Follow along here for live updates from Nebraska's opening spring press conference on Monday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
A handful of players will meet with media starting around 11:30 a.m. CT, and head coach Scott Frost will take the podium at 12:30 p.m.
After Frost, all of Nebraska's assistant coaches will hold round-table interviews for about an hour.
Tons of info to come today and the rest of the week.
Quinton Newsome will start
***Newsome said the energy within the team has been great with all of the new faces on the team and on the staff. He said the secondary in particular has seen a lot more competition with all of the new additions.
***Newsome said his situation feels "completely different than last year" with him being the most seasoned cornerback returning this season.
***Newsome said Myles Farmer, Braxton Clark, and Noa Pola-Gates were some of the other guys stepping up as new leaders in the secondary.
***Newsome said he and Javier Morton played against each other in high school and in 7-on-7. Newsome said Morton was a great competitor who was always trying to learn the game.
***Newsome said "nobody's spot is taken, even my spot" when asked about the competition for starting jobs in the secondary this offseason.
***That's all for Newsome.
Rahmir Johnson is up
***Johnson said Bryan Applewhite was a good dude with a "high motor" and "very active." He said he would use the word "energetic" to describe all o the new offensive assistants.
***Johnson said NU's offense needed some new energy after last season.
***Johnson said his mindset was "just kill everything" when his role grew last season. He said he was excited to continue to elevate his game with the new competition at running back this offseason.
***Johnson said Applewhite was "like an uncle on the field" who would "get on you on the field" just as much as he prasies his players.
***Johnson said there was some new terminology to learn with the new coaches, but the offensive schemes and plays were pretty similar.
***Johnson said Jaquez Yant was bigger, stronger, and understood the offense much more than he did last year.
***That's all for Johnson.
Garrett Nelson is up
***Nelson said tried to treat the first spring practice as "business as usual" despite all of the new coaches and players this season.
***Nelson said he understands the leadership situation on Nebraska's defense, so he's tried to step up more as a vocal leader. He even lost his voice a bit yelling during drills today.
***Nelson said developing chemistry and leadership were maybe the most important goals for the defense this spring.
***Nelson said it's been nice having "one voice' on the defensive line with Mike Dawson, opposed to Dawson and Tuioti sharing the duties coaching the d-line last year.
***Nelson said being more consistent with his pass rush and being "an elite pass rusher in the Big Ten" were what he wanted to accomplish the most this season.
***Nelson said all of the new quarterbacks were fast, but each brought a little something different to the position with their respective skill sets.
***That's all for Nelson.
Nick Henrich is up
***Henrich said he was excited to see the new-look defensive line and which guys step up and take advantage of the opportunity.
***Henrich mentioned Nash Hutmacher and Ty Robinson as d-linemen who stood out to him.
On Hutmacher: "He's just big and strong. I think he's one of, if not the strongest guy on the team."
***Henrich said his early impression of the new offense was that there would be more of a downhill running game this season. He mentioned Yant as a back who impressed on Monday.
***Henrich said Chris Kolarevic and Isaac Gifford as guys who could fill JoJo Domann's hybrid OLB role.
***On Kolaravic: "He's a great athlete and will do whatever you ask him to do." Henrich said there was an adjustment moving to the Big Ten last year, "but we expect big things from him this season."
***Kolarevic said Eteva Mauga-Clements was working with the No. 1 defense right now with Reimer and other guys out at ILB.
***That's all for Henrich.
Ty Robinson is up
***Robinson said Nelson was probably the most vocal guy on the defensive line. Robinson said he was more of a lead-by-example guy, so having Nelson be a vocal leader was good.
***Robinson said he saw Hutmacher squat 800 pounds for two reps during winter workouts. "That man, he's different."
***Robinson said he hosted Chubba Purdy on his visit and knew him and his family from back in Arizona. He called Purdy athletic and smart with the ball.
***On Casey Thompson, Robinson said he immediately showed he was a vocal leader and "a great dude."
"That said, they're on the other side of the ball. My job is to get to them (the QBs). We'll see how they like it when I get to them."
***That's all for Robinson.
Travis Vokolek is up
***Vokolek said he's "coming along" with his recovery from a shoulder injury. He said he's focusing on technique and footwork while also being more of a leader.
***Vokolek said Thomas Fidone had really grown phsycially and mentally over the past year and had big things ahead of him.
"His best trait is he works his behind off."
***Vokolek said "it's been a dream come true" to have his dad on the Nebraska staff now.
***Vokolek said he always thought he'd come back for another season in 2022, and his injury pretty much finalized that decision.
***Vokolek said he'd watched a lot of film from Pittsburgh's offense and how they used the tight ends under Mark Whipple. He said "it's been a grind" to learn all of the new terminology and wrinkles of the offense but he was excited to work in the new system.
***That's all for Vokolek.
Scott Frost is up
***Frost said it's been "really energizing and invigorating" with all of the new faces on the team. Now the work starts to make all of those new pieces into a team.
***Frost said the goal is to get as many reps as they can with two teams going simultaneously, especially with the competition they want to have at quarterback.
***Frost said they rotated the quarterbacks between the ones and twos on offense on Monday.
***Frost said there was some "sloppiness" on offense on Day 1, but that was to be expected. They have a lot of work to do but he's excited about the unit's potential.
***Frost said Thompson wouldn't be limited at all with his thumb injury.
***On the offensive line, he said they're missing Turner Corcoran and Teddy Prochazka but still have a lot of depth to work with this spring. He said the guys out there have a great opportunity this spring to show what they can do.
***Frost said "continuity is going to be hard" going forward in the era of the transfer portal. The days of developing guys for 3-4 years are getting fewer by the year, but that's just the reality of college football now.
***Frost said he was able to spend a little more time with the defense than usual on Monday with Whipple running a lot of the offensive work.
***Frost said NU started the day with enthusiastic and energetic kickoff team work, and special teams have been emphasized hard by all of the coaches with their respective position groups. He said there was a lot of buy-in from the players and details being coached in special teams right now.
***Frost pointed to Nelson as one of the best vocal leaders on the team. He said some of the new guys have been natural leaders, too.
***Frost said the leadership on offense "was a work in progress" but mentioned Alante Brown as a guy who has really stepped up in the receiver room.
***Frost said the running game might have seemed different to guys like Henrich because of the play of the offensive line and running backs.
***Frost said Vokolek would be out until summer with his shoulder, and Casey Rogers would miss most or all of the spring with an injury. Luke Reimer had another surgery and could be back later in spring, but probably not until the summer.
Gabe Ervin is also out for the spring.
***Frost said the two new transfer offensive linemen were capable of playing guard or tackle, but he'd like to keep them at the same spots all spring.
***Frost said Trent Hixson and Ethan Piper worked at center on Monday. Corcoran could be in that mix when he comes back.
***Frost said the wide receivers "aren't getting away with much" under Mickey Joseph, meaning Joseph was running a tight ship and had high expectations for his group on and off the field.
***Frost said he was really impressed with "just the way the (offensive) line came off the ball."
***Frost said Yant has had a good offseason and "looks the part right now." However, he said several others have looked good this offseason and would compete for the starting job.
***That's all for Frost.
Much more to come from the assistant coach round-table interviews coming up next.
A handful of players will meet with media starting around 11:30 a.m. CT, and head coach Scott Frost will take the podium at 12:30 p.m.
After Frost, all of Nebraska's assistant coaches will hold round-table interviews for about an hour.
Tons of info to come today and the rest of the week.
Quinton Newsome will start
***Newsome said the energy within the team has been great with all of the new faces on the team and on the staff. He said the secondary in particular has seen a lot more competition with all of the new additions.
***Newsome said his situation feels "completely different than last year" with him being the most seasoned cornerback returning this season.
***Newsome said Myles Farmer, Braxton Clark, and Noa Pola-Gates were some of the other guys stepping up as new leaders in the secondary.
***Newsome said he and Javier Morton played against each other in high school and in 7-on-7. Newsome said Morton was a great competitor who was always trying to learn the game.
***Newsome said "nobody's spot is taken, even my spot" when asked about the competition for starting jobs in the secondary this offseason.
***That's all for Newsome.
Rahmir Johnson is up
***Johnson said Bryan Applewhite was a good dude with a "high motor" and "very active." He said he would use the word "energetic" to describe all o the new offensive assistants.
***Johnson said NU's offense needed some new energy after last season.
***Johnson said his mindset was "just kill everything" when his role grew last season. He said he was excited to continue to elevate his game with the new competition at running back this offseason.
***Johnson said Applewhite was "like an uncle on the field" who would "get on you on the field" just as much as he prasies his players.
***Johnson said there was some new terminology to learn with the new coaches, but the offensive schemes and plays were pretty similar.
***Johnson said Jaquez Yant was bigger, stronger, and understood the offense much more than he did last year.
***That's all for Johnson.
Garrett Nelson is up
***Nelson said tried to treat the first spring practice as "business as usual" despite all of the new coaches and players this season.
***Nelson said he understands the leadership situation on Nebraska's defense, so he's tried to step up more as a vocal leader. He even lost his voice a bit yelling during drills today.
***Nelson said developing chemistry and leadership were maybe the most important goals for the defense this spring.
***Nelson said it's been nice having "one voice' on the defensive line with Mike Dawson, opposed to Dawson and Tuioti sharing the duties coaching the d-line last year.
***Nelson said being more consistent with his pass rush and being "an elite pass rusher in the Big Ten" were what he wanted to accomplish the most this season.
***Nelson said all of the new quarterbacks were fast, but each brought a little something different to the position with their respective skill sets.
***That's all for Nelson.
Nick Henrich is up
***Henrich said he was excited to see the new-look defensive line and which guys step up and take advantage of the opportunity.
***Henrich mentioned Nash Hutmacher and Ty Robinson as d-linemen who stood out to him.
On Hutmacher: "He's just big and strong. I think he's one of, if not the strongest guy on the team."
***Henrich said his early impression of the new offense was that there would be more of a downhill running game this season. He mentioned Yant as a back who impressed on Monday.
***Henrich said Chris Kolarevic and Isaac Gifford as guys who could fill JoJo Domann's hybrid OLB role.
***On Kolaravic: "He's a great athlete and will do whatever you ask him to do." Henrich said there was an adjustment moving to the Big Ten last year, "but we expect big things from him this season."
***Kolarevic said Eteva Mauga-Clements was working with the No. 1 defense right now with Reimer and other guys out at ILB.
***That's all for Henrich.
Ty Robinson is up
***Robinson said Nelson was probably the most vocal guy on the defensive line. Robinson said he was more of a lead-by-example guy, so having Nelson be a vocal leader was good.
***Robinson said he saw Hutmacher squat 800 pounds for two reps during winter workouts. "That man, he's different."
***Robinson said he hosted Chubba Purdy on his visit and knew him and his family from back in Arizona. He called Purdy athletic and smart with the ball.
***On Casey Thompson, Robinson said he immediately showed he was a vocal leader and "a great dude."
"That said, they're on the other side of the ball. My job is to get to them (the QBs). We'll see how they like it when I get to them."
***That's all for Robinson.
Travis Vokolek is up
***Vokolek said he's "coming along" with his recovery from a shoulder injury. He said he's focusing on technique and footwork while also being more of a leader.
***Vokolek said Thomas Fidone had really grown phsycially and mentally over the past year and had big things ahead of him.
"His best trait is he works his behind off."
***Vokolek said "it's been a dream come true" to have his dad on the Nebraska staff now.
***Vokolek said he always thought he'd come back for another season in 2022, and his injury pretty much finalized that decision.
***Vokolek said he'd watched a lot of film from Pittsburgh's offense and how they used the tight ends under Mark Whipple. He said "it's been a grind" to learn all of the new terminology and wrinkles of the offense but he was excited to work in the new system.
***That's all for Vokolek.
Scott Frost is up
***Frost said it's been "really energizing and invigorating" with all of the new faces on the team. Now the work starts to make all of those new pieces into a team.
***Frost said the goal is to get as many reps as they can with two teams going simultaneously, especially with the competition they want to have at quarterback.
***Frost said they rotated the quarterbacks between the ones and twos on offense on Monday.
***Frost said there was some "sloppiness" on offense on Day 1, but that was to be expected. They have a lot of work to do but he's excited about the unit's potential.
***Frost said Thompson wouldn't be limited at all with his thumb injury.
***On the offensive line, he said they're missing Turner Corcoran and Teddy Prochazka but still have a lot of depth to work with this spring. He said the guys out there have a great opportunity this spring to show what they can do.
***Frost said "continuity is going to be hard" going forward in the era of the transfer portal. The days of developing guys for 3-4 years are getting fewer by the year, but that's just the reality of college football now.
***Frost said he was able to spend a little more time with the defense than usual on Monday with Whipple running a lot of the offensive work.
***Frost said NU started the day with enthusiastic and energetic kickoff team work, and special teams have been emphasized hard by all of the coaches with their respective position groups. He said there was a lot of buy-in from the players and details being coached in special teams right now.
***Frost pointed to Nelson as one of the best vocal leaders on the team. He said some of the new guys have been natural leaders, too.
***Frost said the leadership on offense "was a work in progress" but mentioned Alante Brown as a guy who has really stepped up in the receiver room.
***Frost said the running game might have seemed different to guys like Henrich because of the play of the offensive line and running backs.
***Frost said Vokolek would be out until summer with his shoulder, and Casey Rogers would miss most or all of the spring with an injury. Luke Reimer had another surgery and could be back later in spring, but probably not until the summer.
Gabe Ervin is also out for the spring.
***Frost said the two new transfer offensive linemen were capable of playing guard or tackle, but he'd like to keep them at the same spots all spring.
***Frost said Trent Hixson and Ethan Piper worked at center on Monday. Corcoran could be in that mix when he comes back.
***Frost said the wide receivers "aren't getting away with much" under Mickey Joseph, meaning Joseph was running a tight ship and had high expectations for his group on and off the field.
***Frost said he was really impressed with "just the way the (offensive) line came off the ball."
***Frost said Yant has had a good offseason and "looks the part right now." However, he said several others have looked good this offseason and would compete for the starting job.
***That's all for Frost.
Much more to come from the assistant coach round-table interviews coming up next.
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