Whereas Max Browne and Will Grier more or less inherited their starting roles, Tanner Lee outright won his, garnering coach Mike Riley’s vote of confidence after spring practice. The Tulane transfer entered 2017 in a competition with Patrick O’Brien to replace longtime starter Tommy Armstrong Jr. but separated himself over the course of Nebraska’s spring practices and shined in the spring game. Lee completed 13 of 19 passes for 190 yards with three touchdowns in the Cornhuskers’ spring finale.
The 6’4”, 205-pounder has a strong arm and fits the mold of quarterbacks who have shined in Riley’s offense better than Armstrong, whom Riley inherited after the coach moved from Oregon State. When Lee guides the Huskers offense onto the field in the season opener, it won’t be his first start, as he spent two seasons starting at Tulane before spending last year on Nebraska’s scout team due to NCAA transfer rules. Lee’s starting experience, however, is decidedly mixed, as he completed 53.6% of his passes for 3,601 yards with 23 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.
