Nebraska football: 3 Huskers that need to improve in 2021
By Ethan Lee
Austin Allen can be a reliable downfield target for Scott Frost and the Nebraska football team.
Nebraska’s offense needs guys to catch passes. That’s just a fact of life. If this offense is going to get off the ground, someone will have to step up as a receiving threat. That’s especially true after Wan’Dale Robinson took his talents to Lexington, Kentucky.
Scott Frost and the Huskers will need for someone to step up as a consistent offensive threat for Adrian Martinez to get the ball to. Luckily for Nebraska, the Huskers have a pretty solid receiving threat whenever tight end Austin Allen is on the field.
In 2020, Allen caught 18 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown. While that might not seem like a lot, that happens to be the second-most receptions and second-most receiving yards for Nebraska last season.
Allen was second only to Robinson.
Now, it shouldn’t be expected that Allen will be able fully replace Robinson and his incredible production.
Allen isn’t the same sort of receiving threat as Robinson. He’s nowhere near as quick, but he happens to be considerably taller than Robinson. That could be a huge benefit for Martinez in the red zone.
As long as Allen can be consistent throughout the season and present when his offense needs him in big games, that’s a significant step in the right direction for Nebraska’s passing attack.