Tag: Travis Vokolek

Nebraska tight end Travis Vokolek set for Friday return to Rutgers

Travis Vokolek talks about his return to SHI Stadium to play Rutgers football.

Travis Vokolek does not know many of the players left on the Rutgers football roster, but the former Scarlet Knights tight end is still looking forward to his return to New Jersey.

On Friday night, Rutgers (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) will host Nebraska (2-3, 1-1 Big Ten) in what will be a return home of sorts for Vokolek.

A class of 2017 recruit, Vokolek played for Rutgers under former head coach Chris Ash. He seemed primed for a big role in the offense following a redshirt freshman season in 2018 where he had 16 catches for 184 yards with two touchdowns.

Instead, the Missouri native transferred out from Rutgers to the Big Ten West program and has now settled in with the Cornhuskers.

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So far this season, Vokolek has seven catches for 76 yards for Nebraska.

“It will be a fun trip back to New Jersey. It is something that I have been looking forward to for awhile. I know a couple of guys on the team. A lot of them are gone now that I was close with,” Vokolek told reporters this week.

“Either graduated or transferred out. I have been in touch with those guys that we are going to see Friday and talking a little trash with them. But I am looking forward to getting out there and the challenge with the game this Friday.”

Coming out of Kickapoo High School (Springfield, MO), Vokolek was a two-star recruit.  He held Power Five offers from Minnesota and Rutgers.

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Vokolek is a big potential target for Nebraska if they can start to integrate him into the offense more effectively. The 6-foot-7, 260-pound tight end is built to be a red zone threat and a potential match-up nightmare for opposing defenses.

Nebraska interim head coach Mickey Joseph sees Vokolek’s impact on the offense and thinks it can and will grow.

“I think he will. Travis is a big part of this offense,” Joseph said.

“We look for him to catch balls, and he’s also a great run blocker. He knows pass protect also. He’s got a big role in this offense but I think we will see more of him.”

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2022 Husker Breakdown: Receivers and tight ends aplenty, who will step up?

Nebraska lost a lot of receiving production from last year, but a number of wideouts and tight ends have a chance to break out in 2021

Welcome to the third position-by-position breakdown of Nebraska Cornhuskers football, where the wide receivers and tight ends complete our analysis of the skill positions. The Huskers are pretty stable, at least on paper, at the quarterback and running back positions, but relatively speaking, the receiving core has a little bit more to prove. 

Just two of Nebraska’s 16 wide receivers on their roster donned the red and white last year. Former wideout Samori Toure is fighting for a roster spot with the Green Bay Packers currently after leading the Huskers with 898 yards and five touchdowns last year. Tight end Austin Allen, who set Nebraska single-season yardage records for a tight end, is doing the same with the New York Giants. No. 2 and 3 wideouts from 2021 Zavier Betts and Levi Falck are gone too. 

Nevertheless, the Nebraska pass catchers aren’t all doom and gloom, thanks to three transfers who should see a heap of playing time. Travis Vokolek is a physical presence at tight end that will improve on his 2021 stat line of 11 catches and 127 yards by leaps and bounds as well. 

But perhaps the biggest presence in the Husker’s group of pass catchers is someone that won’t be on the playing field: new wide receivers coach and former Nebraska QB Mickey Joseph, who arrives in Lincoln after coaching the likes of Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson at LSU. 

Perhaps a reason why Nebraska’s wideouts haven’t been as heralded as the QB’s and RB’s is because Joseph hasn’t taken it easy on Nebraska’s receivers. 

“My thing is, I rule with an iron fist. They understand that. They accept that. I’m never going to cater to them. I’m never going to tell them what they want to hear. I’m always going to tell the truth. And I’m going to demand that they play with excellence. That’s how you win,” Joseph said.

However, there’s still a group of six wideouts that Joseph seems to think can make an impact, and the Huskers have a couple wild cards that could also break out too. 

Offensive coordinator Mark Whipple loves his tight ends as Pitt’s top TE duo combined for 768 yards and 10 touchdowns on 65 catches last year. Vokolek is a good bet to lead the bunch this year but if last season is any indicator, there’ll be room for other Huskers tight ends such as Thomas Fidone to shine. 

Nebraska names team captains for 2022

Three blackshirts and one tight end have been elected by their teammates.

The 2022 Nebraska Cornhuskers have announced their team captains for the season. Three of the four players selected for the teamwide honor will play on the defensive side of the ball for the Huskers this year. Edge rushers Caleb Tannor, Garrett Nelson, and inside linebacker Nick Henrich are joined by tight end Travis Vokolek were announced on Saturday night.

Head coach Scott Frost said the team would name captains and award Blackshirts before leaving for Dublin. Given that the departure date from Lincoln is set for Monday, the timing of the announcement isn’t all that surprising. The Huskers will start the 2022 season next week when they take on the Northwestern Wildcats in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland, at Aviva Stadium on Saturday, August 27th.

Stay tuned to Cornhuskers Wire as we’ll have coverage of all the news and notes leading up to the kickoff from Dublin, Ireland. The start of the season is less than one week away.

A look at Nebraska’s Big Ten Media Day

Nebraska’s day in Indianapolis is complete!

Nebraska completed its Big Ten Media Day on Tuesday morning. Scott Frost and company were the first team to talk to the media in Indianapolis this year. A photo recap of the day can be found below. You can get a recap of Cornhuskers Wire coverage here. And for a look at social media reactions click here.

Nebraska announces 2022 Big Ten Media Day representatives

Who is making the trip to Indianapolis later this month?

The Nebraska athletic department has finally announced who will join Head Football Coach Scott Frost at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis. The two-day event will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium on July 26th and 27th. The Huskers will participate in the festivities on the 26th with fellow Big Ten teams Indiana, Iowa, Marland, Michigan, Minnesota, and Northwestern. The 27th will see Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, and Wisconsin.

Cornerback Quinton Newsome, linebacker Garrett Nelson, and tight end Travis Vokolek are the players who have been chosen to make the trip to the annual event. The Huskers are the opening team of the conference festivities as they are scheduled to meet with the media at 10:00 am on Tuesday, July 26th.

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