Of rather important matter, especially given that Nebraska is down to three scholarship quarterbacks, Heinrich Haarberg seems devoted to running it back and competing in the Husker program in 2024.
Haarberg offered his perspective on the year that was, and what’s ahead, while appearing this week on the «Doug & Daddy Show» on ESPN Tri-Cities. The Kearney Catholic grad offered a 30-minute interview worth a listen while back home for winter break.
Just a few snippets, though the link above should ultimately be your best friend for the whole thing as Haarberg sat down with Doug Duda and Jim Langin.
– About Dylan Raiola and Daniel Kaelin coming aboard, «I’m glad Nebraska can attract this high of recruits. That says something about what we’ve done and what we’ve shown this year under Coach Rhule. So I’m glad both of them are coming in. Daniel, that’s a hard spot to be put in. He’s probably told your’e going to be the only quarterback and I know he works his butt off. I think it’s a testament to him for sticking to his commitment. Dylan seems like a great kid.»
– Haarberg joked that it’s strange being the «old head» in the room now. «Shoot, I can’t even go on O Street,» he said of the popular hangout street for UNL students. «I’m not even 21 yet. So I don’t know I’m the old head. It’s crazy kind of the cycle we’ve been through for quarterbacks.»
He pointed out he was the longest tenured Husker quarterback last year, and also the youngest. Weird times. «But hopefully I can uphold (and) keep building the standard of the quarterback room. Be a leader as much as I can to my room, to the offense.»
– Haarberg spoke of how close the QB room was last year. He was tight with Chubba Purdy, who announced last week he was transferring from the program. Haarberg and Purdy would golf every other day in the spring together.
«Love Jeff. Love Chubba. Those are guys that I’ll talk to for the rest of my life,» Haarberg said. «I think both of them are really talented. Jeff, obviously, I think the year for him, (like) Colorado … it’s so hard when the bottom is falling out from underneath you. That’s why Chubba and I tried to lift him up as much as we could because we knew there was going to be a point where we needed Jeff, and there was against Maryland.»
Haarberg added that he expects Purdy to do big things wherever he goes.
– The quarterback said coaches told him last season he’s too good of an athlete to put on the bench. NU fans will remember the Huskers used him as a tight end on some plays in the first two games, and Haarberg even caught a pass to move the chains on a third down.
He said coaches told him they’re going to keep developing him at quarterback and that he’ll never go to a tight end meeting or receivers meeting. But they did want to use him in different packages at other positions.
«Moving forward if I don’t get the starting quarterback spot, yeah, I’ll line up at tight end, run a couple routes. Maybe go to running back. You never know.»
– Haarberg added how Husker head coach Matt Rhule spoke about the defense already being «positionless» in a lot of ways, and wanting the offense to keep moving in that direction.
That seems appealing to Haarberg, whose versatility could make him an interesting chess piece if someone else won the starting quarterback job.
«Obviously I’m going to keep battling. My first goal is to continue to be the starting quarterback. So going to continue to do that.»