Nate Boerkircher shares thoughts on Nebraska's scrimmage

Nebraska took part in another scrimmage Thursday as the Cornhuskers continue preparation for their upcoming spring game. Matt Rhule said it went well, and Nate Boerkircher echoed that sentiment afterward.

“I feel like it was great,” Boerkircher told reporters. “The quarterbacks put the ball in the right place. They threw a lot of good balls to us, the tight ends caught a lot of balls. It was a lot of fun.”

Boerkircher is part of the group trying to help replace the production of Travis Vokolek. Last year, he had 52 receiving yards and a touchdown, and could be a breakout candidate for the Cornhuskers in spring practice. Georgia transfer Arik Gilbert could also be part of that equation depending on his waiver situation, which Rhule said was out of his control earlier in the week. Gilbert started his career at LSU before transferring to Georgia, which is why he needs a waiver to play at Nebraska in 2023.

Still, through spring practice, tight ends coach Bob Wager said he’s happy with where things stand at the position.

“Well, in a three month period of time, we’ve learned a great deal,” Wager said. “Learned it’s a highly competitive room. They root for each other. They’re building a great bond with one another. And they’re eager to be developed and eager to get better. I’m proud of the way they’ve immersed themselves into the playbook and proud of the way that they come out to compete every day.”

Matt Rhule: Thursday’s scrimmage was the ‘best that the quarterbacks have played’

Rhule spoke highly of how the Nebraska quarterbacks looked Thursday. Casey Thompson and Chubba Purdy are back in the fold from last year, and Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims joins the show, as well. Thompson has been limited throughout the spring and missed the first scrimmage, and it’s unclear if he able to play in the second one.

With the spring game 16 days away, Rhule said they looked strong in the Cornhuskers’ second scrimmage.

“That was the best that the quarterbacks have played … And I think they needed that. They needed the live reps,” Rhule said. “[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.”