2023 Nebraska HS Football Preview: Eight-Man Players to Watch

Preseason MVP: ATH – Carter Nelson | Ainsworth | 6’5/215

Players to Watch
QB/LB/DB – Kamden Bose | Southern Valley | 6’2/175 – 1,864 passing yards, 18 TD’s; 186 rushing yards, 5 TD’s; 59 tackles, 4 TFL
QB – Ryan Brichacek | Clarkson/Leigh | 5’11/175 – 548 passing yards, 8 TD’s; 747 rushing yards, 12 TD’s
QB/DB – Trey Connell | South Loop | 5’9/160 – 417 passing yards, 5 TD’s; 1,383 rushing yards, 31 TD’s; 57 tackles, 3 INT’s
QB/DB – Kyle Cox | Sandhills/Thedford | 5’10/160 (Jr.) – 1,434 passing yards, 27 TD’s; 544 rushing yards, 18 TD’s; 52 tackles, 6 INT’s
QB – Drew Erhart | Palmyra | 5’10/155 – 2,169 passing yards, 31 TD’s
QB – Dylan Heine | Wynot | 6’1/160 – 2,269 passing, 36 TD’s; 368 rushing, 8 TD’s
QB – Jakin Neal | Alma | 5’9/150 – 1,977 passing yards (68.3 percent completions), 25 TD’s
QB/DB – Sloan Pelican | Johnson-Brock | 5’8/200 – 1,251 passing yards, 23 TD’s; 606 rushing yards, 12 TD’s; 75 tackles, 4 INT’s
QB/LB – Griffin Reimers | Palmer | 6’0/170 (Jr. ) – 582 passing yards, 3 TD’s; 1,044 rushing yards, 15 TD’s; 154 tackles, 7 TFL, INT
QB/DB – Riley Sudabeck | Hartington-Newcastle | 6’2/180 – 352 passing yards, 6 TD’s; 497 rushin gyards, 10 TD’s; 45 tackles, INT
QB/LB – Dylan Taylor | Laurel-Concord-Coleridge | 6’1/150 – 1,262 passing yards, 17 TD’s; 657 rushing yards, 14 TD’s; 49 tackles, 3 INT’s

FB/LB – Isaac Dickey | Cross County | 5’10/220 – Committed to Nebraska; 846 rushing yards, 21 TD’s; 68 tackles, 13 TFLLayne W
FB/LB – Kale Gustafson | Osceola | 6’5/220 – 486 passing, 8 TD’s; 1,481 rushing yards, 29 TD’s; 12 receptions, 196 receiving yards, 2 TD’s; 104 tackles, 5 INT’s

RB/DB – Ryker Evans | Hi-Line | 5’11/165 – Committed to Air Force; 1,268 rushing, 26 TD’s; 306 receiving yards, 3 TD’s; 87 tackles, 3 INT’s
RB/LB – Mavrick Hageman | Elkhorn Valley | 5’7/160 – 973 rushing yards, 13 TD’s; 119 receiving yards, TD; 94 tackles, 7 TFL, 4 sacks
RB/LB – Brody Krusemark | Pender | 5’10 – 745 rushing yards, 8 TD’s; 73 tackles, 5 TFL,sack, INT
RB/DB – Becker Pohlman | Stanton | 6’0/195 (Jr.) – 1,438 rushing yards, 25 TD’s; 87 tackles
RB/DB – Jackson Roberts | North Platte St. Patrick’s | 6’2/185 – 1,064 rushing yards (12.1/carry), 22 TD’s; Four special teams TD’s
RB/LB – Breckan Schulter | Exeter-Milligan/Friend | 6’1/200 – York News Times All-Area; 1,930 rushing yards, 30 TD’s; 45 tackles, 2 INT’s, 2 TFL
RB/DL – Taylor Smith | Giltner | 6’2/235 – 352 rushing yards, 5 TD’s; 65 tackles, 4 TFL, 4 sacks
RB/DB – Wiley Ziegler | Bloomfield | 5’8/150 – 1,618 rushing yards, 30 TD’s; 168 receiving yards, 3 TD’s; 85 tackles, 6 TFL, 6 INT’s

WR/LB – Bryson Gadeken | Neligh-Oakdale | 6’3/190 – 85 receptions, 1,197 yards, 9 TD’s; 145 tackles, 27 TFL, 2 sacks
WR/DB – Spencer Hille | Plainview | 6’2/175 – 56 receptions, 936 yards, 12 TD’s; 73 tackles, 4 INT’s
WR/DL – Blake Steer | Kenesaw | 6’4/190 – 22 receptions, 402 yards, 6 TD’s; 60 tackles, 9 sacks, 6 TFL
WR/DB – Layne Warrior | Bloomfield 6’3/180 – 590 receiving yards, 7 TD’s; 26 tackles, 5 INT’s, 3 TFL
WR/DB – Carson Wissler | Wynot – 71 receptions, 814 yards, 16 TD’s; 83 tackles, 7 INT’s

TE/DL/K – Brady Dahlberg | Sandhills/Thedford | 6’5/230 – 8 receptions, 159 yards, 2 TD’s; 48 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 sacks; 3/4 PAT’s
TE – Blake Henn | Elgin/Pope John | 6’3/210 – 12 receptions, 296 yards, 5 TD’s; 39 tackles
TE/DL – Tanner Hollinger | Cross County | 6’6/235 – Committed to Illinois; 13 receptions, 141 yards, TD; 50 tackles. 9 TFL

OL/DL – Tanner Bolte | BDS | 6’0/245 – Dominant on both sides of the football
OL – Ren Brown | Stanton | 6’5/240 (Jr.) – Mustangs averaged 395.2 yards per game in 2022
OL/DL – Sam Clements | Elmwood-Murdock | 6’1/225 – Knights averaged 473.9 yards per game in playoff season; 51 tackles, 9 TFL, 3 sacks, INT
OL/DL – Nolan DeBlois | Bridgeport | 6’5/310 – Bulldogs rushed for 284.1 yards per game in 2022; 27 tackles, 4 TFL
OL – Taylor Hubl | Hitchcock County | 5’11/280 – Hitchcock County rushed for 299.4 yards per game en route to D-2 state championship; 32 tackles, 3 sacks
OL – Drew Knoerzer | Hi-Line | 6’3/280 – Hi-Line averaged 342.2 yards per game in playoff appearance; 32 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 TFL
OL – Corbin Lemburg | Clarkson-Leigh | 6’4/300 (Jr.) – Offense averaged 302.5 rushing yards per game en route to D-1 state title
OL/DL – Riggin Ludeke | Loomis | 6’1/260 – 39 tackles, 6 TFL
OL – Mason Mackeprang | Bloomfield | 6’1/225 – Bees averaged 346 yards per game in 2022
OL/DL – Derek Noffsinger | Dundy County-Stratton | 6’3/320 – DCS rushed for 288.5 yards per contest in 2022; 35 tackles, 8 TFL
OL/LB – Alex Noyd | Cross County | 5’10/225 – Cross County rushed for 316.1 yards per game in 2022; TD rush; 115 tackles, 8 TFL, INT
OL/DL – Rio Remund | South Loop | 6’4/255 – Offense averaged 336.9 yards per game in 2022; 65 tackles, 9 sacks
OL/DL – Zeb Wilde | Sandhills/Thedford | 6’1/210 – Sandhills/Thedford averaged 313.3 yards per game in 2022; 89 tackles, 5 TFL, INT

DL – Trey Appelt | Ainsworth | 6’4/215 – First season of football in 2022; 245 receiving yards, 6 TD’s; 74 tackles, 17 TFL, 9 sacks, INT
DL – Nikk Brumels | Elm Creek | 6’1/170 – 59 tackles, 16 TFL, 9 sacks
DL – Brecken Erickson | North Platte St. Patrick’s | 6’3/220 – 30.5 TFL, 12.5 sacks, 2 INT’s, 2 defensive TD’s
DL – Brayden Harms | Weeping Water | 6’2/195 – 94 tackles, 9 TFL, 5 sacks
DL – Hagen Hodges | Burwell | 6’3/210 – Prospect with huge potential
DL – Jackson Kerchal | Dundy County-Stratton | 6’4/210 – 69 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks
DL – Dylan Lueking | Elgin/Pope John | 6’2/200 – 138 tackles, 3 TFL
DL – Collin Vrbka | Shelby-Rising City | 6’4/240 (Jr.) – Huge potential; 38 tackles, 2 TFL, sack

LB – Mitchell Hupp | Stanton | 6’3/185 – 348 receiving, 4 TD’s; 105 tackles, 4 sacks
LB – Hunter Perks | Cambridge | 6’0/175 – 114 tackles, 4 TFL, 1.5 sacks
LB – Will Steffen | Crofton | 5’9/155 – 80 tackles, 12.5 TFL, INT
LB – Wyatt Urkoski | High Plains | 5’10/175 – 369 rushing yards, 7 TD’s; 106 tackles, 6 TFL, 4 sacks

DB – Grady Kelley | Central Valley | 5’7/145 (Jr.) – 111 tackles, 3 INT’s
DB – Ethan Latta | Dundy County-Stratton | 5’10/150 (Soph.) – 305 rushing yards, 3 TD’s; 63 tackles, 10 INT’s
DB – Sayler Rhodes | Weeping Water | 5’10/165 – 442 rushing yards, 11 TD’s; 497 receiving yards, 8 TD’s; 118 tackles, 6 INT’s

2023 Preseason Elite 33: Offense | Defense | Class A | Class B | Class C-1 | Class C-2