We can call Malcolm Hartzog a Husker veteran now.

The defensive back has already racked up 18 starts in just two seasons in a Nebraska uniform. So what’s he thinking as he sets out on Year 3 in the program? What position is he working at? And who else is catching his eye? You know, as much as someone can through winter work and a few practices.

Rhule impressed by how young QBs have jumped in: ‘They know what to do’

Nebraska’s head coach Matt Rhule talks about the quarterbacks early in spring ball, all the reps they’re getting, and the competition within the competition.

There’s a lot to get done in 15 practices. So pack the reps on the plate like it’s an old-school Sunday buffet line. Open up three fields to make sure it happens. Make the competition stretch an octave higher by having guys represent different teams within the team – be you a Bugeater, an Old Gold Knight or a Rattlesnake Boy.

Thursday was third-down derby day, for example. Alright, boys, go compete. Ideally by the end of April those Husker quarterbacks everyone is talking about will have stacked up the snaps and the progress to make their coaches think they could go make hay when we’re keeping track for real.

“I’m expecting them both to be ready to start,” Matt Rhule said Thursday of his young quarterbacks Dylan Raiola and Daniel Kaelin. “We have three quarterbacks on scholarship. I need three quarterbacks who can start. So, high expectations. That doesn’t mean they will start. I probably won’t even worry about who the actual guy is … I’ve kind of gone as who that’s illuminated to us.”

And sometimes, Rhule points out, you start to give starting reps to one quarterback and the other QB starts to elevate his game.

Bottom line, as last year and many years proved out, you better have at least three you could call on.

Thus, the head coach saying after the third spring practice, “We need to be in a position where we feel like those guys can start at the end of spring and move the team. That’s why we’re doing the three fields and all the things we’re doing. We not dipping our toe in. And we normally haven’t in Year 2.”

The junior Heinrich Haarberg is not forgotten about here at all.

As you’d perhaps assume, he got the first snap of the first practice, as he’s the only one among five Husker QBs (walk-ons Luke Longval and Jack Woche are the others) with starting experience.

“Pretty much at every position it’s the most seniorish guy or the guy who had the best offseason,” said Rhule of how the reps usually begin at any position in any spring. “With two freshmen I don’t know if I’d ever put a freshmen ahead of a guy who started for us at any position. But as we go, the unique thing about us … we literally had three different team drills going on at once. Everybody gets reps and we try to make them equal reps so that we can evaluate you throwing this play, this guy throwing that play.”

With each team a head coach tweaks the method here or there to best fit what’s in front of him.

Maybe one such tweak in this case?

“I’m usually very, ‘Just develop, worry about yourself.’ (But) I do believe in this, with our young receivers (and) at all those positions, I’m kind of like, ‘Hey, whoever has the best day, give them more reps tomorrow,'” Rhule said. “Everybody wants constant feedback. So instead of me trying to scream for the old days, I’m like, ‘Alright, you want constant feedback? If you have five MA’s (missed assignments), you’re not going to get as many reps. … So I’m trying to encourage guys to really study tape on their own, know what they’re doing, because the players that know what they’re doing play well.”

He thinks Haarberg is showing more comfort with the things he’s asked in a system more familiar to him now, as he gains instructions from his new quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas.

And the freshmen have prepared hard and it has shown up well in early practices. Although, yes, very early. Still. Everyone wants to hear about those young QBs no matter how early it is.

“They know what to do. They know where to go with the football. They’re on time. They’re savvy. They’re smart,” Rhule said. “So I’ve been really, really pleased. You can see what a bright future they have.”