.

Freshman Jacory Barney Jr. was also a stand-out receiver. He had a couple of huge catches and one touchdown. He also had a 78-yard kickoff return but was tackled by kicker Tristan Alvano. Barney proved he will be and should be a key part of this offense.

The biggest story will be the status of redshirt freshman receiver Demitrius Bell. Bell had a great spring but, unfortunately, went down with a right knee injury and was carted off the field.

Based on the Red-White Scrimmage, it looks like Banks, Neyor, Lloyd, and Barney are the guys to beat. Alex Bullock also made some great catches. He will continue to be a very reliable receiver for Nebraska.

Defense allows 46 points but down 4-6 starters

Nebraska’s offense ran up the score and the yards. It’s great to see NU moving the ball well after struggling on offense in 2023. On the other hand, they were taking on their own defense.

However, star players like Hutmacher and Robinson did not play. Princewell Umanmielen, who had a great freshman season, was out as well. DB Marques Buford didn’t play, and Tommi Hill played in one series. At least four starters didn’t play so the picture is not full.

The Huskers’ defense came away with two interceptions in the first quarter. Ethan Nation and Mason Jones came up with the picks. Raiola’s interception was tipped by Bell into the hands of Nation.

In the first half, the defense held the offenses to 73 rushing yards. However, Oregon transfer Dante Dowdell broke free for a 49-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He also had a three-yard TD in the second quarter. Dowdell is a hard runner and had great success against NU’s D-line.

With the quarterbacks in green jerseys, it’s hard to judge the pass rush. However, there was a good amount of pressure on the quarterbacks. MJ Sherman had a great tackle for a loss in the second quarter. After a timeout was called, Rhule gave the senior a hug.

On Haarberg’s touchdown to Thomas Fidone, he was completely surrounded by defensive linemen who weren’t allowed to take him down. In a normal game, that would most likely be a sack.

D-coordinator Tony White and his assistant coaches will learn a lot from the film and will definitely be happy to have the best players back on the field. The No. 1 concern for White is the status of Byle Hill and if NU just lost a contender to start at cornerback.