Practice report: Nebraska freshman LB out for season; Rhule talks wide receivers

3 hrs ago
The Nebraska defense has now suffered a second season-ending injury.
Head coach Matt Rhule confirmed on Tuesday that freshman linebacker Maverick Noonan injured his knee on Saturday and now faces a six-month recovery process after undergoing surgery. That injury will rule out the true freshman for the rest of the season, making him the second Husker to miss the year alongside defensive lineman Brodie Tagaloa.
“Obviously our hearts go out to both Brodie and Maverick,” Rhule said. “Everyone else is trending on being ready if they’re out right now.”
Injury updates were also needed at wide receiver, where senior Marcus Washington wore a yellow non-participant jersey during practice on Tuesday. Washington, who recently recovered from a hand injury, landed awkwardly during practice and will miss a few days, Rhule said.
Sophomore Zavier Betts and freshman Malachi Coleman were also unavailable for practice on Tuesday, representing an opportunity for Nebraska’s other wide receivers.
“I think there’s a lot of opportunities for some other guys to step up and play,” Rhule said. “Everybody says they want to play as a freshman but it’s really hard to, especially in today’s day and age where you’re so distracted; you have to know how to learn.”
Rhule mentioned that freshmen Jaylen Lloyd and Jaidyn Doss are “trending in the right direction” and also named senior Billy Kemp and sophomore Alex Bullock as two players who have had strong camp performances thus far.
“Of all the positions, that’s where the most questions are for us right now on offense,” Rhule said of Nebraska’s wide receiver situation.