LINCOLN — The size is there, the athleticism is a great asset and the dutiful note-taking is a nice touch for Jake Cotton.

All of those things have served him well in his transition from scout-team player on the Nebraska defensive line to potential starter on the offensive front.

But one trait maybe comes up more often — and might stand out more than anything else — in discussions about the redshirt freshman.

Aggression.

"It's kind of nasty the way he plays the game," assistant coach John Garrison said, meaning it fully as a compliment.

Nebraska will live with some mistakes as it tries to make the most of Cotton's no-holds-barred style. It's appearing more and more possible that it might carry him into the starting lineup at right guard for the Sept. 3 opener Tennessee-Chattanooga.

And making his rise to that job even more impressive would be the fact that he just changed from the defensive to the offensive huddle in spring practice.

"We thought it would work right away, just because he had a good motor, he had high energy and he was playing hard," said Barney Cotton, NU's offensive line coach and Jake's father. "And if you put that with some athleticism, you're going to do everything you can to make it work."

Barney Cotton said he always has liked bringing defensive linemen over to the offensive side, calling it the "perfect path." Cotton did it as a Husker in the 1970s. Garrison actually started his NU career on the defensive side before ultimately becoming the starting center in 2001 and '02.

"Anytime you get a defensive lineman that can move over and play offensive line, I think it's huge," said Garrison, who helps Barney Cotton with the offensive line. "Especially the (defensive) system that we're running here, they're playing aggressive and playing fast, and that's what we're expecting our offensive linemen to do."

So the staff's job with Jake Cotton is not to light the fire but to get it to burn the way the Huskers need it.

The 6-foot-6, 295-pounder from Lincoln Southeast continues to work on aspects such as footwork, pad level and assignments. Garrison said Cotton is always scribbling down something or other to better learn the offense and scheme.

"You should see his notes," Garrison said. "He sits in the front row, and he's very attentive to what's going on in the meeting room."

Cotton needs to be. He doesn't have the same kind of time invested in playing the offensive line as some others. Part of the reason he's over there is that NU was so deep on the defensive line that it could spare him.

Knowing him better than anybody else, Barney Cotton figured that Jake could make the move. And for the most part, Jake Cotton has picked it up better than maybe anticipated.

"He's got a good heart and he plays with good effort, but he's got an awful lot to learn," Barney Cotton said. "So he's a real work in progress, but he's a worthwhile work in progress."

Jake Cotton went from right tackle to right guard over the summer, but injuries briefly forced him back to tackle wrapping up last week. Getting him back at guard, Barney Cotton said, is "where we'd like to keep him."

As far as playing directly under dad, Garrison said he doesn't think it's an issue for Jake Cotton (because of NU rules, Cotton is not available for interviews because he hasn't played in a game). Junior tight end Ben Cotton, Jake's older brother, has said before that he doesn't feel any extra pressure or hardship that comes from playing for his dad.

"Jake lives to his own standards, and his standard is perfection," Garrison said. "He's constantly pushing himself. He doesn't need anything extra from his dad. Jake wears his heart on his sleeve. He's full speed at everything he does. He's as good as they come as far as being a competitor. Dad being around or not, Jake is going to come to compete every day."

Contact the writer:

402-444-1042, rich.kaipust@owh.com

twitter.com/RKaipustOWH

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