Position as starting kicker at Nebraska Football remains open

Two weeks before Nebraska's season opener against UTEP, the Huskers coaching staff begins planning for all eventualities.

There is still uncertainty about who will start the season at kicker for Nebraska. The returning starter, sophomore Tristan Alvano, remains limited in practice as he recovers from preseason surgery.

In his absence, freshmen John Hohl and Nico Ottomanelli have been working as kickers for Nebraska. Ottomanelli is a true freshman who joined the program last summer, while Hohl is a Lincoln native who joined the Huskers in the offseason.

“I thought we had the foresight to bring in Nico and then John, knowing that some guys might need three games a year to get one back to 100%,” Rhule said. “… We're still working on Tristan's return, so if he's not ready, John and Nico will be fighting for that job.”

The Huskers played a scrimmage on Saturday in which Hohl blocked a limited number of kick attempts, who Rhule said is “making really good progress.”

If Alvano returns to full training next week, he may be able to quickly return to the starting lineup. — but until that happens, NU has to continue with Hohl and Ottomanelli.

“There's the opportunity to be ready and then there's the opportunity to be the best,” Rhule said of Alvano. “He's still working on his comeback, I expect he'll be ready, but it's not a foregone conclusion right now. If I had to put money on it, I'd always put money on Tristan, but at the same time, it's my job to plan everything.”