Huskers' Caleb Benning Looking Forward to Big Season

Caleb Benning is only a redshirt freshman, but he already sounds like a veteran.

Benning went through fall practice last season and played in three games as a true freshman, before taking a redshirt. He recorded four tackles in limited playing time. In the Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College he had a career-high three tackles.

He arrived in Lincoln as a much-heralded freshman out of Omaha Westside High School. He earned All-Nebraska honors for three straight years from the Omaha World-Herald. He is only the sixth player in the history of the state to do so.

Now, Benning is getting ready for his second fall camp and he is very excited. He knows that the coaches are going to be depending on him this season in a backup role and he should get plenty of repetitions in the secondary as a backup cornerback.

"It's super exciting," Benning said on Sports Nightly on Huskers Radio Network "We had a long summer of training and it is time to get ready for some football."

With camp starting July 28, Benning said the team went through spring ball very well. He said the team worked hard during two-a-days.

"We usually had OTA's in the morning, we would lift, workout in the afternoon and then come back for more football activities," Benning said. "It's been tough with two-a-days."

Benning said with a new defensive coordinator in John Butler, and a new defensive backs coach in Addison Williams they are tested every day. He also said head football strength and conditioning coach Corey Campbell is pushing them hard in the weight room and there is no choice but to work as hard as possible.

"You've got to bring it every day with Coach Campbell," Benning said. "There are no days off and there is no slacking. It is really good. He tests you."

The main difference, Benning said, between this year and last year is he is much more confident.

"I am just overall more confident. I was a little nervous last fall, it was my first camp," Benning said. "I am playing much faster now. I have confidence playing fast and knowing what my assignments are."

He cannot wait to run out of the tunnel for the first home game. He said the fans give him electricity that runs through his body. He gets goose bumps just thinking about it.

"The fans at Nebraska are second to none," Benning said. "It gives us something to play for. We have people that believe in us and have our back no matter what."

The main point Benning was looking to stress was that the defense this year will be faster, stronger and swarming to the football.

"The term is ferociousness," Benning said. "We are faster, stronger and much more athletic. We will suffocate the ball and get to the runner."

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