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The Long and Short of Daikiel Shorts Jr.

The new Husker wide receivers coach might be a great hire.

Dan McGlynn

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Daikiel Shorts catches a pass during 2017 training camp.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Daikiel Shorts catches a pass during 2017 training camp. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
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In last week's column I wrote about meeting new Husker offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen.  At that event, Holgorsen brought with him what I assumed was a Husker football player.

Instead, the "player" was actually newly hired wide receivers coach Daikiel Shorts Jr. (Duh-KEL)

I shook hands with him and we chatted briefly.  His responses to me were sprinkled with yes sirs and no sirs.  He seems like a very classy young man.

Because he's only 30 years old, it's pretty easy to mistake Shorts for a player.

So what else do we know about him?  

Daikiel was born on Oct. 6, 1994 in Clayton, N.J., and played high school football at Eastern Christian High in Elkton, Md.

He played wide receiver for Dana Horgorsen at West Virginia.  During his four-year playing career there (2013-2016), Shorts caught 177 passes for 2,263 yards yards and 14 TDs.

After college, Shorts made the Buffalo Bills practice squad in 2017.  In 2018, Shorts returned to WVU as program assistant.   The following year, Shorts joined Holgorsen's staff at the University of Houston as director of player personnel.  Later, Shorts was named WR coach. When Holgorsen was fired from Houston after the '23 season, Shorts joined Mark Stoops' staff at the University of Kentucky as WR coach.

Shorts spent only one year with the Wildcats.  When the 4-8 season ended, Shorts was hired by his former boss, newly hired Husker OC Dana Holgorsen.

Of Shorts, Holgorsen said, "There are a lot of good football coaches out there, but I have to tell them what I want.  With Daikiel, I don't have to tell him anything.  He knows exactly what I want."

Can Shorts coach?  Husker fans will like this: When Shorts was at Kentucky in '24, Wildcat WR Dane Kay (a '25 Husker transfer) caught 47 passes for 715 yards, 15.21 yards per catch and 2 TDs.  Not dazzling numbers, but it will be exciting to see what Shorts can do with the Husker WR room this fall.

How 'Bout Them Huskers

In this week's podcast, Will and I talk about the former Husker football players who participated in last week's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.  As usual, we also review the men's and women's basketball programs and see how the Husker baseball and softball teams are doing.

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Dan McGlynn
DAN MCGLYNN

Dan “Husker Dan” McGlynn has been writing about Husker football since 2003. His columns have appeared on HuskerMax.com as well as in several local newspapers and magazines. He has a B.A. in English from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Dan is a native Nebraskan and lives in Omaha. You may contact him at HuskerDan@cox.net.

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