South Dakota State quarterback Alec Cromer is heading to Lincoln, Nebraska, but he won’t be vying for a chance to be the quarterback for the Cornhuskers. Instead, he plans to walk on to play a role on special teams as a punter.
“I’ll be walking on at Nebraska,” Cromer told Sean Callahan of Husker Online. “I’ve been talking with (Scott) Frost about it. I plan to walk-on as a punter.”
Cromer was a standout quarterback and punter in Nebraska high school football, but the opportunity to play quarterback for Nebraska or any other FBS program never materialized. He landed that opportunity to play at South Dakota State, but a chance to join the Nebraska program at a time when the future is looking more optimistic may have been too much to pass up for Cromer.
In high school, Cromer averaged 43.2 yards per punt, according to Husker Online. Even though Cromer is transferring from an FCS program, he will still be required to sit out the 2018 season as he transfers to an FBS program due to NCAA transfer rules. Cromer will have two years of eligibility starting in the 2019 season when he will be ruled eligible to play for Nebraska after sitting out the 2018 season.
Watch out for those trick plays from Nebraska special teams now that they will have a quarterback potentially dropping back for punt duty down the line.