Jeff Sims must be 'steady' for Nebraska

Jeff Sims has to be “steady” for Nebraska at the quarterback position and it’ll be a successful campaign for the Huskers, according to On3’s J.D. PicKell.

Sims transferred in from Georgia Tech and is expected to be the guy for first-year coach Matt Rhule, who just returned to the college game. He has dual threat capabilities, but can he put it all together?

Sims might not have to be Superman for this work at Nebraska.

“The expectations are for him to be steady,” PicKell said on The Hard Count. “Like that’s what Nebraska needs him to do. (He has) all the tools in the world, big frame, rocket for an arm. The concerning thing is there isn’t that production to go with those tools when he was at Georgia Tech.

“But this system now, it’s going to be let’s run the football and set up open shots for this pass game. So to put it simply, the expectation is to be consistent. Be steady. Don’t turn the ball over.”

Last season, Sims threw for 1,115 yards, five touchdowns, three interceptions, a 58.5% completion percentage, 288 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown over the course of seven games.

In his career, Sims has 4,464 yards, 30 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, a 57.5% completion percentage, 1,152 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns.

“In terms of what I think performance wise for him, I think it’ll be good production,” PicKell said. “I think what he does well, he’lll be making the timely plays. It’s not going to be a thing where we’re at the end of the season here talking about Jeff Sims winning the Heisman Trophy and leading the country in passing. My expectation for him, and what I think he could do at Nebraska, is just be the steadying force for this offense. 

“And I think he’s going to do that well. I think that’s why he came to Nebraska and I think it’s why they wanted him to come to Nebraska, among some other transfer portal quarterbacks. So those are my expectations for Jeff Sims.”

As a member of the Class of 2020, Sims was a four-star recruit out of Jacksonville (Fla.) Sandalwood, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 41 overall prospect in Florida, the No. 18 quarterback in the class and the No. 261 overall prospect in the class.