The Nebraska football news has been abundant this week. From additions and departures on the coaching staff, players transferring, National Signing Day and more, a lot of turnover is happening.
It’s no different in the quarterback room. Freshman signal caller Dylan Raiola is still the guy but he will have different teammates backing him up next season.
For starters, freshman quarterback Daniel Kaelin announced he would be transferring on Tuesday. This wasn’t a surprise as the two were in the same recruiting class and Raiola was set to start for the foreseeable future.
“I think Danny [Kaelin] did everything the right way,” head coach Matt Rhule said at Wednesday’s media availability. “I respect him. I think he’s going to be a great player. We would love to have him here.”
Rhule announced on Wednesday that junior quarterback Heinrich Haarberg is willing to switch to another position. Haarberg was mostly used as a decoy, coming in during special situations during the regular season. His six-foot-six frame with his track speed and athleticism shows his pro potential at a different position.
“We’ve made a commitment to Heinrich [Haarberg] that we would let him explore some other positions,” Rhule said. “He really wants to be a pro player with his athleticism. That would mean we would probably need to look at a third quarterback.”
Anticipate Haarberg to be a legitimate Swiss Army knife with Dana Holgorsen now as the permanent offensive coordinator. Holgorsen utilized Haarberg as a wildcat quarterback when he took over more than previous OC Marcus Satterfield.
The most likely position for the Kearney native is tight end. The New Orleans Saints do this with Taysom Hill, who takes direct snaps out of a wildcat formation and will routinely line up on the line of scrimmage as well.
It’s doubtful that Haarberg would explore options on the defensive side but he was an end at times on the punt unit this season. He also might be utilized as a wide receiver for perimeter blocking and going up for jump balls. With nearly a month to prepare for the bowl game, Haarberg might already see an increased role to close out the season.
Nebraska also added another quarterback on Wednesday in 4-star signee TJ Lateef. The Elite-11 QB will redshirt barring injuries next season.
“TJ [Lateef] is coming in and we’re really high on him,” Rhule said.
With Haarberg switching positions, Kaelin transferring and Lateef coming in, that only leaves Nebraska with two scholarship quarterbacks. Even though Haarberg could still play quarterback, Rhule will need to hit the portal to add insurance.
“If we need to get a third guy to be (in) that room we would probably do it,” Rhule said. “We probably will. Heinrich (Haarberg) gives us some flexibility.”
The Huskers also have walk-ons under center with freshman Bode Soukup, sophomore Luke Longval and senior Jalyn Gramstad. Gramstad has another year of eligibility remaining if he desires. Who’s to say these walk-ons will still have a spot on the roster with the incoming 105-player limit?
Anticipate Rhule, Holgorsen and the entire offensive staff to go find a decent backup that they can pay in the transfer portal.
