Steven Sipple: As Rhule and Nebraska staff wrestle with RB rotation, Rahmir Johnson ranks as most intriguing of group

Things I know, and things I think I know: Nebraska coach Matt Rhule wasn’t ready to lay out his team’s running back rotation for the season opener.

As of Saturday, he said, no one had outwardly won the job.

Rhule, though, can tell you what isn’t going to happen at the position.

“What we’re not going to do is play five tailbacks in a game — that’s too hard,” Rhule said. “Somebody’s got to emerge.”

You’ll seldom find a head coach who can be as straightforward and illuminating as Rhule when it comes to discussing personnel matters.

“Really, honestly, you need two (running backs),” he said. “In a perfect world, if one guy gets 20 carries and one guy’s getting 12 carries, and one guy’s a role player, then you’re really sturdy, you’re really healthy.

“I don’t know who that is, yet.”

He added, “We need to know that here shortly because we’re not going to get to game day and make a decision.”

Translation: Rhule wants the matter ironed out before August 31, when Nebraska opens against UTEP. Anybody paying any attention at all can hear urgency escalating in Rhule’s voice — especially in these depth-chart conversations — as the season nears.

It’s beautiful, isn’t it?

Matt Rhule confident in depth at kicker, provides update on Alvano, Buschini

Rahmir Johnson most intriguing of RBs

As for the Nebraska running back matter, I’m here to help. If you’ve been paying attention to Husker football during the past several months, it seems clear that the top three — in no certain order — are Rahmir Johnson , Emmett Johnson , and Gabe Ervin .

OK, truth be told, I place Rahmir Johnson first on the list because he intrigues me the most. Go clear back to a rainy late-November day in 2019 at Maryland. As a true freshman, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Johnson rushed 18 times for 55 yards in Nebraska’s 54-7 win. He ran with utter abandon between the tackles. He was absolutely fearless. Got bounced around, was hit hard. Never winced. It’s burned in my memory.

A native of Harlem, New York, Johnson enjoyed an especially strong 2021 season, rushing for 495 yards and four touchdowns (4.4 ypc) while catching 16 passes for 197 yards and two more scores. Nebraska fans might remember his 172 all-purpose yards against Michigan. He was excellent that night.

Rhule mentioned an element that ranks high in Nebraska coaches’ evaluation of the backs. They want someone who can take it 80 yards to paydirt. In this group, Rahmir Johnson is most likely to do that.

By the way, Rahmir now carries 200 pounds on his frame.

My radio partner, former Husker assistant Bill Busch , raves about Johnson’s can-do attitude on special teams.

My educated guess is Rahmir Johnson will be either the starter or No. 2 on the depth chart come August 31.

Rhule paints clear picture of what he wants

Let’s go a step further: My educated guess is sophomore Emmett Johnson also will be either No. 1 or No. 2, with Ervin, a 6-1, 220-pound junior, serving as the “role player” in Rhule’s perfect running back world.

That would put Dante Dowdell , the 6-2, 225-pound transfer from Oregon, at No. 4. That’s a strong top four. Granted, it’s not a top four filled with star power. I don’t see an Ahman Green or Ameer Abdullah in the group. But it’s certainly a group of hard-nosed runners. They’ll hammer the ball between the tackles.

Plus, make no mistake, Rhule likes what he sees in redshirt freshman Kwinten Ives , who now carries 210 pounds on his 6-3 frame. He was listed at 6-2 and 185 in the spring.

We’ll find out soon enough exactly what the running back pecking order looks like. In the meantime, we know what the head coach wants from the position.

“In year one, you’re playing the guys who can execute and just know what to do, right?” Rhule said. “Now that everyone knows what to do, it’s, ‘OK, who can execute? Who plays with great technique? Who plays with great effort, speed, and physicality?’

“If we’re all just checking the boxes of execution, who takes the ball 80? Who makes that guy miss and scores a touchdown?”

Johnson and Johnson. Rahmir and Emmett. Emmett and Rahmir. Take your pick.

That’s my educated guess.

Here and there …

*** Javin Wright keeps getting tested by health matters that are zero fault of his own. It’s been difficult to watch at times. But his attitude is beautiful. He’s proud of the mental strength he’s already shown in recent years. “You can never take that away from me,” he said recently. He’s definitely in my thoughts.

***Coaches often lean toward players with experience, especially in a conference with coaching as strong as it is in the Big Ten. Which is why junior Mikai Gbayor (four starts in 2023) becomes so important in Nebraska’s inside linebacker discussion. Think about how much one missed assignment can cost a team in a close game. Good thing NU blows out so many teams, right? Not. That said, it’s hard to ignore the explosion that true freshman Vincent Shavers Jr. offers. Bottom line, you’ll probably see a lot of both Gbayor and Shavers if Wright is unable to play.

***If you’re a Nebraska fan, maybe the most important bit of good news out of Rhule’s media session Saturday was his contention that punter Brian Buschini has had a “really strong” camp.

***Regarding Nebraska’s quarterback position: At some point, coaches can’t worry about players’ feelings and how they’ll react to depth-chart news. It’s almost time for Nebraska to lock in hard on UTEP — it could happen as early as Wednesday — which means it’s time to name the starting quarterback. All signs point to … do I even need to say Dylan Raiola ?

Tip of the cap to Heinrich Haarberg and Daniel Kaelin , but especially Haarberg because the veteran QB carries himself with such grace in a challenging situation for him. By the way, we’re told he’s enjoyed a strong camp.

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