Nebraska Football: 2017 Projected 2-deep depth chart
By Shane Lunnen
Wide Receivers
Starting receivers: Stanley Morgan, De’Mornay Pierson-El, Bryan Reimers
Backups: JD Spielman, Keyan Williams, Jaevon McQuitty
The receiving corps is losing a ton of production from last season with the graduation of three fifth-year seniors. The younger guys must step up for their unproven quarterback. Junior Stanley Morgan has the look of a number one receiver, the only catch is now he has an off the field marijuana possession charge from May. It remains to be seen if that charge will affect his playing time early in the season.
De’Mornay Pierson-El has a lot of experience and looks primed for a breakout year his senior year. He’s been an explosive return man and needs to bring that same burst to his role as a primary receiver. Rounding out the top three receivers looks to be Bryan Reimers. The Lincoln native and former walk on had one start a year ago and played in 12 games. He’s the tallest target of the receiving corps, standing at six-foot-five.
The backups are unproven but can play key roles this fall. Redshirt freshman JD Spielman has worked out with the scout team. Keyan Williams transferred from Fresno State so he sat out last season. Finally, true freshman Jaevon McQuitty was one of the better pickups for the Huskers in the 2017 class. The coaches likely won’t redshirt McQuitty and he’ll push for early playing time.
Tight Ends
Starting tight end: Tyler Hoppes
Backup: David Engelhaupt, Connor Ketter
None of the tight ends currently on the roster caught a pass last year for the Huskers and their offensive system seldom utilizes the position. Guessing here that Tyler Hoppes earns the job by being the most experienced, but the experience mainly comes from his play on special teams. The same can be said for David Engelhaupt and Connor Ketter. All three will compete for this job and it’s a wide open competition.