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Nebraska Football: 3 breakout candidates for spring 2022

By Connor Muldowney

LINCOLN, NE - OCTOBER 30: Punt returner Oliver Martin #89 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers catches a punt in front of defensive back Marques Buford Jr. #12 against the Purdue Boilermakers in the second half at Memorial Stadium on October 30, 2021 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - OCTOBER 30: Punt returner Oliver Martin #89 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers catches a punt in front of defensive back Marques Buford Jr. #12 against the Purdue Boilermakers in the second half at Memorial Stadium on October 30, 2021 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /
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With spring ball here, will Nebraska football be able to build toward a bounce-back 2022 season? Here are three spring breakouts for the Huskers.

Nebraska football may have finished just 3-9 last season but the Cornhuskers showed plenty of promise, believe it or not.

The Cornhuskers may have had triple the amount of losses that they had wins, but every single defeat came by fewer than 10 points. Nebraska nearly beat teams like Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State which would have turned the season around considerably. They were a few plays away from shocking some ranked teams.

Scott Frost is squarely on the hot seat heading into spring ball and he’s going to need the help of a few breakout players to turn things around in Lincoln.

Which Cornhuskers could break out this spring?

Marques Buford Jr. was the No. 1 prep school player in the nation in the 2021 class and he was expected to have an immediate impact on the Cornhuskers’ defense but played minimally and only finished with three total tackles.

Heading into 2022 with Cam Taylor-Britt gone, Buford is projected to start at cornerback. He’s going to be one of the biggest surprises on the team after a quiet first season with the team.

The defensive backfield is losing a considerable amount of talent from the 2021 team and Buford is going to help replace that and I can see him becoming one of those fringe All-Big Ten players for the Cornhuskers. He may not be a superstar, but he’s going to become a staple of the defense.

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