Nebraska football added to its tight end room this offseason with a familiar face to the program. Heinrich Haarberg transitioned positions, moving from quarterback to tight end.
Although there are stark differences between the two positions, Haarberg said he has enjoyed learning this new role.
“It’s actually been really fun for me,” Haarberg said during spring practice. “I don’t know how many guys have played four years of college football, and they get to their fifth year and it’s like you’ve got to learn something entirely new.
“It’s almost like being a freshman again except I kind of have some shortcuts, knowing the offense, knowing what the quarterbacks want, what an offensive coordinator kind of wants from the tight ends, what the quarterbacks want from the tight ends.”
Beyond learning his own routes, Haarberg also has had to focus on his physicality.
“First off, changing my body a little bit,” Haarberg said. “Being able to put on some more weight, and push the limits of what my body can and can’t do. Whether that be weight, seeing how much weight I can put on without losing any speed or minimal speed, and just learning different stuff. I’ve never really run a route before.
“Learning from (wide receivers coach Daikiel) Shorts and (tight ends coach Marcus Satterfield), all these different guys we have in the building who are willing to help. Just learning little stuff like that has been really fun.”
Haarberg credits Satterfield with helping him through losing his starting quarterback job to freshman Dylan Raiola.
“I think Satt and I, I don’t want to speak for him, but I think we can kind of relate to each other,” the Kearney native said. “Last year didn’t go the way we wanted it to for the both of us. Despite that, we have people and a place here and if you don’t have that then it’s hard to keep pushing through and stay at a place.
“We adapted and kept moving forward and now we’re both in new roles, and just trying to do the best we can everyday to contribute to this team.”
Coach Matt Rhule demoted Satterfield from offensive coordinator during the season but kept him on staff.
The 2023 season was a difficult one for the Huskers, who went 5-7 while rotating through three different starting quarterbacks. Haarberg played in 10 games, starting eight of them.
He led the team in touchdowns (seven passing and five rushing), 477 rushing yards and 967 passing yards.
With their similar experiences, Haarberg said that he and Satterfield, his former coordinator and now position coach, have developed a strong bond.
“Satt and I got really close during the 2023 season,” Haarberg said. “That year was like a war every week, trying to find a win. So he and I just got really tight during 2023. He knows that I was going to do whatever I could to get a win on Saturdays. I watched him basically live in the facility that year. He gave everything he had that year.
“I respect him so much. That’s a guy I would go to battle for any day of the week.”
In 2024, Haarberg appeared in 12 total games, serving as the team’s back-up quarterback and a gadget player before moving to tight end for the Pinstripe Bowl. The Nebraska native had 25 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown, while completing 10 of his 18 passes for 101 yards. He also had two receptions for 16 yards.
Haarberg said that his main goal is to learn everything about being a tight end so that he can be as effective as possible.
“I want to just keep moving forward,” said Haarberg. “Just keep finding ways to get better. Every week, just trying to compartmentalize what I need to work on this week, because there’s just so much stuff that it can become overwhelming.
“It’s just these little things every single week. I have this process now and now I just have to apply it to tight end.”
Haarberg said that all of the coaches’ support has really benefited him.
“Just having a guy like (offensive coordinator Dana) Holgorsen who’s seen so many guys, so many good players, tell me that he believes in me, and his actions backing that up, that helps so much,” Haarberg said. Having Coach Satt, that’s a guy that even if I had no confidence in myself, that’s someone I would still try every day for, just because this is a special place and I just want to help contribute any way I can.”
Along with the coaches helping boost Haarberg’s confidence, he said that his teammates have also been very encouraging. This includes fellow tight end Luke Lindenmeyer.
“He’s a guy that I’ve gotten closer to as I transitioned,” Haarberg said. “With all his experience, he’s very technical. He’s a leader in the room, knows all the stuff about tight ends.
“If I have a question about something that I don’t know like technique or maybe a blocking scheme, I can go to Luke. Having a guy like that, that’s a huge help.”
With the first game on Aug. 28 against Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium, Haarberg knows he has work to do ahead of the fall.
“There’s so much to learn technically, just trying to work on two or three little things a week has really been my focus,” Haarberg said at the Husker games. “Not trying to take a million things and learn them by August.
“Just trying to take a couple things a day and slowly start to perfect my craft.”
