HuskerfaninOkieland
Heisman Trophy Winner
Omaha World Herald
LINCOLN — The long offseason is over. And finally, some clarity arrived Saturday on Nebraska's quarterback situation.
Well, maybe not clarity, but it was something.
Zac Lee returned to practice as the Huskers opened preseason drills with a two-hour afternoon workout on the FieldTurf near the Hawks Center. The senior quarterback looked healthy after undergoing surgery seven months ago to repair a torn flexor tendon in the lower portion of his right arm.
“It just felt good to be back,” Lee said in his first interview since revealing the injury after he led Nebraska to a 33-0 win over Arizona in the Holiday Bowl.
According to teammates, Lee hasn't missed a beat. In fact, wide receiver Brandon Kinnie said, the senior from San Francisco returned this summer with a new attitude.
“I see a whole new Zac,” Kinnie said. “This is a man ready to prove something.”
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Lee completed 58.6 percent of his passes last year (178 of 304) for 2,148 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Lee struggled with inconsistency in his first year as a starter as NU ranked 75th nationally in scoring offense and 99th in total yardage.
As Lee missed spring practice, attention turned to sophomore Cody Green, who started two games last year, and redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez.
Now, it's an open competition for the starting job this fall.
“That's the way it is here,” Lee said. “I think you have to prove yourself every time you're on the field.”
Some fans and media members seemed eager to discard the veteran as this season approached for Nebraska, ranked No. 9 nationally in the coaches' poll.
Not so fast. Lee said he progressed well through rehab. He started throwing on a strict regimen at the start of the summer and joined teammates for seven-on-seven drills in July.
“We had a pretty good plan with it,” Lee said. “A big goal was not to have any setbacks and be cautious with it.
“I'm sure there's a little rust to shake off, but the arm strength feels good. I'm sure the endurance will come. It's just a different type of throwing. You can't mimic it in a workout, but it felt good today.”
Lee said he was impressed with the work of Green and Martinez in the spring.
“I think he knows the other guys played well this spring, that they're the ones being talked about,” receiver Mike McNeill said. “And (Lee) probably has a little chip on his shoulder, saying, ‘I was the quarterback last year, and now everyone's trying to dethrone me. Everyone's giving credit to the other guys.”
But what about his arm?
“It's a rocket,” Kinnie said. “He's blazing it in there.”
Lee arrived on the field early at Memorial Stadium for the 9:30 a.m. start to Fan Day, clowning with offensive lineman Marcel Jones and showing patience as autograph-seeking fans quizzed him about the arm.
One fan inquired about the health of his shoulder. It's fine, Lee said, correcting the youngster by pointing to the scar that runs below his elbow on the inside of his forearm.
According to Kinnie, the QB took command in the huddle this summer. Away from it, Lee talked with Kinnie about his mistakes from last year — a sign of maturity, the receiver said.
“He understands now,” Kinnie said. “It's a good feeling. When your quarterback has confidence, your whole offense has confidence. It shows that he knows what he's talking about now. He gets it now. He's in the film room and he understands it. He's relaxed.
“It surprised me. It was a good feeling, a good surprise like, ‘Man, he understands it now.' ”
I-back Roy Helu noticed a difference, too.
“When he came back, it was really refreshing,” Helu said. “His control of the huddle was really good and familiar.”
There's no indication from the Nebraska coaches, though, that the QB race will be settled soon. The picture remains jumbled, with Lee, Green and Martinez in camp alongside senior LaTravis Washington and true freshman Brion Carnes. Sophomore Kody Spano remains out while recovering from a second knee operation.
The top three QBs split snaps evenly on Saturday. Such a scenario will continue, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said, until it's right to make a decision.
“If it's 10 days, we'll do it then,” Watson said. “If it takes a month, it takes a month.”
Watson wouldn't rule out even a two-quarterback system.
“I'd be open to it,” he said.
As for Lee, count Watson among the impressed.
“You wouldn't know anything was wrong with him,” the coach said. “He sees his opportunity, and he sees he's going to have to compete for it.”
Contact the writer:
402-444-1031, mitch.sherman@owh.com
LINCOLN — The long offseason is over. And finally, some clarity arrived Saturday on Nebraska's quarterback situation.
Well, maybe not clarity, but it was something.
Zac Lee returned to practice as the Huskers opened preseason drills with a two-hour afternoon workout on the FieldTurf near the Hawks Center. The senior quarterback looked healthy after undergoing surgery seven months ago to repair a torn flexor tendon in the lower portion of his right arm.
“It just felt good to be back,” Lee said in his first interview since revealing the injury after he led Nebraska to a 33-0 win over Arizona in the Holiday Bowl.
According to teammates, Lee hasn't missed a beat. In fact, wide receiver Brandon Kinnie said, the senior from San Francisco returned this summer with a new attitude.
“I see a whole new Zac,” Kinnie said. “This is a man ready to prove something.”
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Lee completed 58.6 percent of his passes last year (178 of 304) for 2,148 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Lee struggled with inconsistency in his first year as a starter as NU ranked 75th nationally in scoring offense and 99th in total yardage.
As Lee missed spring practice, attention turned to sophomore Cody Green, who started two games last year, and redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez.
Now, it's an open competition for the starting job this fall.
“That's the way it is here,” Lee said. “I think you have to prove yourself every time you're on the field.”
Some fans and media members seemed eager to discard the veteran as this season approached for Nebraska, ranked No. 9 nationally in the coaches' poll.
Not so fast. Lee said he progressed well through rehab. He started throwing on a strict regimen at the start of the summer and joined teammates for seven-on-seven drills in July.
“We had a pretty good plan with it,” Lee said. “A big goal was not to have any setbacks and be cautious with it.
“I'm sure there's a little rust to shake off, but the arm strength feels good. I'm sure the endurance will come. It's just a different type of throwing. You can't mimic it in a workout, but it felt good today.”
Lee said he was impressed with the work of Green and Martinez in the spring.
“I think he knows the other guys played well this spring, that they're the ones being talked about,” receiver Mike McNeill said. “And (Lee) probably has a little chip on his shoulder, saying, ‘I was the quarterback last year, and now everyone's trying to dethrone me. Everyone's giving credit to the other guys.”
But what about his arm?
“It's a rocket,” Kinnie said. “He's blazing it in there.”
Lee arrived on the field early at Memorial Stadium for the 9:30 a.m. start to Fan Day, clowning with offensive lineman Marcel Jones and showing patience as autograph-seeking fans quizzed him about the arm.
One fan inquired about the health of his shoulder. It's fine, Lee said, correcting the youngster by pointing to the scar that runs below his elbow on the inside of his forearm.
According to Kinnie, the QB took command in the huddle this summer. Away from it, Lee talked with Kinnie about his mistakes from last year — a sign of maturity, the receiver said.
“He understands now,” Kinnie said. “It's a good feeling. When your quarterback has confidence, your whole offense has confidence. It shows that he knows what he's talking about now. He gets it now. He's in the film room and he understands it. He's relaxed.
“It surprised me. It was a good feeling, a good surprise like, ‘Man, he understands it now.' ”
I-back Roy Helu noticed a difference, too.
“When he came back, it was really refreshing,” Helu said. “His control of the huddle was really good and familiar.”
There's no indication from the Nebraska coaches, though, that the QB race will be settled soon. The picture remains jumbled, with Lee, Green and Martinez in camp alongside senior LaTravis Washington and true freshman Brion Carnes. Sophomore Kody Spano remains out while recovering from a second knee operation.
The top three QBs split snaps evenly on Saturday. Such a scenario will continue, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said, until it's right to make a decision.
“If it's 10 days, we'll do it then,” Watson said. “If it takes a month, it takes a month.”
Watson wouldn't rule out even a two-quarterback system.
“I'd be open to it,” he said.
As for Lee, count Watson among the impressed.
“You wouldn't know anything was wrong with him,” the coach said. “He sees his opportunity, and he sees he's going to have to compete for it.”
Contact the writer:
402-444-1031, mitch.sherman@owh.com
