Offensive Coordinator Marcus Satterfield
Pre-Fall Camp Press Conference
July 30, 2024

On conversations about changes he wants to make this season:

“There isn’t a lot of changes, I think it’s just the mindset on how we are teaching the quarterback. The reason that we hired Glenn (Thomas) is that we are very familiar with him and I know how he is going to teach the quarterback and the calmness he does it with. I’m really pleased from the spring to this point where these guys are.”

On Carter Nelson:
“More of a position made for him. I think that whether you’re playing 8-man football or 11-man football, when you go from high school to the Big Ten, that’s a huge transition physically. As athletic, with all the tools that he’s been given, we didn’t want to slow his path to the field down by trying to make him block a 6-foot-5 285 pound defensive end. We wanted him to do what he does best which is run routes, get open, catch the ball, play in space. So we thought if we taught from the outside, back to inside, it’ll get him on the field a little bit quicker. That’s kind of the direction of why we did that.” 

On if the second and third team players can push the first team players:
“It’s amazing. The depth that we have. Last year when we were going through it, it was not a lot of fun when all those freshmen that had to play receiver. The depth that we have now because of that is awesome and it’s a super power for us because competition is everything in our program. You could go out there this week and be a one and look up and you’ll be a three next week if you are not performing at the right standard that we are asking for. It’s the same with the offensive line. We’ve got some older guys that have played a lot of football there but just the depth that we have that we’ve developed there has been really good.”

On the importance of the younger players continuing to progress through camp:
“The cool thing is the veteran guys that we brought in, when we were recruiting those guys like Isaiah (Neyor) and Jahmal (Banks), we talked to them about being big brothers and I think they really embraced that role. I think the younger receivers have not looked at them as ‘I’m not going to get on the field because we have older guys.’ They’ve looked at them as big brother types and I think they’ve done a really nice job of mentoring the young guys and teaching them how to practice, teaching them how to work, teaching them how to be pros. Again, I think they’re going to play off each other. There’s great competition in that room.” 

On the key to eliminating giveaways:
“Obviously you all, we, the citizens of Nebraska, know that you can’t turn the ball over and I think you can talk about that but once our guys globally, coaches, players, everything, look back and know how different the season could have been if we don’t turn the ball over. I think they know how critical that is and I think starting last spring the emphasis on not turning the ball over. If we have to just take a knee three times and punt the ball but we don’t turn it over we will do that. But we are not going to turn the ball over. And they know that if you turn the ball over you are not going to play. Just talking about the depth that we’ve developed on offense we’re at a point now where if you do turn the ball over you are coming out of the game and whether you get out there again or not that is yet to be seen.”

On expectations for Dylan Raiola:
“All three quarterbacks, I haven’t really seen them. Coach (Rhule) really made us get away this year and let the players kind of take over. Last time I saw those guys in June, they had taken another step since the spring from throwing the football. That was an emphasis for us going into spring ball was throwing the football. They had a good June, and then I’m anxious to get back to see where they are. I obviously heard people talking about how all those guys are developing. Danny (Daniel Kaelin), Heinrich (Haarberg), and Dylan (Raiola). All of them had great summers. A great last three weeks especially.” 

On how far ahead Dylan Raiola is mentally compared to other true freshmen he’s coached:
“I think it’s his work ethic the way he attacks it. He’ll stay up all night just rewriting notes and rewriting plays just to make sure he can call them in the proper cadence in the proper rhythm. He’s just obsessed with trying to be really good and that shows in the development thus far since he’s been here since January and I’m just anxious to see what it’s going to look like this week for all three of those dudes.”

On if incoming freshman quarterbacks are more advanced now:
“I think it is just sped up a lot. Back in the day when you were a quarterback you played baseball, basketball, you did everything. Now, especially the high-end quarterbacks, they’ve played quarterback for 6-7 years now and that’s all they’ve done. They prepared and learned how to prepare. They learned how to watch film at an early age. The offenses, going back down into the high-school level, are so advanced now that by the time they get on campus here mentally they are at a higher rate then they were 10 years ago. Just the physical component, like how fast can they physically get ready to get out there and perform.”

On what he wants to see at running back:
“In game competition, I want to see who goes out there and takes care of the ball and can make guys miss, knows their pass protections, can catch the ball in the backfield. It’d be great if we have guys that are great in all aspects of those three phases, but obviously we can play with three guys. Don’t really want to play with three guys, want to get guys in there and let them roll. Get in the rhythm of the game. We’re in a good spot, just like at wide receiver. Just to go out there and you may be the starter this week, but you better compete and you better live up to the standard or it won’t be like that in week two. It will be exciting to watch.”

On Emmett Johnson:
“I think it was huge for him to get to play those games and getting all those reps in the spring. I think that he’s confident just with the amount of football that he’s played, which will allow him to hopefully be very productive this year.” 

On Rahmir Johnson:
“Super athletic, smart, high football IQ. Good pass protection obviously. Catches the ball very well out of the backfield. Makes people miss. Wish we would have had him the whole year. Again helped Emmett (Johnson) develop. Looking forward to getting him out there and seeing what he can do.” 

On in-helmet communication:
“It’s amazing. I’ve listened to so many interviews from coaches and how some teams haven’t even used it yet. I think Coach (Rhule) pushed us to make sure we are the best that we could possibly be on headsets and using the iPads. We’ve used those at every scrimmage. I think it’s great. I think we have to be careful to not say too much. I can’t imagine being out there during a Big Ten game as a quarterback and us talking to you the whole time. You just can’t do that. You need to give them the proper information in a sequence that gives them rhythm in a way that they can call plays. And obviously in 15 seconds if there’s things that we can’t get to I’m going to try to not talk too much. Just front load it early. Like ‘A, B, C, D, E, let’s go baby here we go.’ And then if there’s something that pops obviously we will tell them. I don’t want to be talking the whole time.”

On if he’ll tailor how he talks with in-helmet communication to the player:
“Each guy is different just how you talk to them. I think it’s critical for the fact that we were able to get such a head start on it and do it all spring.” 

On Thomas Fidone:
“I’m really pleased with where he is. He’s put weight on, he’s running really well, changing direction really well. All skills are improving. He’s had a really good summer, and I love the fact that he is obsessed with being the best version of himself. I think he works toward that and he has a standard every day and he lives up to it. I’m really excited to see how far he can take it this year. We’re definitely going to need him to produce for us, we’re going to put him in a position of use.” 

On how many times he’s had an offensive line with the potential and experience this one does:
“Never. Never this depth and experience. It’s a good problem to have.”

On how the offensive line will help the skill players:
“I think it’s huge just to have pass protection. Sometimes offensive lines get a bad rap for sacks and it has nothing to do with what they were doing. It has something to do with the quarterback’s depth, the quarterback not getting rid of the ball, the receivers not running the proper routes, things like that. I think just their ability to pass protect and their comfort in our system in year two is going to allow them to protect the quarterback and block and create seams for the running backs which bleeds out through the entire team for success.