Nebraska Football: 5 breakout freshmen to watch in 2018

1. Adrian Martinez

Of all the player on this list, none were easier to place than Adrian Martinez. Ranked as the seventh best dual threat freshmen, Martinez is almost a sure thing to see playing time, if not start.

Quarterback was decidedly a huge weakness last season, because Tanner Lee was consistently awful, and his turnovers cost Nebraska quite a few games in 2017. Lee is now gone, and somehow got drafted, much to the displeasure of just about every college football fan.

The end of the Lee era is a good thing for Nebraska and Scott Frost. The next step is crucial. Frost has two main options to take over at quarterback: redshirt freshman Tristian Gebbia, and Martinez. There are positives and negatives for both, but I feel that the answer is fairly obvious.

Despite the battle still going on, I’m ready to call it, because Martinez should be the starter. Martinez was phenomenal in Nebraska’s spring game, accounting for four touchdowns and looking generally unstoppable.

Saying that Martinez should start isn’t a knock on Gebbia, either. I think Gebbia is a very talented player, but Martinez just fits too well, and Frost hand-picked him to be his quarterback in the 2018 class. He’s the exact kind of quarterback Frost likes. He’s quite similar, albeit taller and less accurate than McKenzie Milton, Frost’s quarterback at UCF.

With all that being considered, I just don’t see how Martinez doesn’t see significant time this year. He’s simply too talented to keep off the field, and with a still rebuilding line, Nebraska needs someone who can run. That’s Martinez. They need a playmaker, not a game manager. That’s Martinez. Gebbia is the safe choice, Martinez is the necessary one.

Next: Way-too-early 2019 NFL Mock Draft

Years of bad quarterback play has Nebraska fans reeling. Martinez is the answer to their cries. He just needs the chance, and if he gets it, he could be the second coming of another Nebraska quarterback legend: Frost.