The Huskers will add one of their linebackers into the mix at the quarterback position as they begin spring practice today without touted recruit Cody Green.
Green, who began his college career a semester early by enrolling in January, injured soft tissue in his hip while lifting weights during winter conditioning, coach Bo Pelini said Tuesday.
That'll keep Green out for at least the first week of practices, according to Pelini. But the NU coach stressed that the injury was not severe.
"It's something that just needs a little bit of time to make sure it heals properly,"
Pelini said. "It was just kind of a freak accident when he was lifting, not very serious. He'll be out there pretty quick, we anticipate. But we don't want to rush him."
By the time Green returns, though, he'll likely be competing with a new face at the position.
Hoping to create some depth, Nebraska will give junior Latravis Washington a chance to take snaps at QB this spring. Washington, a reserve linebacker during his first two collegiate seasons, attended two Nebraska quarterback camps as a recruit from Bayshore High School in Bradenton, Fla.
"He's got a big arm,"
Pelini said. "We needed another arm. We're just going to see what he looks like. It's something we've talked about and he's talked about."
But the position change may not have been necessary if not for Patrick Witt's February decision to leave the program.
"Would we have thought of that? I don't know,"
Pelini said.
Washington and Green will compete with redshirt freshman Kody Spano for the backup spot behind junior Zac Lee, the presumed frontrunner for Nebraska's starting quarterback job.
And Pelini didn't rule out the idea of adding a transfer quarterback. Ex-Miami starter Robert Marve has reportedly listed Nebraska among several potential destinations.
"If it was the right guy, and the right situation and the right kid, it'd be something that we'd be interested in, possibly,"
Pelini said. "Specifically, him? I don't know. We'll see how it plays out."
Burkes out
Nebraska will begin the spring without junior Jaivorio Burkes, a former starter on the offensive line who was expected to challenge for the open right tackle position.
Burkes missed most of fall camp last August because of high blood pressure. But this situation is unrelated, Pelini said Tuesday. Burkes will be monitored week to week, according to Pelini.
Senior center Jacob Hickman said Burkes did work out with the team during the offseason conditioning sessions.
Also, Pelini said senior linebacker Nick Covey will take a medical hardship scholarship.
Helu bigger
Eight strenuous weeks of weight training had different effects on Nebraska's two top I-backs.
Quentin Castille lost some weight, and Roy Helu gained it.
Castille said he'll begin the spring at 235 pounds, about 5 to 10 pounds lighter than his fall frame. "I guess it just happened with the conditioning that we were doing, the weight lifting,"
he said.
Because of a shoulder injury, Helu couldn't do a lot of that off-the-field training at the beginning of the season last fall. That kept him at about 198. He said he ended the year weighing 207.
But Monday, Helu stepped off the scale at 222 pounds.
"Every time I walk by a mirror, I always look at myself now,"
Helu said. "I feel faster, more explosive. It's a lot more muscle than fat."
Christensen progress
Andy Christensen, still waiting on the NCAA to grant him a sixth year of eligibility, seems closer to playing shape, according to Hickman.
Christensen, a senior from Bennington, practiced with the team for parts of last fall, but hasn't played in a game since 2006. He missed all of 2005 with a shoulder injury.
If Christensen keeps progressing, though, he could factor into the mix at right guard, Hickman said.
"He's lost a lot of weight and he's getting a lot healthier,"
Hickman said. "He had a great winter. He's looking a lot better physically. It's one of those things where we have to see him out on the field. I hope he's back to his old self."
Football 101
Nebraska will host its annual Football 101 event June 2, the school announced Tuesday.
The daylong tutorial session about football will be led by Pelini and the NU coaching staff in the Hawks Center. It serves as a fundraiser for the Southeast Nebraska Cancer Center Foundation and the Eppley Cancer Center in Omaha.
To register, fans can visit BoPeliniFoundation.com beginning April 1. The fee is $85.
Spring things
NU may experiment this spring with incorporating the no-huddle into its offensive philosophy, according to Hickman. Nothing's definite, but there have been discussions, Hickman said. ... Three scholarship athletes ? safety Major Culbert, linebacker Austin Stafford and defensive back Justin Rogers ? will not rejoin the team next fall, Pelini said. ... John Levorson, The World-Herald high school athlete of the year in 2008 from Crete, Neb., remains away from the team, according to Pelini. ... Because of Monday afternoon class conflicts, the Huskers will practice for three consecutive days beginning Friday. They'll have a similar schedule next week. ? Jon Nyatawa
