Nebraska football holds camp dedicated to fan-favorite position: 'This is Fullback U!'

Most of Nebraska’s assistant coaches brought stopwatches to Tuesday’s Matt Rhule Football Camp. Ron Brown brought a PowerPoint. Before a group of 60-plus camp participants, Nebraska’s director of player support and outreach made clear the importance of the day’s camp activities. As Brown showed pictures and told stories of the great fullbacks in Nebraska’s history — including Roger Craig, Tom Rathman, Joel Makovicka and Andy Janovich — he couldn't help but get fired up. “Is there anywhere else in the country that’s holding a fullback camp?” Brown said. “C’mon, you’ve gotta kidding me! This is Fullback U!” With Nebraska hosting two Matt Rhule Football Camps on the same day — a post-graduate event and a fullback camp — the Hawks Championship Center was a hub of activity Tuesday. Brown’s presentation to the campers revealed why Rhule set aside a dedicated two-hour period of work specifically tailored toward developing fullbacks. Nebraska has sent 12 fullbacks to the NFL, Brown said — and NU’s coaching staff is looking to add to that number in coming years. “You wanna be a fullback?” Brown asked. “This is the place to do it!” After taking in Brown’s presentation and other details from offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield and running backs coach EJ Barthel, the fullback camp participants moved into the on-field drills that they came for. An entire circuit of ball security drills was followed by stations focusing on technique as a ball carrier, taking proper angles as a lead blocker and a pass-catching drill. Alongside Nebraska coaches, most of the team’s prospective fullbacks helped campers run through drills. Two of those players were Trevor Ruth and Barret Liebentritt, in-state products who transferred to Nebraska as walk-ons in the spring. Ruth and Liebentritt both put on boxing gloves for one of the ball security drills, punching the ball carrier’s elbow in an attempt to force a fumble. Elsewhere, tight end Braden Klover and walk-on running back Cole Ballard tried to knock campers off balance with pads during another drill. Janiran Bonner, the hybrid tight end/fullback who impressed during Nebraska’s spring game, also helped with drills as did tight end Luke Lindenmeyer. Even more current Huskers were present during the two hours where the post-graduate and fullback camps overlapped. Punter Brian Buschini, defensive linemen Ru’Quan Buckley and Jason Maciejczak, wide receivers Josh Fleeks and Barron Milles were joined by quarterbacks Chubba Purdy and Jack Woche during the afternoon’s drills. High school seniors, junior college transfers and transfer portal entrants made up the participants in the post-graduate camp, who took part in several conditioning drills alongside the fullbacks. With coaches from in-state programs such as Midland, Peru State and Nebraska-Kearney looking on, Nebraska assistants worked the stopwatches on 40-yard dashes and three-cone drills. A small number of out-of-state coaches also attended the day’s camps, including coaches from Rice and UTEP. The biggest camp planned for June, Nebraska’s traditional Friday Night Lights camp, will be held later this week.