Nebraska special teams coordinator Ed Foley met with the media following day seven of fall camp on Monday. Foley spoke on top candidates for the kicking position and what he’s looking for from his group.
“The kicking jobs are all open so to say, but who are we kidding right?,” Foley said. “The kicking job is a battle between Tristan Alvano and Timmy Bleekrode for both jobs (place-kicker and kickoffs), with Brian Buschini involved in kickoff as well. Brian is doing a nice job with it and there’s a fine line during this time of year. We’re not trying to do too much in terms of getting a bunch of kickoffs, we want to make sure Brian is getting his time off. So we’re trying to be smart about how we’re separating that, but Brian is going to be our starting punter. I don’t see any secret about that.“
Foley also spoke on the atmosphere and competition between the kickers.
“This is my 35th year coaching college football and whether I was coaching the offensive line, the tight ends or even special teams, competition is always good for everybody,” he said. “I’m really pleased with how those guys are pushing and supporting each other. With Brian in the middle, it's a fun room. I told the guys that I love coaching this room. There’s a lot of positive energy, and there’s a lot of guys working on their craft to get better.”
Foley then discussed what he is looking for from the Husker kickers this season.
“The No. 1 thing that we’re looking for right now is the percentage of kicks through the pipes at a higher level,” Foley said. “I’m quantifying who’s better from what distance right now. It’s still early, and we’re just collecting data and seeing who’s making more kicks from whatever distance it is."
Lastly, Foley also spoke on the freshmen on special teams and the impact they might make in the 2023 season.
“There are freshmen that can play on special teams,” Foley said. “They’re certainly projecting right now. There’s a number of them that are there as backups. When it comes to starting for us, mid-season, injury break or because they’ve earned it, there’s a young group of guys out there running around. They’re fun too and great to coach.”
Nebraska continues fall camp with practice on Tuesday. The Huskers open the season on Thursday, Aug. 31 at Minnesota.