Nebraska Football: 5 Storylines Heading into Spring Ball

Nebraska had a solid season in their first year in the Big Ten, as they finished with a 9-4 record. With them returning eight starters on both sides of the ball, they look to build on that success and become one of the top teams in all of college football.

Although we still may be months away from college football kicking off, spring ball is right around the corner. The Cornhuskers first spring practice is scheduled for March 4 and the spring game will take place on April 14.

As we get ready for everything spring has to offer, here are the top five storylines to pay attention to.

Who Will Win the Starting Full Back Role?

Not exactly the sexiest position to talk about, but with Tyler Legate out of the picture, it has to be discussed. Legate was involved in the offense quite a bit last season, as he scored two touchdowns on four receptions and carried the ball eight times.

The likely candidate for this position is Mike Marrow, who transferred from Alabama and Eastern Michigan. He's a big boy at 6'2", 250 pounds, and not only could he become a dominant lead blocker for Burkhead and company, but he could also carry the rock himself and abuse opposing defenses.

Other players who will compete for the position include freshmen Carson Collins, Andy Janovich and junior CJ Zimmerer.

Where Are the Defensive Playmakers?

Nebraska's defense was OK last season, as they finished ranked seventh in the conference. But it's really going to be tested, as players such as cornerback Alfonzo Dennerd and linebacker Lavonte David are no longer on the roster.

This is a team that didn’t exactly rush the quarterback well last year and is now losing their leading sack leader in David. They also lose the two players who had more than one interception on the season as well.

The defense remains experienced and should be a strong unit heading into the year, but somebody has to step up as a playmaker. This defense needs a game changer, and right now we’re just not seeing it.

Can Taylor Martinez Become More of a Quarterback?

Taylor Martinez is a fantastic athlete and can kill you with his legs, but he's far from a quarterback. He only completed 56 percent of passes last season and threw eight interceptions to 13 touchdowns.

It's safe to say that his throwing motion and style of play is not going to change, but if he's able to complete a higher percentage of passes, it would really help the team out. Forcing the defense to worry about the passing game a bit more would only make this offense much better than they were last season.

It's hard to win games when the offense is so one-dimensional.

Can the WR Step Up?

While it's real easy to bash Martinez as a quarterback, some of the blame also has to go on the wide receivers. Nebraska has a lot of talented receivers, but they didn't help showcase their talent last season because of so many dropped passes. 

Receivers such as Jamal Turner, Kenny Bell, Kyler Reed and Quincy Enunwa are all very talented and have bright futures. But they have to help their quarterback out and hang on to the football.

The good news is that the majority of these receivers are young and they should get better as time goes by, although if they'd like to compete in the Big Ten, they must stop dropping passes.

Can Nebraska Win the Big Ten?

Anytime you just fell short of the conference championship game and are returning 16 starters, the expectations are going to rise heading into next year. Nebraska has a very good team and can run the ball with the best of them. They still need more production from the quarterback position and need a few players to emerge on the defensive side of the ball.

With Ohio State out of the picture this season and Wisconsin rebuilding, Nebraska has a great shot to win the Big Ten if they can just fix a few areas of concern.

Randy Chambers is a B/R featured columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].