Matt Rhule updates safety Marques Buford's status

Year one for Matt Rhule at Nebraska has gone better than anticipated by most college football experts, as the Cornhuskers are tied for first place in the Big Ten West Division at 5-3. And as they prepare for their Week 10 contest against Michigan State, they are also nearing the return of one of their key defensive players from last season’s team.

After tearing his ACL in Nebraska’s final game in 2022 against Wisconsin, safety Marques Buford is close to making his 2023 debut. But exactly how close is he to returning to action? According to Rhule, very close.

“Ques tried to practice a little bit last week; she was sore each day afterward. So, I don’t know if he’ll be ready to go or not this week,” said Rhule. “We’ll have to wait and see. (He’ll) probably be a game time decision.

“He wants to go, but is he ready to go? We will practice him. And really, I wouldn’t know anything until Tuesday’s practice; can he practice on Wednesday. And then, after he goes on Tuesday and Wednesday, how does he feel on Thursday? Because the last thing I want to do is, in any way, do anything to hurt Marquis Buford… I’d love to get him back out there, but I don’t know that he’ll be ready this week. I’m not sure.”

Rhule confirms Nebraska Omar Brown is in concussion protocol

In their last game, Nebraska dominated Purdue at home, winning 31-14. But that victory did come at a cost, as the Cornhuskers lost defensive back Omar Brown. It was unclear the severity of the injury, but on Monday, Rhule shed some light on the situation, revealing his defensive back did, in fact, suffer a concussion. And Rhule also provided a brief status update on where Brown is currently on this road to recovery.

“Yeah, Omar is in the protocol. So we’ll wait and see what happens,” said Rhule.

Brown has been a stalwart on the Cornhuskers defense. The Nebraska starting defensive back, who primarily lines up at safety, is third on the team in total tackles with 38 and also has one forced fumble, an interception, and a pass defended on the season.

Should Brown not clear the concussion protocol in time for Nebraska’s next matchup, that could have a significant impact on their defense as they continue to battle for a spot in the Big Ten championship game. Up next for the Cornhuskers is a road contest against the struggling Michigan State Spartans. Michigan State enters the game with a 2-6 record, but ESPN’s matchup predictor does give the Spartans a solid chance of protecting their home on Saturday. Nebraska holds a slim margin in terms of victory percentage as of Monday, entering the game as a 53.1 percent favorite to win.