Nebraska Football: 5 Starters Who May Lose Their Jobs

Being a starter at Nebraska is a huge honor, one that kids work tirelessly for throughout their football careers. Nebraska has the luxury of a number of starters returning from the 2011 campaign.

But this spring, some of those starting roles might be in jeopardy, with competition coming from both established players and new recruits trying to demand playing time.

Here are five players who were starters at the Capital One Bowl that will have their work cut out to keep their starting roles.

Quincy Enunwa

Enunwa is the kind of big-bodied possession receiver that should be a staple of Nebraska’s offense. But Enunwa’s struggles with getting open and, more importantly, in catching the ball, have put his starting job into question.

Tim Marlowe seems to have more of the coaches’ trust in terms of hands, Taariq Allen and Jordan Westerkamp will be competing for time, and if Jamal Turner cleans up his technique, it’s hard to see him staying off the field.

Ciante Evans

As a freshman, Evans was pressed into service against Iowa State and came through with a huge performance. But Evans struggled in his sophomore season.

With the arrival of junior-college transfer Mohammed Seisay and the emergence of Andrew Green towards the end of 2011, Evans looks like he will need a superlative effort this spring to keep his starting job.

Jason Ankrah

Filling the defensive end spot opposite Cameron Meredith might be one of the more competitive races this spring. Ankrah got the starting nod for the Capital One Bowl, but he will be competing against Joseph Carter and Eric Martin, as well as Tobi Okuyemi and Donovan Vestal to keep that starting role.

Spencer Long

Long won the starting job for Nebraska’s bowl game against South Carolina, but he will be in a fight to keep the role from other players with experience in the program, including Andrew Rodriguez, Nick Ash, Brandon Thompson and Jake Cotton.

Additionally, Ryan Klachko and Givens Price will be pushing for playing time at guard and could displace Long if they perform well in the spring. 

Seung Hoon Choi

Choi’s story is amazing, and it makes it very easy to root for the guy. He arrived in the United States from South Korea at 14, able to speak very little English and with no knowledge of, much less experience playing, American football. He took to the language and the game in high school, and improved to the point where he made the roster at Nebraska. And by his junior year, he earned a starting role at guard.

But it’s still going to be a tough go for Choi to hold on to that starting position, with experience behind him and new talent like Ryan Klachko and Givens Price pushing for playing time.

If you would like to contact me directly to schedule an interview, ask a question or to get my recipe for a killer peach cobbler, you can send an e-mail to [e-mail]. (DISCLAIMER: Peach cobbler recipe might not be all that killer.)

Or, you could always ... Follow @patrickrunge