The Nebraska reset in February: Close calls

With less than a month until spring practice, here’s a look at the tight end position as it stands.
Football at Nebraska is well into its offseason. One month remains until spring football practices begin, and some members of Nebraska’s 2024 recruiting class are in campus for winter conditioning.

Before the spring ball gets going, it seems like the ideal time to examine each position.
Next up is Nebraska’s tight end group, which will see the addition of three excellent freshmen to the mix along with several returning veterans.

SLEEK 2023 REVIEW
Matt Rhule’s goal of having position-less football on the offensive side of the ball depends on the tight end position.

The Huskers regularly deployed multiple tight ends in 2023 in an effort to induce mismatches and aid in run blocking. Despite Thomas Fidone’s impressive 25 catches and four touchdowns in the passing game, the intermediate passing game wasn’t a consistent enough part of the Husker offense for a number of reasons that extended beyond the tight ends.

The team also had problems off the field to deal with. After a DUI arrest in late July, full-time tight ends coach Bob Wager quit, and analyst Josh Martin took over as the group’s temporary coach.

Fidone, a tight end who has struggled with injuries throughout his Husker career, was a key component of the offense in 2023 and will probably benefit from having offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield in charge of the unit in 2024.

Jake Appleget: After Rhule and his staff arrived in Lincoln, the Lincoln Southeast product switched from linebacker to tight end. Appleget committed to Northern Illinois through the transfer portal after participating in six games the previous season.
Ian Flynt: Flynt offers Nebraska’s tight end room a different body type and is already on campus for spring ball. After recovering from a back injury, the 6-foot-4, 255-pound Flynt caught six catches for 140 yards in his final season.

Carter Nelson: Nelson, who will enrol in May, was one of the more intriguing members of the 2024 recruiting class. As one of the nation’s top recruits, Nelson finished his prep career with 128 receptions for 2,346 yards and 43 receiving touchdowns. He was also chosen to play in the All-American Bowl. Nelson averaged almost twenty-one yards per reception when a senior, hauling in 32 catches for 658 yards and 14 touchdowns. Nelson also recorded 80 tackles with three interceptions in defense in addition to running for 1,148 yards and 19 touchdowns on 120 carries.

Eric Ingwerson: In his rookie season, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound Ingwerson is playing tight end. Ingwerson caught four touchdown passes as a senior and was a vital blocker for Papillion-LaVista. Against the run, Ingwerson made

Thomas Fidone: The Huskers’ go-to tight end in 2023, Fidone overcame two seasons of injuries. Fidone hauled up 25 passes for 260 yards and four scores. Since the 2010 campaign, the four touchdowns were the most by a tight end from Nebraska.

Luke Lindenmeyer: A redshirt freshman in 2023, Lindenmeyer made five starts in all 12 games. In his debut on the field, he demonstrated his value as a blocker.

Nate Boerkircher: The Aurora, Nebraska, native started seven of the twelve games that he participated in. Last year, Boerkircher had one carry for eleven yards and caught five catches for 51 yards.

Ismael Smith-Flores: In his first year on campus, the Texas native redshirted last season.
“In my opinion, playing tight end in football is among the most mentally taxing positions to be in. You must be aware of every element in the run game. Every run game call. Occasionally, you’re part of the defense. Oh, and you also need to run routes,” Rhule remarked. Nevertheless, you don’t want a truly good tight end like Thomas Fidone or Nate Boerkircher to go out and play just one game.

— Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule on tight ends being coached by Marcus Satterfield

Midseason, Fidone stated, “just being able to keep an upward trajectory.” “It seems like I’ve improved with every game. That’s what you want as a player. Of course, there are still a lot of unanswered questions for me. What inspires me is knowing that I haven’t even come close to reaching my potential. I’m excited to keep working toward my goals since I have so much space for development and progress.

— Thomas Fidone on how last season’s improvement as a player

“Our quarterbacks can play receiver, our tight ends can play running back, and our running backs can play receiver. Our receivers can also play tight end. We are going to line you up everywhere, no matter what you do.
Death, taxes, and teams all over the nation vying for Nebraska tight ends. The next national tight end prospect to come out of Nebraska is Millard South tight end Chase Loftin. Loftin has visited Lincoln on several occasions and has more than 20 national offers. The 215-pound, 6-foot-6 Loftin will visit Lincoln this spring, among several other places. Reiman Zebert, a tight end at Platteview, is also obtaining national offers. He recently received a