Injury to Keep Pierson-El Out 6 to 8 Weeks

Nebraska will begin its season without sophomore wide receiver and return specialist De’Mornay Pierson-El, the Huskers’ most explosive player.

Now Riley has to look elsewhere for that type of playmaker out wide, at least for the first few weeks of Nebraska’s tough 2015 schedule. Pierson-El injured the foot during practice Tuesday.

Last season, Pierson-El was a Freshman All-American and winner of the Jet Award, given by Nebraska Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers for being the top Punt Returner in America.

Pierson-El also made six starts at receiver in the second half of last season, with his best game coming in the Holiday Bowl against USC.

While the Huskers seem to have another dynamic young receiver ready to step in for Pierson-El, they will go back to square one in the return game.

Riley mentioned Brandon Reilly, Taariq Allen, Sam Burtch and Lane Hovey are all improving from their injuries, but still no timetable on their returns.

Riley also announced that three-star freshman receiver Lavan Alston will miss the 2015 season with an injury.

Candidates to take over the PR duties include Terrell Newby, Jamal Turner, Jordan Westerkamp and Stanley Morgan among others.

That is a big issue to Nebraska’s wideout problems, but a BIGGER wrench to the Punt Returning danger that Pierson-El has given Nebraska from last year.

It’s undoubtedly a crushing blow to the Huskers, whose season opener – against BYU on Sept. 5 – is just two weeks away. He did not name the players.