Nebraska will have to take on Northwestern on Saturday without the biggest, most recognizable name on the roster: Decoldest Crawford.
Crawford, who has yet to play a down for the Cornhuskers, is the subject of one of the coolest NIL deals in collegiate sports — literally. Crawford used his first name to advertise an HVAC service company out of Omaha, Neb., called SOS Heating and Cooling.
Unfortunately, the freshman out of Louisiana won’t be able to suit up for Nebraska’s season opener vs. the Wildcats in Dublin, which could potentially be a must-win game for fifth-year coach Scott Frost.
The Sporting News has everything you need to know about Crawford’s absence from the game, and when he is expected to play in his first action this season:
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Why isn’t Decoldest Crawford playing for Nebraska?
Crawford will miss at least Saturday’s game while he recovers from a knee injury that, per Frost, will keep him out “for an extended period of time.”
“It was in our last scrimmage,” Frost confirmed to reporters on Aug. 13 (via the Lincoln Journal Star). “It was the only major injury that we got and, felt terrible for him, but he’ll come back strong.”
Crawford was one of Nebraska’s key signings of the 2022 class. The receiver out of Shreveport, La., was a long-time commit to LSU but eventually flipped to the Cornhuskers. A three-star player, Crawford was ranked as the No. 69 receiver; No. 464th overall player; and No. 3 Nebraska signee in the 2022 class, per 247Sports’ Composite rankings.
That said, Frost said the receiving corps in 2022 is “deeper than ever,” and will be able to withstand Crawford’s injury.
“I think we’re deeper there than we’ve ever been with guys that are capable of going on the field,” Frost said.
I think we’re going to be able to keep our best on the field when we need to and (when we) rotate, feel like there’s not much of a dropoff.
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When will Decoldest Crawford return?
Frost did not provide a timeline for Crawford to return from his injury, nor has he provided updates since originally confirming the news in mid-August.
Crawford’s timeline for a potential return depends on how well he rehabs, and what kind of injury he suffered, the latter of which has not been specified by Nebraska.
What time is Nebraska vs. Northwestern?
Kickoff is slated for 12:30pm ET on August 27. It will be 5:30pm local time in Dublin.
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