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Historically, Nebraska has not been a team to rely on the passing game. Running back greats like Tommy Frazier, Lawrence Phillips and Mike Rozier come to mind when discussing Huskers football. But in the last decade, offenses across the country have become more reliant on the air attack. The Huskers have made some strides in recent years with receivers like Kenny Bell, but they have never had a 1,000-yard receiver in the history of their once-prestigious program.
Nebraska doesn’t need this to change, but it does need the receiving corps to fill the shoes of Bell season. Enter sophomore De’Mornay Pierson-El.
As a freshman, Pierson-El did damage as a specialist, amassing 743 return yards and three total touchdowns. He had somewhat of an impact as a receiver as well, catching 23 passes for 321 yards and four scores. It was enough to draw attention away from Bell and sophomore Jordan Westerkamp. However, Nebraska’s primary offensive weapon was running back Ameer Abdullah, so the main concern of the receiving corps was to block downfield. That isn’t the case this year.
Until Nebraska can establish a ground attack like last season, it will need big plays out of its receivers. The one drawback is the lack of height. Westerkamp is only six feet tall, and Pierson-El is 5-foot-9. It’s hard to have a vertical threat with short receivers. Pierson-El has the speed and quickness to create space, so using him as a weapon in the slot would be ideal.
If Pierson-El can become dangerous enough for defenses to respect him, it’ll create opportunities for Westerkamp to do damage as well. This is not to say it will answer all of Nebraska’s questions on offense, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.
Brooks Hooley is a Junior Big Ten Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @brookshooley.
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