Gabe Ervin Jr. emerges as Nebraska RB starter after Matt Rhule’s announcement: "He's big; he's powerful"

Coach Matt Rhule has said that Gabe Ervin is set to be the running back starter for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 2023 campaign.

Ervin was a three-star prospect when he committed to the Cornhuskers in 2020. As he enters the new season as a redshirt sophomore, Rhule has put his faith in the running back's capabilities.

The first two years of Ervin's career in Nebraska were plagued by injuries. Last season, he had only 20 carries for 94 yards. His record during this period stands at 218 rushing yards on 57 carries, but the running back has been in the good books of Rhule ever since day 1.

On Saturday, the Huskers coach talked about his team's depth chart, where he said that Gabe Ervin will be the No.1 running back in 2023. Rhule added thta Ervin has made a postive impression since joining the team.

"I didn't see him before. But from the day I got here, I was like 'wow, that's what it's supposed to look like.' He's big. He's powerful. He can run behind his pads, he can run anything you want to run. He's good in protection'", Rhule said.

Rhule also went on to talk about Anthony Grant, the most-played running back last season. Grant had 915 rushing yards in 2022, but his fumbles in training camp is concerning for the coach.

"When the ball is in his hands, Anthony is elite running the football. Anthony has put the ball on the ground too much. No matter how talented you are, if you fumble the football, you can't play for us", he said.

Gabe Ervin beat Rahmir Johnson and Anthony Grant for the starting job on the roster. This time, he will hope that he does not suffer from any injuries when the season starts. The reason Ervin has impressed is because of his size (220 lbs) and speed (40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds).

The Nebraska Cornhuskers ended last season with a 4-8 record, leading the team to replace Scott Frost with Matt Rhule. Gabe Ervin has been on Matt Rhule's radar ever since, gaining the confidence of a coach hoping for a better campaign in 2023.

The offensive line mostly stays the same as it was last year. As Ervin enters his third year of college football, he will look forward to fulfill the expectations of his coach.

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Matt Rhule sheds light on Cornhuskers' training camp

The scrimmage on Aug. 12 for the Cornhuskers saw the offensive line struggle to make plays on the field.

Wide receiver Zavier Betts left the team for a second time, opening the spot for many freshmen to make their mark. The team has got the likes of Jaylen Lloyd or Malachi Coleman coming in clutch for the team, but it is highly unlikely that it will be during their season opener against Minnesota.

In the quarterback position, they've got Georgia Tech transfer, Jeff Simms. He played 23 games in the last three seasons and threw for 1,115 yards and five touchdowns in 2022 before being out with an injury.

Matt Rhule is confident that backups Heinrich Haarberg, Chubba Purdy and Luke Longval can shoulder the responsibility if Simms gets injured this season.

He also talked about how the defense dominated training and showed their potential while avoiding injuries.

It looks like Matt Rhule does not have to worry a lot about his defensive line underperforming and allowing touchdowns on the gridiron.

"I thought the defense was lights out. A lot of passion and energy, and they're significantly further ahead of the offense based on today. A lot of work to do on offense and the kicking game", he said.

The Cornhuskers are looking for a better season than last year under their new coach. Now, it will all depend on how Matt Rhule's strategies translate into the way the team makes plays on the field in the upcoming season.