Fall Camp Preview: Robinson, Manning, and who else at WR?

As we approach the start of Fall Camp for Nebraska, we take an inside look at each position group for the Huskers.

Today we take a deep dive into the wide receiver position, as NU will count on a number of new faces in one of the offense's least experienced units.

Other previews: QB | RB

No position on Nebraska's roster took a bigger unexpected hit this offseason than wide receiver, as record-setting senior J.D. Spielman left the program and eventually transferred to TCU.

The Huskers were already set to be thin at wideout in 2020, but the cupboard got even barer after the loss of one of the most productive pass-catchers in program history.

However, there are still some nice pieces for NU and new offensive coordinator/receivers coach Matt Lubick to work with in sophomore Wan'Dale Robinson and junior college transfer Omar Manning.

Robinson was everything Nebraska could have hoped for last season when he came in as the prize of its 2019 recruiting class.

The former four-star prospect out of Frankfort, Ken., set Husker true freshman records in season receptions (40) and season receiving yards (443) and was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, given to the most versatile player in college football.

At 6-4, 225, Manning brings a combination of size, strength, speed, and talent that the Huskers haven't seen at wideout since maybe Maurice Purify.

The former No. 1 JUCO receiver in the country at Kilgore (TX) College, Manning led his team with 35 receptions, 727 yards, and six touchdowns as a sophomore while averaging nearly 21 yards per catch.

There are major questions still needing to be answered about the inexperience behind those two, but at least Nebraska feels very good about the level of star power it has at the top of its wide receiver depth chart.

As seen in the statistical breakdowns above, the drop-off in returning receiving production after Robinson is pretty staggering.

Manning is obviously expected to come in as an immediate impact, and junior Kade Warner is back as a relatively established target.

However, everyone else beyond that is a total unknown at this point.

Redshirt freshman Chris Hickman moved from tight end to full-time receiver this offseason, and his size (6-6, 215) makes him an intriguing piece after reportedly working at the hybrid Duck-R position.

Then there are NU's incoming freshmen, Zavier Betts, Marcus Fleming, and Alante Brown. All three have the potential to be instant factors in the receiver rotation this season, but it will come down to which of those players are the readiest to hit the ground running at the Big Ten level.

Fellow freshman Will Nixon was also expected to be in that mix, but an offseason ACL injury likely ended his 2020 campaign.

Betts is a former four-star recruit, and Brown immediately drew rave reviews for his dynamic playmaking ability in the spring. Fleming also probably doesn't get talked about enough, as he two was a four-star and a top prospect out of Florida.

And all of that doesn't even include the return of redshirt freshmen Jamie Nance and Demariyon Houston. Neither were able to see the field much at all last year, and the pressure will be on to make their mark with the 2020 class pushing for snaps.

Then there is the biggest dark horse of them all - walk-on graduate transfer Levi Falck from South Dakota. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound native of Minnesota caught 70 career passes for 774 yards and two touchdowns at USD, and word around the program is that Falck has impressed almost as much as any receiver during summer workouts.

The weapons appear to be in place to give Nebraska some quality playmakers and depth at receiver, but we won't know for sure on how good the unit will be until they can actually take the field as Huskers.

The good news is that Lubick should utilize his young receivers far more than his predecessor at NU, and all of the aforementioned players will likely get a chance to show what they can do on game day.

Duck-R

1. Wan'Dale Robinson, So.

2. Chris Hickman, RFr.

X

1. Omar Manning, Jr.

2. Levi Falck, Sr.

3. Zavier Betts, Fr.

Z

1. Kade Warner, Jr.

2. Alante Brown, Fr.

-OR-

Marcus Fleming, Fr.