Matt Rhule says second scrimmage was the 'best' Nebraska quarterbacks have played

Nebraska has two scrimmages under its belt this spring, and Matt Rhule’s quarterbacks keep getting better.

The defense was the star unit of the second scrimmage, according to Rhule, but going up against that type of intensity is something his QBs haven’t seen this spring. Rhule said this only helps inch their progress forward in getting them all prepared for a legitimate game-time environment.

“That was the best that the quarterbacks have played … And I think they needed that. They needed the live reps,” Rhule said after the Cornuskers’ second spring scrimmage. “[They needed] to get hit, to speed up their process. We came out to practice today and we went out to stretch and went right into quarterbacks live [drills] from inside the five-yard line.

“What you find out is that they really don’t get hit that often, but it just speeds up their process. A lot of things for us right now is a little bit off timing-wise, but what I love about our group is that they aren’t making any excuses.”

Rhule’s praise of his quarterback group comes off last week’s scrimmage, where he called this Nebraska group as, “talented a quarterback room as I’ve ever been a part of.”

That group, at least initially, was comprised of junior transfer QB Jeff Sims, redshirt sophomores Heinrich Haarberg and Chubba Purdy, and redshirt freshman Richard Torres. Meanwhile on the injury side of things, returning starting QB Casey Thompson and cohort Logan Smothers have been limited during the spring and did not participate in the initial scrimmage.

It’s unsure if they were able to go in the second exhibition, but they’re both expected to be healthy in time to compete for the starting job in fall camp.

Sims and Thompson are the two that are expected to compete for the starting job when it’s time to name a starter. Thompson spent three seasons at Texas before transferring to Nebraska. He went on to throw for 2,407 yards and 10 touchdowns throughout his first season in Lincoln. Sims transferred in from Georgia Tech where he was a three-year dual-threat starter. In Rhule’s eyes, however, everyone is on an even playing field because none of them have played in his system before.

If Thompson and Smothers are not able to return for Nebraska’s April 22 Red-White spring game, Sims and Purdy can be expected to take the opening snaps for their respective squads when the game kicks off at 1 p.m. CDT in Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.