Nebraska Football Fall Camp Preview: Quarterback
Matt Rhule’s first fall camp at Nebraska is right around the corner. The HuskerOnline team dives into what to expect from the Huskers with our position-by-position fall camp previews.
We kick off the series with Nebraska’s quarterbacks, who has a clear leader but a not-so-clear backup QB.
What we know right now: It’s Jeff Sims’ job
Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims has the starting quarterback position locked down. After Nebraska’s 2022 starter, Casey Thompson, entered the transfer portal, the job became Sims’.
Sims started eight games for the Yellow Jackets in 2022 before suffering a season-ending foot strain. He went 110-for-188 and 1,114 passing yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. The junior had 405 rushing yards on 49 carries. He added one rushing TD and had two fumbles in eight games.
Georgia upset No. 24 Pitt 26-21 and took down Duke 23-20 in overtime the next week with Sims under center.
At Nebraska this spring, Sims went 9-for-13 for 139 passing yards and added 14 rushing yards on six attempts. Sims ran in for a touchdown, his only TD of the day. He showed off his strong arm and accuracy.
Since arriving on campus, Sims has taken on a leadership role in the quarterback room and the team. Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield is very impressed with Sims and says he is more than capable of hanging in the pocket and making a play and isn’t afraid to run the ball.
Key stats and numbers from 2022
| Player | 2022 Snap Count |
| Casey Thompson* | 612 |
| Chubba Purdy | 118 |
| Logan Smothers* | 50 |
| Player | Pass Yards | Completion % | Rush Yards | TDs | INT/FMB |
| Casey Thompson* | 2,407 | 62.2 | 180 | 17 pass 5 rush | 10 INT 5 FUM |
| Chubba Purdy | 147 | 46.8 | 105 | 0 pass 2 rush | 3 INT 1 FUM |
| Logan Smothers* | 96 | 52.6 | 32 | 0 pass 0 rush | 0 INT 2 FUM |
Biggest question: Who will land the backup QB job?
While Sims is the clear winner, the backup quarterback position is slightly more murky.
Sophomores Chubba Purdy and Heinrich Haarberg will battle for the backup QB job. Purdy was Nebraska’s backup last season and played in six games and started two when Thompson went down.
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Purdy, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound athlete, went 22-for-47 for 147 passing yards in 118 snaps. He didn’t score a passing touchdown but had two rushing TDs. He had three interceptions and one fumble in his first season at Nebraska.
During the Red-White scrimmage, he started on the Red team, Nebraska’s second team. He went 4-for-9 for 39 passing yards on the Red team then added 16 passing yards, going 2-for-4 on the White team. Purdy rushed for 31 total yards on six attempts.
As for Haarberg, he and Sims switched off every two drives on the White team or Nebraska’s first team. He went 2-for-9 for -1 yards. He showed off his athleticism by breaking away from a 23 yard run. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound QB finished the game with 38 rushing yards on seven carries.
Rhule has called Haarberg one of the fastest and most athletic players on the Huskers’ roster. He showed glimpses of that during the spring game.
Purdy has a leg up over Haarberg heading into fall camp. He has much more college experience as he played 119 snaps over two seasons at Florida State before transferring to Nebraska. Haarberg has not played in a college game yet.
Projected Fall Camp Quarterback Depth Chart
QB1:
Jeff Sims
Backup:
1. Chubba Purdy
2. Heinrich Haarberg
