8:35 p.m.: The first four days of preseason practice have given the Nebraska football staff its first good look at the incoming freshmen. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson talked a little about both quarterback Brion Carnes and offensive lineman Andrew Rodriguez after practice Tuesday.
Of Carnes, Watson said: “Brion's going to be a really good player. Brion's got a real nice arm, he's very athletic, he's got great feet -- he's got everything that you would look for in a quarterback to do what we do. I'm real encouraged with what I see out of him.”
Carnes, of course, won't figure into the quarterback race for next season. And that's the way the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder from Bradenton, Fla., is being treated right now.
“I don't put the fire hose out there for him to drink out of, I just give him the garden hose,” Watson said. “We really tame it down for him, so he can get his feet underneath him.”
The same can be said for Rodriguez, the 6-6, 325-pounder out of Aurora, Neb.
“He's got size and strength that a lot of freshmen don't have,” Watson said. “He's been very impressive, just in his skill set. He's got a lot of technique work to do and a learning curve with what we do and how we do what we do. But he's eager and he's got a skill set and I believe he'll be a really good player here. He's got a great attitude.”
Nebraska moved inside the Hawks Center on Tuesday for its first break from the smothering heat.
Offensive tackle Jermarcus Hardrick was at practice but did not participate. The junior was taken away in an ambulance after Monday's workout, presumably suffering from heat-related problems.
Watson declined to discuss Hardrick's condition Tuesday.
“Coach (Bo Pelini) is going to talk about that,” Watson said. “So I don't even want to mess with that one.”
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