Nebraska Football: 5 Players with the Most to Gain in Spring Practices

Spring practice officially begins for Nebraska football on Saturday, March 7. As head coach Mike Riley gears up for his first season with the Huskers, there are key players Nebraska fans will have their eyes on.

Plus, Husker fans are anxious to see what Riley and his staff can do with the current roster. That's what makes this spring even more intriguing. Whether it's the possibility of a quarterback controversy or the question marks on defense, there's plenty that spring practice needs to sort out.

Nebraska's annual spring game is April 11, which gives the Huskers a little over a month before fans get a firsthand look at what the 2015 team has to offer. What will fans see, especially from key players?

Let's take a look at the players who have the most to gain in spring practices.

QB Tommy Armstrong

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Tommy Armstrong returns this spring as the experienced quarterback for the Huskers. However, that doesn't guarantee he'll be the man in charge come fall.

Johnny Stanton and Ryker Fyfe are two players that are hoping to use spring practice to make an impression on the new staff. Considering all three will be learning a new system from Riley, it definitely puts the quarterbacks on more equal playing field.

Riley does like Armstrong, though. He's been clear about that.

“I like how he plays, competes, makes plays,” Riley told Rich Kaipust World-Herald (via the North Platte Telegraph). “It’s a little different skill set than I’ve been used to, but I’m kind of excited about that.”

That doesn't mean the job is guaranteed to Armstrong. Instead, he'll need to have a solid spring practice and prove he can fit in Riley's new offensive scheme.

I-Back Imani Cross

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Ameer Abdullah has left the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and he leaves big shoes to fill. Who fills them is going to be on many minds this spring.

Imani Cross has the opportunity to be a player to fill those shoes. The Georgia native has had decent showings in his three seasons with the Huskers. In his career, he's rushed for 1,155 yards on 215 attempts for 22 touchdowns. That definitely shows some promise for the I-back in 2015.

Cross understood what he needed to do for the Huskers at the end of the 2013 season, as Brian Christopherson of the Lincoln Journal Star reported. One year later, he's in the same boat.

It's going to be all about competition for Cross. It's also going to be about leadership. He may not be Abdullah, but no one expects him to be. Instead, Cross simply needs to be himself and use the spring to become the best he can be.

Offensive Lineman Tanner Farmer

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Tanner Farmer

The Huskers offensive line is going to need a great spring. With little playing time on the line as it is now, redshirt freshman Tanner Farmer has to feel good about his odds to start come fall.

However, Farmer is going to have to have a great spring to make that possible. Bleacher Report's Patrick Runge recently looked at what Farmer is up against:

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Farmer is one of three redshirts (along with D.J. Foster and Nick Gates) who will be in the mix this year for playing time on the offensive line. There are currently six senior offensive linemen, with two of those (Matt Finnin and Chongo Kondolo) limited to reserve roles. Of the five sophomores and juniors on the offensive line, only one (Paul Thurston) has really claimed any significant playing time.

That means the door should be open for the incoming redshirt freshmen to fight for and win a starting spot on the line. As the highest-rated recruit, according to 247Sports, Farmer gets the slight nod over the other two, but all three redshirt freshman offensive linemen should see a terrific opportunity for themselves in 2015.

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Both Foster and Gates will be out to prove their abilities to Riley, but like Runge said, Farmer is definitely in the lead. If he performs well in spring practice, he could seal the deal for a starting role come fall.

Cornerback Eric Lee

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Eric Lee

Cornerback Eric Lee enrolled early at Nebraska, which is a huge benefit to both him and the Husker defense. This spring, he'll have the opportunity to make a case to Riley that he deserves a chance to play right away. It won't be easy, though.

Lee will have some competition this spring; however, Hail Varsity's Brandon Vogel felt that's a good thing:

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The Huskers will have plenty of competition in the secondary this season with two starters (Nate Gerry, Daniel Davie) and a slew of contributors from 2014 returning. Add to that Lee and two other members of the 2015 class—[Avery] Anderson and Atlanta defensive back Aaron Williams—who enrolled early and Nebraska will have some sorting to do this spring. Lee is good enough to make his way into the rotation and if he does it’s probably a very good sign given the number of players he’ll have to beat out for snaps.

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That competition should bring out the best in Lee. If he handles it well, it could mean he'll see the field come fall. The fact that he'll have all spring to work out and practice with the Huskers is a huge opportunity for the young cornerback.

Defensive End Mick Stoltenberg

Nati Harnik/Associated Press

It's no secret that Nebraska is thin at the defensive end position for 2015. With the departure of Randy Gregory to the NFL, as well as Avery Moss being denied re-entry to the university, Riley is going to be looking for players to step up at defensive end this spring.

A player that could do just that is redshirt freshman Mick Stoltenberg. While he'll also receive competition from Sedrick King, Stoltenberg could absolutely benefit from a strong performance during spring practice.

While a member of the scout team, Stoltenberg received high praise from former offensive coordinator Tim Beck, per Brian Christopherson of the Lincoln Journal Star:

"He’s doing an awfully good job playing the D-line. He plays wherever we need him. It depends what the (opposing defense) plays, who’s injured. He’s going to be a really good player."

Now, Stoltenberg has a chance to turn his scout-team MVPs into playing time in 2015. It all depends on how he uses spring practice.