Which Starting Jobs Have Big Shoes to Fill?
Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: OscarGalindo30 in the coupon code area. Another season has come and gone and that means graduations and departures for every team. As a result, we can see positions that belonged to long-time starters,…
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Another season has come and gone and that means graduations and departures for every team. As a result, we can see positions that belonged to long-time starters, open up and leave holes that need to be figured out before the season kicks off. In some cases, some players have already started getting their feet wet, and others will enter into big roles fresh off of JV/Freshman teams.
Check out these three position openings that left behind big shoes to fill.
Gretna QB:
Replacing the Class A career leader in passing yards is not going to be an easy task. That’s the reality the Gretna Dragons face as they said goodbye to four-year starter and Oklahoma State QB Zane Flores Zane Flores 6'3" | 190 lbs | QB Gretna | 2023 State NE . However, if there’s a team that can manage that blow, it’s the well-coached, well-developed Dragons. As of right now, junior DB/QB Alex Wilcoxson Alex Wilcoxson 6'0" | 175 lbs | ATH Gretna | 2024 State NE looks like the heir apparent to take over the QB1 role after serving as the backup in 2022. We don’t have a very big throwing sample for Alex, completing 6/6 passes for 44 yards and a touchdown, but he did rush for 138 yards and a rushing touchdown. Alex is a great overall athlete that posted 27 tackles and 5 interceptions as a DB and has been a playmaker on the basketball court. Whoever the QB is, they will have RB Isaiah Weber Isaiah Weber 5'7" | 170 lbs | RB Gretna | 2024 State NE joining them in the backfield, an OL returning with a lot of experience, and athletes on the perimeters to throw to. Some other Gretna QBs to watch are 2025 Jake Mowinkel Jake Mowinkel 6'0" | 150 lbs | QB Gretna | 2025 NE and 2026 Logan Kracht Logan Kracht 6'1" | 160 lbs | QB Millard West | 2026 State NE .
Alex Wilcoxson Alex Wilcoxson 6'0" | 175 lbs | ATH Gretna | 2024 State NE | 2024 | 6’0″ 175 lbs
Jake Mowinkel Jake Mowinkel 6'0" | 150 lbs | QB Gretna | 2025 NE | 2025 | 6’0″ 160 lbs
Logan Kracht Logan Kracht 6'1" | 160 lbs | QB Millard West | 2026 State NE | 2026 | 5’11” 150 lbs
Creighton Prep RB:
The Jr. Jays will lose a very talented 2023 class featuring several elite players at key positions. The one that might be most important is replacing top ’23 RB CharMar Brown CharMar Brown 6'0" | 200 lbs | RB Creighton Prep | 2023 State NE . Brown rushed for 2,600+ rushing yards and 31 touchdowns in the past two seasons. Prep rode their workhorse back behind a monster offensive line for a tough, ground-and-pound style of football. The returning leading rusher is QB Tony Coniglio with 78 yards, so it’s safe to say next year’s starter will be fresh to the varsity scene. Two names that stick out to me are 2024 RB/LB Ryan Uhl Ryan Uhl LB Creighton Prep | 2024 NE and 2025 RB Jacob Ruby as candidates to emerge as RB1. Ryan Uhl Ryan Uhl LB Creighton Prep | 2024 NE saw more playing time on defense and racked up 24 tackles and a tackle for loss. Jacob is second in returning rushing yards with 77 yards and found the endzone for his lone touchdown. Interesting position to watch this spring/summer!
Ryan Uhl Ryan Uhl LB Creighton Prep | 2024 NE | 2024 | RB/LB
Jacob Ruby | 2025 | RB/DB | 5’7″ 155 lbs
Elkhorn South RB:
The Storm is another team that will trot out week one without their long-time starting RB, Husker signee Cole Ballard Cole Ballard 6'0" | 190 lbs | RB Elkhorn South | 2023 State NE . Ballard’s 4,230 career all-purpose yards and 77 touchdowns are a lot of production to have to replace. Luckily, Elkhorn South has set themselves up nicely with a solid 1-2 punch at RB with junior Brady Bousquet Brady Bousquet 5'8" | 180 lbs | RB Elkhorn South | 2024 State NE and sophomore Gavin Shanahan Gavin Shanahan 5'9" | 185 lbs | RB Elkhorn South | 2025 State NE . Both backs received backup carries last season and performed very well with the carries they had. Bousquet rushed for 364 yards on 44 carries and scored five touchdowns. Gavin carried the ball 43 times for 247 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Brady looks like the slight favorite, but if both backs come out hot, I wouldn’t be surprised to see split carries to a certain extent.
Brady Bousquet Brady Bousquet 5'8" | 180 lbs | RB Elkhorn South | 2024 State NE | 2024 | 5’8″ 180 lbs
Gavin Shanahan Gavin Shanahan 5'9" | 185 lbs | RB Elkhorn South | 2025 State NE | 2025 | 5’9″ 180 lbs
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