2024 Spring Preview: Runningback

We kick back off our previews with the runningback position. This group had a lot of similarities for me to the quarterback spot entering the spring. If you remember, I said I was very concerned about the depth at QB and RB. While we spoke about how I wasn’t as concerned with the QB depth after seeing a few practices, the opposite is true about the RB spot.

Nebraska has 5 scholarship RBs in their room currently for the 2024 season, but 2 of them are being held out of spring ball, one is new transferring in, leaving only 2 players who have experience in this offense for the spring. Nebraska had a gamebreaker committed for its 2024 class in Kewan Lacy, but he decommitted and we didn’t replace him for this class. It’s concerning for me.

We will start with Emmett Johnson, as he is the clear RB1 for our team this spring. I wasn’t high on him out of high school, but with the injuries he has asserted himself as someone this staff can depend on within what they want to do offensively. Johnson is probably one of the most complete backs we have on our team, but at only 190 pounds he isn’t really built to be a bell cow for an offense in the B1G. Nebraska has somewhat done the committee approach the past few years whether that be due to injuries or because someone hasn’t asserted themselves. But EJ at least gives the staff options.

The Guys Sitting Out
Nebraska has 2 returning players with significant experience that are both sitting out this spring. Gabe Ervin Jr was the first true freshman starter in an opening day contest for Nebraska, but that seems like ages ago as he just hasn’t been able to come back from that gruesome knee injury he suffered against Oklahoma in 2021. He has been injured often and unable to stay on the field. At 220 pounds he would be your guy you could insert at the goalline or pound out the game to milk clock. But you just can’t trust he will be available for this 2024 fall and even if he is, will he be 100%? There are rumors he may just take a medical redshirt or even transfer out to be done.

Next is Rahmir Johnson, while I think Rahmir could have got some reps this spring, they are being careful with him since he and EJ are going to be your 1-2 punch for the 2024 season. However, Rahmir Johnson has the same issue EJ does as he is only 185 pounds and can’t take the pounding of a full season. A rotation with him and EJ is what would almost certainly be needed. I actually like Rahmir and Emmett Johnson as your 1-2 punch, but there lacks some gamebreaking abilities there on top of the injury issues for one of them. Rahmir was one of the guys out of high school that ran some top track times, but it just hasn’t really translated so far. But glass is half full, he really has performed well in some games for us.

The One High School Recruit For Barthel
Barthel brought in Kwinten Ives in his first month being here, and I greeted it with kind of a tilted head. While this staff gets the benefit of the doubt for most of the recruiting, Barthel is still one that needs to show me what he can do. Ives has looked like another guy out there, and hasn’t really taken advantage of the additional reps in my opinion. He may be counted on for the simple fact that we are a little thin.

The Oregon Transfer
As we talked about above, EJ and RJ are your 1-2 punch, but with the question marks behind Ervin Jrs health, you had to go grab a big back in the portal. Dante Dowdell transferred here from Oregon as they burned his redshirt while playing sparingly for the Ducks. I got in a Twitter conversation about Dowdell as people were just penciling him in as a guy we could count on this fall, and that simply isn’t the case so far. He lacks some vision and just tries ramming his head down to get through a hole instead of having patience to wait for things to open up or bounce.

It is my opinion he will end up playing for us in some capacity, but he needs to improve quite a bit from this spring to the fall if he wants to get any serious snaps for us.

So We Have 1-2, But Who Else?
Matt Rhule unsolicited brought up walk-on RB Maurice Mazzccua. A walk-on from West Chester University, at this point we are needing bodies so bad that we are just calling out walk-ons as guys to count on. The miss on a 2024 recruit is basically making it where we may end up needing someone like Mazzccua to step up.

2025 Class And Beyond
Nebraska has Conor Booth from Wahoo Neumann in the class already (listed as a fullback by some recruiting services). He really did well at the Army combine down in Texas, so there’s potential there. But he isn’t on the same level as a Kewan Lacy commitment, Barthel and Nebraska desperately need a gamebreaker in this class so that Emmett Johnson can still be your main guy in 2025 but you have someone ready to go for the following year.

Wrapping Up For The 2024 Season
RB is one of 2 positions (maybe 3) that I would say don’t be surprised to see some portal movement for the Huskers after spring. If Gabe Ervin Jr leaves or medically retires, you almost have to go get another one. The issue is, I have on pretty good authority that Emmett Johnson told the staff if they went after a guy that was “like him” or would be starter he would enter the portal. Thus why Nebraska went with a guy that didn’t play much but had potential in Dowdell.

I kind of like what Oregon did with their spot. They had two guys that outplayed Dowdell and needed a stop-gap player while they wait for their 2024 and 2025 recruits to get up to speed. They went and got the All-American RB from D2 Northwest Missouri State and gave him an NIL deal for one semester to get them through. It didn’t rock the boat as the guys that came back weren’t intimidated, and it buys them some time for a year.

Emmett Johnson will be your starter followed by Rahmir. But after that we have some issues. I would watch the portal after Saturday here. And I wouldn’t be surprised if we rest EJ a bit after a couple series.

Depth Chart Prediction:

RB1 – Emmett Johnson OR Rahmir Johnson
RB2 – Dante Dowdell
RB3 – Kwinten Ives
Gabe Ervin Jr medically retires

We are going to be quickly rolling out our position previews before the spring game. Runningback, Wide Receiver, and TightEnd today. Offensive and Defensive Line on Wednesday. Linebackers and Defensive Backs Thursday.