Nebraska OC Marcus Satterfield says QB Jeff Sims is "poised for breakout year," details all offensive positions
Nebraska offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Marcus Satterfield broke down Nebraska’s offense and quarterbacks on Husker Sports Nightly on Monday night.
Satterfield said the transition to a new coaching staff and offense has been going great and he can see all of the players and coaches have been grinding and working hard. They didn’t have any hard-headed players who didn’t want to openly became a part of the new culture.
“Guys are really buying into how we want to play football, we want to play football a certain way with physicality and toughness,” Satterfield said. “How we do it is a little bit different than how a lot of people do it these days, and everybody in our room is excited to be a part of it and push forward and show what we can do here in the coming months.”
Outside of the ball security issues in the spring game, Satterfield felt like Nebraska’s offense grew in every aspect of the game.
The fumbles in the spring game disappointed him but said they didn’t have an issue until the Red-White scrimmage.
“You want to get the guys in stressful situations in front of a large crowd and make sure that the attention to detail, the ball security that they’re able to do that and they don’t lose their mind,” Satterfield said. “It’s something that was good for us to get exposed to and we need to work on that continue to work on that continue to harp on that. That’s how you win and lose games.”
Here is a full rundown of Satterfield’s Sports Nightly appearance:
Jeff Sims poised for “breakout year”
Nebraska’s projected starting quarterback Jeff Sims has done as much as possible the prove he is capable of running the Huskers’ offense. Satterfield raved about Sims’ abilities on and off the field. He said Sims has really high-level arm talent, emphasizing it with three ‘really’s.
“He’s tough. I think that he’s a good leader,” the QB coach said. “I think he’s a competitor. I think his skill set from an athletic standpoint is off the charts. I’m in there watching and I think he power cleaned like 245 last week. He’s 6-foot-4, he’s put on some good weight. He looks like he could play linebacker right now.
“I think his ability to understand football, he’s played a lot of football. He’s been in some good offenses. He’s been coached by some really good guys. I think just his ability to function out there from a cerebral standpoint at quarterback is great. His athletic traits are off the charts. His arm talent is really high-level. I think that he’s poised to have a breakout year.”
Satterfield first noticed Sims when he was a freshman at Georgia Tech and was very, very impressed with his abilities as a freshman. He followed Sims and the Yellowjackets, where some of his friends coach, and watch Sims grow.
Nebraska’s coaching staff can’t run summer workouts or be involved so QB1 is in charge. Sims took advantage of the opportunity and showed his leadership skills.
“It’s not easy to get 20-25 guys on the same page out there, running the routes that we need to run and get them the play call, getting them organized. He did a really nice job of that.
“He’s shown, some different moments in the summer, just some leadership opportunities he took advantage of and I think it’s slowly but surely becoming his offense.”
The Weekly Rundown: Nebraska is getting the pieces ready for the start of Fall Camp
Chubba Purdy stepped up to challenge
Nebraska’s coaching staff challenged sophomore quarterback Chubba Purdy. Satterfield said he told him the team needed more production out of him, and he listened carefully.
“In today’s world, a lot of people would have responded to how we challenged him with “I’m going in the portal.” and he said, “I watch this.” The last three or four practices he really kept taking step after step after step.”
Purdy was at Florida State for two seasons before he transferred to Nebraska before the 2022 season. He played in four games with one start for the Seminoles.
“He’s super, super competitive, super tough, very high football IQ,” Satterfield said. “Like you said he started in football games at the Power Five level. He’s had a really good summer, really, really good summer, throwing the ball well right now.
“He could hatch out a roll, just like all the guys can, depending on what he does here in camp and if he can pick up where he left off and he’s gonna be in a good spot.”
Satterfield calls Heinrich Haarberg a “physical specimen”
Sophomore quarterback Heinrich Haarberg really impressed his new coaches in terms of his athleticism this offseason. Satterfield said he is a “physical specimen.”
“Like Jeff, he’s got super athletic traits from the speed and agility, toughness, durability,” the first-year Nebraska offensive coordinator said. “He’s able to hurt you running the football, he can run away from you, can run through you, he can throw the ball. He has got a lot of good football ahead.”
Haarberg has had a good summer learning how to work, Satterfield said.
He added that for Haarberg to play in the spring game was huge for the young player. The Kearney, Nebraska native hasn’t played a down of college football yet. So getting experience in front of a real crowd was huge for his development.
“Confidence keeps growing with him, the more that he knows and the more he works within the system,” the coach said on Sports Nightly.
Jack Woche and Luke Longval bound for “successful careers” at Nebraska
Walk-on quarterbacks Jack Woche and Luke Longval both have key roles on Nebraska’s scout teams and have a good understanding of those roles. Woche transferred to Nebraska from Ole Miss and Longvall joined the Huskers from Iowa Western.
Satterfield had high praise for both QBs and made sure that Sports Nightly host Greg Sharpe didn’t leave out Longval.
“They’re selfless and they understand it’s gonna be a while before they get in a game,” the coach said. “But how can they help us win? They can help us win during practice.”
He said it’s critical for college teams to have more than three quarterbacks, especially during training camp. Both Woche and Longval are with the team every day, throwing during 7-on-7.
“You need to have great scout team looks and football savvy high football IQ kids like those to allow you to have really good scout teams, which allow you to have really good defenses,” he said.
“What we asked them to do, just the toughness they show day in and day out and the selflessness that they show day in and day out, I think it’s gonna allow them to have successful careers here. Whether they played 20 snaps or 100 snaps or no snaps. We’re going to be a success here at Nebraska.”
Dynamics of the QB room
The dynamics of the quarterback room are unique from the rest of the team. Only one guy can play and everyone wants to be that guy.
Nebraska’s quarterbacks have found a way to be good teammates and friends.
“It could be a bad room or a split or it could be a great room,” Satterfield said. “I think our room right now out, these guys spent a lot of time together, we went out and ate and they played golf all the time. So there’s been a lot of things off the field which has allowed them to be close. I think they root for and support each other when they’re not out there.”
Satterfield pointed out one aspect of the quarterback group that most people don’t realize or think about. After practice, a scrimmage or a game, the starting quarterback is receiving the praise but more likely is criticized in the film room.
“There’s a guy sitting in that room and he’s getting coached on what he’s doing wrong for an hour and a half in front of his peers,” he said. “It can kind of wear on you.”
Breakdown of Offense positions
Satterfield gave a rundown of each of the position groups on offense. He named the group that he thinks is the tightest as a unit, the hardest working, the most talented and the one that needs to step up the most.
Offensive Line: “It’s one of the tightest units I’ve ever been a part of in my 24 years of coaching,” Satterfield said. “I think Coach (Donovan) Raiola does an unbelievable job. The culture is built in that room, they show up every single day, they’re together, they believe in each other and they believe in what we’re doing. They’re the hardest-working group on the team. It’s just really fun to watch them as a collective group work day in and day out with Coach Raiola.”
Wide receiver: “That’s the one group that’s going to have to really step up. Some guys are going to have to show up early in camp to solidify some roles. I think we got guys that can stretch the field, guys that can run some zone reader option type routes, we got some guys that can win some 1-on-1s.
“We just need them to continue what they’ve done this summer, they had a really good summer with Garret (McGuire) and just get to camp, they need to show up quickly and establish the rules on their offense.”
Running back: “In today’s football, especially in the Big Ten, you’re not gonna be able to have just one or two backs, you need a stable back there. The cool thing for us we have different types of backs. We have guys that can grind on your ground, ground and pound a little bit. We got guys that can get out of the backfield and catch the ball, we got guys that can separate. So really excited about the room. They had a good spring. From a mental standpoint, they do a nice job in our protection in the screen game. So looking forward to what they bring to the table.”
Tight end: “They are the least experienced but they could be the most talented. That’s what’s crazy about it. I’m so excited to get Thomas (Fidone) back, get his confidence going. He had a really good spring. Arik (Gilbert), Nate (Boerkircher), Luke (Lindenmeyer), (Jake) Appleget all those guys had great, great springs.
“I think they’ve transitioned into the summer as well as with Coach (Corey) Campbell and the summer conditioning program. Their bodies have totally changed. I saw them in the hallway last week and I didn’t recognize a couple of them. So they’ve got to continue to grow, obviously because we ask a lot of that position. That’s the hardest position on offense. I ask them to do a lot of things so they got to continue to grow physically and mentally. And if they do that, I think they have a chance to be a special group.”
Satterfield also listed out the types of tight ends or the skills players will have in his offense.
“We want a bunch of different types, whether it’s inline blockers, route runners, slot receivers, fullback types. We need them to come through for us and I think they will.”
Back to dorms for fall camp
Nebraska football starts fall camp on July 31. During the camp, the Huskers players and coaches will stay in the dorms, just like it used to be done. Satterfield is really excited about that time and the benefits from it.
“Coach (Matt Rhule) talks about it all the time with these online classes and stuff that kids were meant to be amongst other young men. That’s how you develop as a young man.
“I think it’s gonna make us closer as a staff,” Satterfield said. “I think it’s gonna make us closer as a team. I think we’re gonna look back at this, months or years from now and say, “Hey, this was a turning point in tipping the culture, in tipping Nebraska football in the direction that it is now.”
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