WR/KR Tim Marlowe, 5-10, 175, So.

Marlowe is going to be a good kick returner at Nebraska, and we have a hunch he’ll blossom in 2010, as teams choose to try to kick away from Niles Paul. Marlowe had a habit of occasionally running into the back of his blockers during the 2009 season, but that stemmed from inexperience as much as anything - and the same problem befell Paul in 2008. We think Marlowe will solidify his role as kick returner and back up Paul at punt returner with Rex Burkhead.

As a receiver, he played well on the scout team, and will get an extended look at the slot job this spring. Marlowe’s hands appear to be good enough; he has to improve his blocking and perimeter route-running. Almost a token recruit in the 2008 recruiting class out of Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, Marlowe seems to have found a niche.

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In the summer and fall, Husker Locker created its “50 Huskers to Know” list for the 2009 season. We now review our list by examining production, injuries and depth chart position.

We’ll present these in five-player increments. Here we go!

No. 40 Tim Marlowe - Muted impact at wide receiver, where he didn’t catch a pass. As a kick returner, he served beside Niles Paul for the last half of the season and mostly held his own; like Paul in his first year, Marlowe was occasionally too impatient for blocks to set up. He’ll have to work hard to make it on the field as a receiver. He’s a top guy on the return units, however.

No. 39 Dejon Gomes/Alfonzo Dennard - We obviously had these too low, but, then, it was hard to gauge the impact of what were then two backup cornerbacks. Gomes is a stud - athletic, opportunistic, a competitor and humble. Dennard has pro talent in every which way - hops, speed, aggression. Both are on NFL caliber players, and part of the best secondary in America in 2010.

No. 38 Jason Ankrah/Andrew Green - If you had to pick two freshmen that Carl Pelini was most excited about heading into 2010, these two would be neck and neck with Eric Martin. Green, from all reports, is precisely the kind of man/zone corner Nebraska needs. Ankrah is a promising defensive end product with a prototypical frame.

No. 37 Antonio Bell - In hindsight, he should have redshirted and taken a year to bulk up and learn how to block in Ted Gilmore’s system. Bell has plenty of receiving talent, but lacks confidence and physicality.

No. 36 Colton Koehler - After playing quite a bit in the first two games, Koehler fell back to third string linebacker - behind Phillip Dillard and Will Compton - and played sparingly. Still - “Farm Dog” was a good team guy, and a player Husker fans will remember fondly.

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Nebraska wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore had wanted to find his six or seven top candidates for playing by the end of last week.

On Tuesday, Gilmore said, he’s carrying the competition over to the end of this week. As of now, only one player – junior Niles Paul – has earned significant playing time, and another sophomore Marcus Mendoza, moved back to running back. That leaves roughly a dozen players for five spots.

Well, maybe five more spots.

“You knew what? I threw that number out, six, but if two of them are doing it, then two of them are going to play,” Gilmore said. “I’m looking for the best football players.

And if NU needs four pass-catchers for a third down, who fills the role? Tight ends?

“There you go,” Gilmore said. “We’re gonna put the best 11 players on the football field.”

The receiving corps has until the end of this week to prevent Gilmore and offensive coordinator Shawn Watson from implementing any kind of plan out of the Norman Dale handbook.

Said Watson: “They’re competing. We’ll find out who those guys are. We’ll give them to the end of the week to figure it out.”

Here are the likeliest candidates for those roles:

Senior Chris Brooks: Battled injuries, expectations and bouts of inconsistency to earn more playing time at the end of 2008. He was NU’s No. 5 receiver and occasionally lined up in the slot. He caught a touchdown pass vs. Kansas.

Senior Menelik Holt: Has been slated to start by pundits and most fans since the start of spring football, but the coaching staff has handed the 6-foot-4, 225-pounder nothing thus far. Holt had 31 catches in 2008.

Senior Wes Cammack: Specialist on kick coverage units in 2008, finishing with nine tackles. He caught a touchdown in the spring game and just went on scholarship last week.

Junior Will Henry: A 6-5, slender outside receiver who had strong practice sessions in late 2008 and during the spring. Gilmore said last week Henry’s had a fair camp, but hadn’t made any standout plays.

Junior Adam Watson: Shawn Watson’s son. Converted walk-on safety.

Sophomore Curenski Gilleylen: With speed to burn and a good frame, he could be a front-runner at slot, but he’s struggled catching the ball at times.

Sophomore Brandon Kinnie: Looks the part at 6-3, 220 pounds, but is “sinking” in terms of learning the playbook.

“He hasn’t really shown what he can do,” Gilmore said. “And you can see it in his play. His hesitation…once he gets it, we’ve got something good there.”

Redshirt freshman Khiry Cooper: The two-sport kid who missed all of spring camp playing baseball.

Redshirt freshman Steven Osborne: Tall, lanky guy whose brother, Courtney, plays defensive back. Gilmore has alternately praised and been tough on Osborne during fall camp.

Redshirt freshman Tim Marlowe: Small, speedy slot guy whom Gilmore has praised a couple times in camp.

True freshman Antonio Bell: Nicknamed “Lil Frantz” because he has a frame and speed like former NU receiver Frantz Hardy, Bell has shown good receiving skills. Now it’s a matter of blocking and getting separation at the line of scrimmage. Same obstacles Hardy had, although Hardy enjoyed a solid career, and caught 54 passes for 971 yards and seven touchdowns during his career.

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It’s one of the three phases, right? And it literally saved Nebraska’s hide in a 40-31 win over Colorado.

So of course we’ve got five fall camp questions for NU’s special teams units. Click here for the offensive questions and here for the defensive questions.

Now – let’s get to it.

What can Alex Henery do for an encore?

He can punt, that’s what, and Nebraska needs a good one. Field position is a defense’s best friend, and too often in 2008, previous punter Dan Titchener wasn’t up to the task. We’ve seen Henery thump some real bombs in practice, but that’s just practice. NU will be better off if Henery wins the job over walk-on Brett Maher, but not if it distracts him from what he does well – which is boot game-winning, mind-boggling field goals.

Snapper? Holder? Anyone?

T.J. O’Leary and Jake Wesch have left the building, so these two jobs are as wide open as the Nebraska prairie. NU would like to see true freshman walk-on P.J. Mangieri – one of the nation’s best pure high school snappers – assume that role for four years for the Huskers, and maybe take that skill to the NFL. As for holder…well, if Henery’s the punter, too, then it can’t be him. We’d prefer a backup quarterback, but we won’t pitch a Joe Thiesmann fit if it doesn’t happen. Just know that, when you least want it to happen, these two little roles can botch a perfectly simple punt or field goal try.

On punt returns - Niles Paul or the pups?

Paul wasn’t exactly inspiring in the role early last year before Nate Swift took it over (again) and did a fine job. There would be seem to be plenty of candidates for this role – Antonio Bell, Tim Marlowe, Rex Burkhead, Khiry Cooper – but, of course, they’ll have to earn it. NU chose the conservative route with Swift in 2008, and it actually paid off.

True freshmen on the coverage teams?

Last year, Bo Pelini’s massive redshirting campaign probably kept some excellent candidates from helping out in the special teams department, although Alfonzo Dennard and Mason Wald (since departed) lent their hands to the cause. How does Pelini, and special teams guy John Papuchis, revamp that plan in 2009? Business as usual, use the redshirts from last year, or populate those units with true freshmen, presuming they’re ready? We wouldn’t be shocked if a guy like Dijon Washington takes on the Dennard/Rickey Thenarse role on this year’s squad.

Can Adi Kunalic continue the magic?

He’s the best kickoff specialist in the nation – when he kicks a touchback. When Kunalic doesn’t boot it beyond the end zone, his low, driving boots tend to be quite returnable. Supposedly he’s worked on angled kicks, pop-up kicks, and the like. Hopefully Nebraska fans see the fruits of his labor in 2009.

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