Gabe Ervin Jr. opens up on how he took his rehab to another level to get back on the field

Gabe Ervin Jr.‘s 2023 season ended after he tore his ACL three games into last year. The Nebraska running back wasn’t cleared until summer workouts.

To ensure he was ready to go after nine months on the shelf, Ervin Jr. took his rehab very seriously, he explained. Even though his body was healing, his mind took a toll.

“Oh, it’s definitely an obstacle. I mean, it is not built for the weak,” Ervin Jr. said after fall camp practice on Friday. “It is not built for the weak. I was just figuring out things to do to get your body where you need to be. Yoga, pilates, all the stretching you need to do. I mean, I had to take my rehab even more up a notch to be back on the field.

“Staying in the rehab, even now just keeping a maintenance everyday, recovering. I’ve got to train like a pro, recover like a pro. And that’s what I’ve been doing. It hasn’t been easy, but I have been overcoming it and it’s been good.”

Before his season ended prematurely, Ervin Jr. carried the ball 38 times for 196 yards and one score before going down with his knee injury. Despite seeing limited action, his 38 rushing attempts were a career high. As the main running back in 2024, a healthy Ervin Jr. is expected to have a breakout season under second-year head coach Matt Rhule.

Without his services, the Huskers finished last season with five wins despite boasting a -17 turnover ratio, good for the second worst mark in the country. They put the ball on the ground 30 times, losing 15 of those via fumble, while the three Nebraska quarterbacks combined for 16 interceptions during Rhule’s inagurual season as the program’s head coach.

Rhule expects strengthened ball security with Ervin Jr. leading the charge. Given the added competition brought into the Big Ten this past offseason, coupled with the need to improve to at least bowl contention or better in 2024, reducing their turnover ratio is going to pivotal to that effort this fall.

With a new-look offense in tow, the Huskers will begin their regular season against UTEP on Aug. 31. Ervin Jr. and company turn around the next week for a marquee game against Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes during Week 2.

Nebraska’s regular season begins during Week 4 against Illinois at home. …..