Spring Football: Nebraska Cornhuskers Are Looking for a Quarterback

The most intriguing aspect of the Huskers' 2010 spring practice will be the quarterback battle.

When practice starts in 16 days, we will have an old fashioned quarterback competition, with the green “no contact” jerseys being shelved for the first time in years. With a returning defense that is expected to be excellent if not dominant (Pelini has promised that the 2010 Blackshirts will be “five times better” than the 2009 version), the QB position is one of the last pieces to the puzzle.

A Saturday OWH article noted that not only will Zac Lee miss spring practice as he recovers from surgery, he may not even be ready to start throwing until May. How much that will set him back in this race remains to be seen, but it’s not a good time to be out of sight and out of mind.

Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson may have tipped his hand when he said:

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“[Cody Green] had a good winter. He’s a much more mature and confident player than he was last year at this time. He’s taking advantage of the opportunity afforded to him right now. He’s seizing the moment.”

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Watson also mentioned Kody Spano and Taylor Martinez as guys who will get a good look in spring ball, so it looks like it’s a three horse race.

If I had to make a mid-March prediction, it would go something like this:

1. Green will come out ahead in the Green/Spano/Martinez battle this spring
2. He’ll show enough improvement and polish that the coaches will pencil him in as the leader in the clubhouse (whether publicly or privately) going into the summer
3. When fall practice rolls around, Green will win the nod over Lee in a close race because he fits the mold of what the Huskers are trying to do at QB, as evidenced by the recruiting of Brion Carnes and Jamal Turner. (Having three years of eligibility left won’t hurt either.)

What do you think?

This article originally appeared on Better Off Red .

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