This line applied to Nebraska until 2023.

Five Husker freshmen — two receivers, two defensive linemen and a kicker — started games. Two more burned their redshirts despite appearing in more than four games. NU finished the season 5-7.

There are 48 true freshmen currently on the roster as Nebraska approaches the halfway point of training camp. Only one – quarterback Dylan Raiola – is likely to start the opener on Aug. 31. A few others are in the running as rotation players or may miss the game due to injury.

Rhule, the second-year Husker coach who once played for Paterno, lets plenty of talented teenagers play in practice. But even once they learn the basic schemes, he says, most won’t adapt quickly enough to the intricacies of college football.

“They’re maturing both mentally and physically,” Rhule said. “But we have enough good players to win.”

Some of these newcomers will be on the field early and often. Here’s what the newcomers know from camp, based on feedback from coaches and players, as well as first-hand observations at open practices:

Nebraska remains tight-lipped about the competition at quarterback. There’s a good chance a question specifically about Raiola will elicit a general response about the position group as a whole. But Raiola wowed fans at open practice earlier this month with pinpoint deep passes and decisive, accurate throws to playmakers on more routine short plays. Smooth footwork and outstanding arm talent provide a consistency that’s rare for a player so young – another reason he has the NIL’s deepest resources.

Rhule, who started as a freshman QB at both Temple and Baylor, said on a national podcast last week that Raiola would be ready if he were to start. Other Huskers also recognize the clear-headed attitude of No. 15, who runs the offense.

“He’s just very mature for his age,” said NU senior receiver Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda. “He’s obviously a young guy, but I think he’s way ahead of his time. His football IQ is excellent. He’s a real natural. It’s not like he forces anything on the field. He prepares, he works hard up front. He goes out there and you can tell he has a certain confidence.”

The electrifying Miami native may not be at the top of the wide receiver rankings, but he’s not far off. Barney was the only Husker to hit 22 mph as a sprinter in the spring, and he could carve out a niche for himself early as an impact returner. Remember his kickoff return in the spring game?

Barney’s path to college could be similar to that of Coleman and Lloyd, who appeared in double-digit games last year. The Huskers are now better positioned at the position.

Receiver coach Garret McGuire said, “I think his biggest challenge is making the routine plays routine.”

The former three-star prospect from Miami joined the class in late December and began classes a few weeks later. His name popped up during spring practice as a game-winning linebacker and remained in the conversation during the offseason — no freshman appeared more often on Nebraska’s summer elite list, which measures various ways players go above and beyond the standard off the field to compete and improve.

Opportunity awaits at the backer position, which will rotate in seniors John Bullock, Javin Wright and Mikai Gbayor, with junior transfer Stefon Thompson perhaps next. Then it’s Shavers, whose skills as a target-seeking, missile tackler could also earn him regular time in coverage units.

“He’s a dynamic young player,” Rhule said Saturday after a practice game. “I don’t think he’s going to be used as a redshirt player unless he has to.”

That the Ainsworth native was able to play right away is all the more impressive considering he only arrived on campus this summer and is just coming off eight-man football. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound player was so explosive that Nebraska switched him from tight end to receiver to get him on the field quicker. Husker coaches have praised his competitiveness, comparing his dominant blocking on the perimeter to that of another positionless weapon, Janiran Bonner.

Expect Nelson to be every bit as good as he gets in his first year of college. The Huskers have a clear No. 1 tight end in Thomas Fidone and a stacked receiver room that combines size and speed. Nelson is a hybrid — notions of the 7-foot high jumper leaping the pile in a goal-line handoff situation aren’t entirely far-fetched, either.

“He’s going to play a lot of do-it-all games his first year,” McGuire said.

At 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, he has the look of a Big Ten trench enforcer. His position coach fueled the excitement by comparing the teenager’s physical potential to that of Nebraska’s most famous defensive lineman, Ndamukong Suh.

“He’s a young guy – he has no idea what’s going on,” Terrance Knighton said. “He just does everything you ask of him and he soaks up everyone in the building trying to learn as much as he can. When he leaves here, he’s going to look like ’93, who played here. That’s my feeling – he’s going to be a big guy.”

The peak performance for Davis in the coming months may be that of last year’s Riley Van Poppel, who played 113 defensive snaps in 11 games as a freshman at some key positions. Nebraska’s D-line is so strong, they could literally name 10 more players who deserve to play. Check out the redshirt game featuring the Arizona native and late addition to NU’s class.

The battle for second-team cornerbacks remains exciting. And while it could be junior Marques Buford and redshirt freshman Jeremiah Charles, Rhule has also mentioned the names of freshmen Amare Sanders, Larry Tarver and Mario Buford during camp. Any of them could be one or two injuries away from spending significant time on the bench if they don’t get the jobs outright.

“You go to one-on-one situations and everybody can cover,” Rhule said. “…It’s just a matter of whether you can mentally handle the grind day in and day out, the amount of stuff we do. I can’t answer that yet, whether they’re ready to play. But talent-wise, they’re incredibly talented.”

These players may not spend much time on the big stage in 2024 for a variety of reasons. Receiver Keelan Smith – Missouri’s reigning Class 6A Offensive Player of the Year – has been praised for his physicality and ball skills while making some appearances in the top offense, but struggles at a crowded position. Willis McGahee IV has emerged as a “jack” linebacker, but is at least behind established players MJ Sherman and Princewill Umanmielen.

Offensive linemen Gibson Pyle and Grant Brix are considered future starters, but not immediately. German native and 22-year-old freshman David Hoffken is a “natural” physically at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, Knighton said, but is still learning game speed, the playbook and fundamentals on the fly. Coaches also like running back Mekhi Nelson as an “instinctive” future playmaker, although he’s fifth or sixth on the pecking order now.

Quarterback Daniel Kaelin has now proven his potential as a leader and a fast processor. Punter Kamdyn Koch and kicker Nico Ottomanelli are just one injury away from being used prominently right away.