LINCOLN — Redshirt freshman quarterback Patrick O’Brien knows he’s one play away from running Nebraska’s offense in a game. If starter Tanner Lee has to leave for any reason, the duty will likely fall to O’Brien as the primary backup.
“Nothing really changes in the way I prepare — I prepare to be the starter,” O’Brien told The World-Herald on Thursday in his first comments since spring practice, when he was competing with Lee for the starting job. “I could go in any time. That’s just my mentality.”
Coaches named Lee NU’s starter just days after the spring game. O’Brien, a four-star recruit in the 2016 class, redshirted as a true freshman.
O’Brien said it was “obviously very disappointing” losing the starting job. He said coach Mike Riley told him Nebraska had “two great quarterbacks” but felt “more comfortable with Tanner.”
“I respect that decision,” the 6-foot-4, 230-pound O’Brien said. “I’m going to do whatever’s best for the team. If that’s being second string for the team at the moment, that’s what it’s going to be.”
O’Brien said he didn’t consider transferring.
“I want to succeed here,” he said. “This is the school that first took a chance on me, so I owe them that. This is where I want to succeed. This is where I want to play my college football.”
Nebraska was the first team to offer O’Brien a scholarship in 2015. He committed to NU not long after the offer and stuck with the Huskers despite getting offers from elsewhere.
So he’ll prepare like he’s going to start and work on staying sharp, even though he’s getting fewer reps than he did in the spring.
His emphasis points: “Being consistent, limiting mishaps in the offense, knowing the offense as a whole.”
Quick hits
» Riley called Arkansas State’s defensive line “scary” on Thursday. Most notably, Riley pointed out No. 11, Ja’Von Rolland-Jones. Rolland-Jones was the Sun Belt Conference player of the year in 2016. He had 1.04 sacks per game in 2016, good for fifth in the country. He broke the Sun Belt season record for sacks, which was 13.5. Nebraska’s offensive line has been scrutinized by Riley this offseason, so it should be a good test early for the Huskers.
» Nebraska wide receiver Keyan Williams is out with a hamstring injury. Williams injured his hamstring earlier in fall camp and returned. Riley said Williams was back for only a few minutes before he reinjured the hamstring.
Williams transferred from Fresno State in 2016 and sat out last year. He has not yet played a game for Nebraska. Behind him in the slot position is senior wide receiver Gabe Rahn, who received a scholarship on Thursday.
QB Patrick O'Brien embracing backup role behind Tanner Lee
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