Nebraska football has a ton of talent at the wide receiver position, with several new transfers and key returners. The tight ends are also nothing to scoff at, as Thomas Fidone and Carter Nelson look to add tremendous production in that area.
Fidone in particular looks to have another strong year, after coming back from injury last season. He recorded 25 catches for 260 yards and four touchdowns. He bounced back in a big way, after suffering from health issues throughout his entire Nebraska football career.
Nebraska football needed veteran production at the wide receiver position, as they went into the transfer portal and picked up Jahmal Banks and Isaiah Neyor. The explosive, athletic playmakers should fit well in a Nebraska football receiver room that needs a jumpstart.
With that in mind, we take a look at the Nebraska football wide receiver depth chart post-spring.
X-spot Jahmal Banks
Banks figures to come out of the spring as the starter at the X-position. The Wake Forest transfer was one of the top transfers for Nebraska football during the winter. Now, he will have a chance to show that he is worthy of the starting spot.
Banks is a big-time playmaker, and his time at Wake Forest was proof of that. He tallied 59 catches for 653 yards and four touchdowns for the Demon Deacons last year. He is best suited on the outside, measuring in at six-foot-four, 205 pounds. This play-making ability, along with his athleticism makes him a prime candidate to be on the outside.
Alex Bulock might serve a backup role at the position, and it’s not because he lacks skill. He was a dependable receiver last year, tallying 15 passes for 271 yards and a touchdown last year. Bullock played in all 12 games. He is not a bad second option whatsoever. Right now, it’s Banks’ job to lose.
Z-spot- Isaiah Neyor
Isaiah Neyor was another transfer wide receiver who will figure to have a major impact for Nebraska football. He caught two passes for 26 yards during the spring game, and showed flashes of being able to be a playmaking wide receiver.
He showed it on a larger level at Wyoming. He tallied 44 catches for 878 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2021. The wide receiver averaged 19.95 yards per reception. Nebraska football will need him to bring veteran leadership as well as the production to the position, with the wide receiver unit as a whole still fairly young.
Malachi Coleman will certainly make a push to be the starter at the position. The depth is certainly an asset at that spot, provided Coleman can stay healthy. Coleman is a dynamic playmaker in his own right, and he should make the battle for Z very interesting. As of now, Neyor takes that spot post-spring.
Slot- Jaylen LIoyd
LIoyd showed flashes of what he could do last season, with his speed and his ability to make things happen after the catch. All told, he didn’t put up major numbers statistically. He recorded six catches for 237 yards and three touchdowns. Even still, there was no doubt he could play a high level.
The Nebraska native has had a strong spring, and he was able to make some plays during the spring game. He caught three passes for 97 yards and a touchdown.
One player to watch in the slot is Jacory Barney Jr. As a freshman, he’s probably not going to start right away. However, Barney was impressive during the spring game, and he showed his explosiveness in both catching passes and on kickoff return.
The slot receiver position may fluctuate throughout the course of the season. There are ample playmakers there now. However, Lloyd had an impressive spring. He was praised by the coaching staff throughout it, and strong contributions last year certainly helped as well.
It will be interesting to see who emerges from the slot position, but right now Lloyd is the guy.
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