Heinrich Haarberg

We’ve seen Haarberg on the highlights a couple of times and on Spring Scrimmage Saturday it was clear he was making an impact with his legs.

Nebraska football fans were waiting for a young quarterback to step up, and this spring it was Haarberg, a redshirt sophomore listed at 6ft 5, 210 pounds from Kearney, Nebraska.

Of course we’ll have to see him throw the ball during the spring game, but I’m looking forward to seeing him this spring. QB development has been an issue under Scott Frost, as has QB depth.

So it’s good to see some positive signs from Haarberg and hopefully it’s a sign that he’s ready to make a difference for the Huskers.

Billy Kemp

New Nebraska football transfer from Virginia caused quite a stir with a really nice catch-and-run during Saturday’s scrimmage. He’s been the talk of the town this spring, too, and Kemp seems to be emerging as one of the top targets in the passing game.

It’s early days and we don’t even know who the starting quarterback will be, but slot guys with reliable hands have a lot of value in today’s game, and Kemp is more than that too.

When Nebraska Football landed him on the transfer portal, I thought there was a strong chance he could lead the Huskers in receptions next season, and so far I haven’t seen anything to change my mind.

Gabe Ervin

One of the biggest climbers this spring for Nebraska football was running back Gabe Ervin. During his first two seasons at Lincoln, he averaged 3.8 yards per carry and had 218 rushing yards. Last season, Ervin collected more than four years per carry but got limited opportunities.

It looks like that could change this season, and it was easy to see him excel in the highlights of Nebraska football. Ervin is 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, has received plenty of praise from Matt Rhule, and has moved up the depth chart this spring.

Nebraska has needed some of their holdovers to make a big leap, and if spring is any indication, Ervin has done just that and will be a factor in the ongoing game this fall.

Nash Hatter

Nash Hutcmacher put on a solid finish last season, making two starts in every game. He only had 15 tackles and one tackle for loss, but he’s made quite a splash this spring.

Nebraska football caters to a 3-3-5 defense, and for that to work, the defender must play well. Hutcmacher is someone who could play all three spots on the defensive line, and he could see plenty of snaps in a nose tackle-type role this season.

We’ve talked about how important it is for some losers to take steps forward, and that’s especially true on the defensive line after Elijah Jeudy was the only transfer. Ty Robinson also needs to play well up front for the Huskers, but if Hutcmacher has really improved, as it seems, that would be huge for Nebraska football.

Malcolm Hartzog

Hartzog was one of the best freshmen in Nebraska football last season, making eight starts and intercepting three passes as a cornerback. The former three-star recruit is listed at 5-foot-9, 170 pounds and he impressed Rhule this spring.

There has been talk of him playing on safety and cornerback. I’m concerned he might lose his covering ability on the outside when he transitions from cornerback, but there’s no doubt he’ll be on the field for almost every single game for Nebraska Football this season as long as he’s healthy.

Hartzog isn’t the greatest, but he has a knack for finding the ball and making things easy. This is difficult to teach, and even if he’s a security guard, he’ll see plenty of cover.

We don’t know exactly how Tony White will use Hartzog, but you can bet he’ll be one of the Huskers’ best defensemen in 2023 and so far his progress has been really good to see.