Nebraska Football: De'Mornay Pierson-El Poised to Be Playmaker for Huskers

Nebraska wide receiver Kenny Bell sees the potential. “He’s going to be a great player here. There’s no question in my mind,” Bell said, per the Omaha World-Herald. “He’s got the work ethic. He’s more than intelligent enough. He works his tail off. He blocks, he catches, he does all the right stuff.”

Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald agrees. "He’s a young guy, but he looked a lot like Jeremy Maclin to me," Fitzgerald said, per 247Sports.com. "I’ve got nightmares of that guy.”

Who are they talking about? It's none other than freshman wide receiver and punt returner De'Mornay Pierson-El.

Solely looking at the numbers, Pierson-El's time at wide receiver doesn't look that impressive. He's only had a total of three receptions. One of those catches was a touchdown though, which came against Florida Atlantic. It's not a lot yet, but the potential is there.

However, Pierson-El is showing off his skills elsewhere. As a punt returner, he has 334 punt return yards and two touchdowns so far in 2014, which makes him the nation's best. He was even named the Big Ten's Special Teams Player of the Week earlier in the season after the Fresno State matchup. His success at punt returning is only the beginning of the playmaker he can become for Nebraska.

The key is going to be getting Pierson-El the ball more. Bell acknowledged that Nebraska plans to do just that.

“We’re trying to get him touches now,” Bell said, per the Omaha World-Herald. “Look for No. 15 to start making more plays for us.”

Fitzgerald also expects the Huskers to use Pierson-El more against Northwestern than they previously have. "Pierson-El is a difference-maker with the ball in his hand," he said, per 247Sports.com. "With the bye week, we expect to see him touch the ball more."

So, will Pierson-El see more action against Northwestern? Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini believes so.

"We think he's a really good football player, somebody who we want to keep getting more experience and expand his role as the season goes on but not overload him either," Pelini said, per CSNChicago.com. "But he has to be ready for that. We're continuing to bring him along and teach him and get him more comfortable and more confident as the season goes along."

With all that said, look for Pierson-El to become a playmaker for the Huskers as the season wears on. With every game that passes, the 5'9" and 175lb. player shows he has something special.

As a punt returner, he is averaging 17.6 yards on 19 carries, which ranks him eight nationally, per the Lincoln Journal Star's Steven M. Sipple. His explosiveness has not only earned him the respect of current coaches and players, but also players of the past.

"What he's doing is reminiscent of what we did back in the day," Former Husker DeJuan Groce said, per Sipple.

Against Northwestern, Pierson-El has the opportunity to improve. The Wildcats are punting 6.5 times per game, while only averaging 37.74 yards per punt. This is a prime matchup for Pierson-El to really make a bigger statement, which is why Fitzgerald is so complimentary of him.

The key going forward will be to evolve Pierson-El beyond being just a punt returner, but to harness that talent at wide receiver. As quarterback Tommy Armstrong continues to grow, Pierson-El will with him. It's all about getting Armstrong comfortable with Pierson-El, which practice and time can help.

Ultimately, as Pierson-El grows this season, Husker fans should feel confident in his ability to take over the role Bell will leave behind when he graduates. With Jordan Westerkamp also improving, Pierson-El is helping create a very bright future for the Nebraska receiver corp.

No team can, or should take Pierson-El lightly. Whether he's returning punts or getting more catches at wide receiver, he's becoming more impressive with every game. That can't be ignored.