Tanner Lee is ready to be the Huskers Field General!

It’s hot in Nebraska, the corn is growing, swimming pools are full and we haven’t had anything about the football team to talk about other than recruiting since the spring game…so let’s have a look at the skill positions on offense and see if we can provide the hottest of takes!

Quarterback:

Tanner Lee, Jr.

Patrick O’Brien, RFr

Tristan Gebbia, Fr

Last time we saw these three, they all were having pretty successful afternoons in Memorial Stadium.  While O’Brien and Gebbia looked like the future is bright, Tanner Lee is providing the now, and was named the starter going into the summer.  Part of this was by design, to give Lee a chance to prove his leadership during summer workouts, but the other part was Lee had earned it.  

I know the 3 or 4 of you that read our blog know this already, but I’ve been spouting off about Lee since I first went to a practice scrimmage last August.  He made since departed Derrion Grim look like he was going to be all conference during that scrimmage.  My first thought was, man this guy is accurate.  My second thought was, Husker fans haven’t seen anything like this in my lifetime.  

Lee didn’t disappoint this spring either.  He showed that he can be accurate and that he can throw the deep ball with accuracy as well as a screen pass or a wheel route to a running back.  You can’t help but get excited watching him play.  Most people that are being conservative about Lee, keep saying that he won’t have the time to sit back and pick other defenses apart, but even the most pessimistic among Husker fans has to admit, the hyperbole surrounding Lee has to make you think he will be pretty decent.

A quote from Christopher Heady from land of 10 when asking a scout at the Manning Passing Academy this summer said “Lamar Jackson, Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold are great, but Tanner Lee to me was my favorite guy.”   

Not that I am discounting the other quarterbacks at the camp, but when you hear that kind of thing from a scout, you have to think that Lee could be pretty special when it’s all said and done.  I expect that if given a decent amount of time this year Lee will set a lot of single season records.  This has to get Husker Nation excited!

HOT TAKE ALERT: Updated from the first week of practice, but Tristan Gebbia is going to push Patrick O’Brien for the back-up QB spot.  O’Brien has all the tools you look for a in a pro-style QB, but Gebbia has the “it” factor and may not redshirt this year.  I will make up my mind after watching a scrimmage this fall, but Gebbia is already making the move to force the coaches into possibly playing him.

Running Back:

Tre Bryant, So

Devine Ozigbo, Jr

Mikale Wilbon, Jr

Austin Rose, Jr

Jaylin Bradley, Fr.

If you went based on statistics from last season, not one returning running back stands out from the 2017 season.  In probably the truest race of the season for playing time, the returning backs all have a lot of promise that will need to be delivered on.  

One thing that we know, with Tommy Armstrong on the team, opposing coaches would load up at the line of scrimmage, because they knew that Armstrong’s biggest threat was with his legs and this in turn clogged up running lanes for running backs.  In third and long situations, teams weren’t as apt to let everyone go into coverage and therefore, kept any surprise draws from being a factor as well.  Terrell Newby was the leading rusher for Nebraska last season.  He rushed for 879 yards on 4.6 yards per rush.  On paper, duplicating those numbers won’t be super difficult and actually should be easier to accomplish if Tanner Lee’s passing ability opens up the offense for the Huskers.

What does all that mean?  Well it means that the three headed monster shouldn’t have much trouble duplicating the 4.6 yards per carry that Newby led the team with last season.  It also means that someone is going to have to step up and carry the mail.  

Tre Bryant to me is the most talented running back of this group overall, but he isn’t very big and running up the middle might wear him down by the end of the year.  Ozigbo is work horse type and from all accounts is in great shape after having an up and down sophomore year.  Mikale Wilbon is one of my favorites of the group, he has great open field moves and is really fast.  All three are very talented at catching the ball as well.  It will be a three headed monster this season.  I expect that all will have their moments in the sun, but I don’t know if any of them will break from the pack and become a bell cow that totes the ball 20 times every game.  It could be a great thing that they all play a lot, or it could become a factor that none of them are good enough to be a difference maker against teams like Wisconsin or Ohio State.

HOT TAKE ALERT: I think Bryant will end up being the leading rusher on the team when it’s all said and done, but I expect Ozigbo to start most of the games.  I also don’t think that they will redshirt Jaylin Bradley and I think he will be a major part of the offense in 2019, as he may be the most overall complete running back in practice by then.

Wide Receivers:

Stanley Morgan Jr., Jr.

De’Mornay Pierson-El, Sr.

Tyjon Lindsey, Fr.

JD Spielman, RFr.

Keyan Williams, Jr.

Bryan Reimers, Jr.

Gabe Rahn, Sr.

If you are quarterback Tanner Lee, you have to love a group that starts with Morgan and Pierson-El.  These two are both big time capable talents and have proven during their Husker careers to make big plays, big catches and win the hearts of Huskers fans everywhere.  What you don’t like if you are Tanner Lee, is that behind those two guys are a bunch of young fellas and walk-ons that you will have to look in your program to identify once the season starts.

Nebraska has been a bit snake bitten the last two years at the wide receiver spot, either through injuries or shaky recruiting issues.  The Huskers seemed to have gotten over the recruiting problem, bringing in three highly touted wide receivers for this fall, but due to injury (Jaevon McQuitty) or lack of self-control (Keyshawn Johnson Jr.) all that is left in fall camp is Tyjon Lindsey.  Lindsey is the highest ranked recruit to come to Nebraska in about 8 seasons though, so all is not lost.  Lindsey should be a regular rotation player by conference season.  He is as explosive of an athlete as we have seen in Lincoln in quite some time.  

JD Spielman should be a nice addition after a redshirt season and transfer Keyan Williams should also help give the position some much needed depth.  It should also be noted that walk on depth will be a nice benefit at this spot as Bryan Reimers returns after a couple of huge plays last season and Gabe Rahn looks to get some playing time as well, that might not have been available before fall camp.  Conor Young is another walk-on that could see some playing time this season as well.  

When it’s all said and done, I expect this crew will probably outperform what we may have expected from them.  Wide receiver coach Keith Williams is known for getting the most out of his players and having an accurate set of quarterbacks should make the receivers jobs that much easier.

HOT TAKE ALERT: Tyjon Lindsey will be the third leading receiving yardage leader on the team this fall if he stays healthy, but an even hotter take, Stanley Morgan will become the first Husker wide receiver ever to go over a 1,000 yards in receiving this fall for NU.  I expect Morgan will be all but uncoverable against the lesser teams in conference and I expect him to rack up some pretty big yardage against teams that may be beaten up in the secondary as the season rolls along.

Tight Ends:

Tyler Hoppes, Sr.

Matt Snyder, So.

Jack Stoll, RFr.

David Engelhaupt, RFr.

Kurt Rafdal, Fr.

Austin Allen, Fr.

We have been fortunate to have an NFL caliber player at tight end the last couple of seasons in Cethan Carter, but due to injury and just flat out not throwing to him, we never got to see much of the promise that Carter seemed to possess.  His career at Nebraska just never got off into the stardom that many had hoped.  

This year however, there is a player that I think will put up numbers that we don’t normally see at the tight end position and that is Tyler Hoppes.  Hoppes is a transfer from Wayne State and simply put, he probably has better hands that Carter did.  Add that to a quarterback that likes to look at the tight end, in an offense that focuses on getting the ball to that spot and viola, you have Hoppes who will be a major part of the offense this fall.  

Hoppes will be backed up by a group of young unproven players though.  I expect to see some catches from Matt Snyder and Jack Stoll as well, but I don’t expect them to combine for more than 20 total.  The last three recruiting classes have brought in a wealth of talent, but they are all young and have a lot to prove this fall.  

HOT TAKE ALERT:  Kurt Rafdal will be right behind Hoppes in touchdown catches this season.  Rafdal and Austin Allen (freshman) are both HUGE people and will be hard to cover in the red zone.  I’m going to flip a coin and say the little bit thicker Rafdal will catch three to five touchdowns this year.  It could be Allen, but I’m betting on one of the true freshman to be a play maker for the Huskers right out the chute.

Cornhusker Memes Tees

Quick Notes:

New Coaches… Defensive Coordinator Bob Diaco and new defensive backs coach Donte Williams have both hit the ground running with their respective spots this fall.  It looks as though Coach Riley’s hires in the offseason have been big hits around campus and in Williams case, off campus as well as he has been dynamite on the recruiting trail since he got here.

Under the radar… Nebraska hasn’t been picked by many, if any at all, to win the Big Ten west.  With the combination of a new defensive coordinator, new quarterback, running back, wide receivers and tight ends, many think the Nebraska offense won’t be much to contend with.  I will argue right now, that this offense will shine with Lee.  The defense, will improve this season by the end of the year.  It may not be lights out at Oregon or even by Wisconsin, but by the time we play Iowa, I expect it to be humming.

Let’s get this season going! I don’t know about you, but fall camp does this to me every year….after about a week, I want the games to start!  Preseason NFL games are even getting my attention.  The long layoff is finally over!

On with the Rewind:

Our Next Blog will review the defense and the offensive line!! Enjoy the rest of your summer and for all of the people that read our blog….GBR!!

Cornhusker Memes 1st Round Draft Predictions

This draft is one of the stranger drafts I can remember.  Very heavy on game changing running backs, limited on can’t miss quarterbacks and woefully short on top notch defensive tackles and offensive tackles with first round grades.  As you go through the list of players that are available, it is quite evident that cornerback and linebacker/rush ends are the strength of this draft, but even those guys after a certain group could be swapped out with any player in the 2nd through 5th rounds and you could argue that a team made the right decision based on certain film.

Husker draftees could be short this year.  I still think someone will take a chance on Nathan Gerry and Cethan Carter is certainly undervalued from his time at Nebraska, although his injury history will certainly cause him to fall in the draft if he is drafted at all.  Jordan Westerkamp would be next bet on being drafted, I simply can’t see how he doesn’t make an NFL roster this fall if he is healthy.  I watch enough of the NFL to know that plenty of teams can use someone that rarely drops the ball…hint, hint, Chicago.  If Nebraska can keep the streak of multiple players drafted alive this year, they should start to see more players moving into the NFL as the Mike Riley era moves forward.

That’s it, that’s the list.  Remember, this is how I would draft…history says I’m about as accurate as most GMs, which isn’t saying much.

1. Cleveland Browns – Myles Garrett DE – Cleveland Browns….they have a lot of problems.  The good thing is, when you tear it down and you pull in a sizable chunk of draft picks like the Browns have, you hopefully bare the fruits of labor and build a foundation that will bring you out of the doldrums.  With the first pick in the draft, you would normally take a quarterback, but honestly, the home run isn’t in this draft, that is probably next season.  In this case, you fill as many holes as you can and go from there.  Garrett is an elite athlete at a position of need.  He may not be a guaranteed All Pro, but at least you give yourself a chance with a player than can get to the quarterback.  Take a chance on a QB down the road, don’t waste this pick on someone you can get at 12, or even move up.
2. New York Jets (trade with SF @ 6) – Mitchell Trubisky QB – I’ve never posted a trade in all my years of doing a first round mock draft, but I’m doing one this year.  I think the Jets, forever in need of a quarterback, need to jump up and take Trubisky.  I’m not sold that he is a sure thing, but what I do know is athletically he looks the part and physically he has what you want in the NFL.  You can’t win big without a great QB, if I’m the Jets, I let it all hang out and go grab this kid.  Worst case scenario, you still suck and you go get another one in two years.
3. Chicago Bears – Marshon Lattimore CB – Where to begin.  The Bears are my favorite team, so I’m always a little jaded when they miss obvious selections on the board.  Last year, I couldn’t believe they passed on Laremy Tunsil when they had the chance and they have a bad habit of picking players to play positions in the NFL that they didn’t play in college.  The Bears need a quarterback, but even if Trubisky is available, I feel like Deshaun Watson would fit the Bears better.  All that being said, they have holes everywhere, this is too early to take Watson and I’ve talked myself in and out of it multiple time.  They should take the best corner in the draft and either try to move back up in the first if Watson free falls, or take someone like Brad Kaaya or Chad Kelly in a later round.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jonathan Allen DT – Now that Tom Coughlin is back in the organization, I expect the Jaguars to finally get back on track.  They have a number of needs, and this is a good spot to get an immediate starter.  One could argue that they need a RB like Dalvin Cook or Leonard Fournette, or they could go with O.J. Howard and lock down the TE spot for the foreseeable future.  I have a hunch though, that they will go with the best DT in the draft.  Allen was great at Alabama and Coughlin knows having an anchor in the middle can help solidify the defense.  Jacksonville can probably still get a good running back later in the draft and this is a super deep TE group, so both needs can be met later on.  Allen has no comparison to be had later.
5. Tennessee Titans –– Jamal Adams S – The Titans can afford to gamble a little bit here and have the option to go in a number of directions.  If I’m the Titans, I look to trade down to a QB needy squad like the 49ers or Browns and acquire a later pick if I can get one.  That being said, at this point and time, why not add the best safety in the draft to a shaky secondary.  The Titans can afford to take the best player available at this point, so O.J. Howard could get a look, but I’d stick with Adams.
6. San Francisco 49ers (trade with NYJ @ 2) – Solomon Thomas DE – The 49ers are in full rebuild mode and if they can trade down and acquire a few picks, they need to do it.  It would make sense if they felt like taking a safety like Malik Hooker to make plays, but they also need a pass rusher that can get to the QB.  I don’t think they would take a quarterback at this point, I don’t have another QB with a grade high enough to take here.  Thomas is a local kid and should provide them with much needed depth on the DL and can play multiple positions.
7. Los Angeles Chargers – Malik Hooker S – Having someone to help cover in the secondary is paramount for the Chargers, as their safety position seems to be an empty hole right now.  Joey Bosa was a big pickup of them last season and they could take Derrick Barnett to bookend him with and make life miserable for AFC west opponents.  I’m tempted to go with the pass rusher, but they need a lot of help with their secondary, so I’d take Hooker and hope that his college tape transfers into the NFL.
8. Carolina Panthers – Leonard Fournette RB – With no immediate help at defensive tackle worth taking this high, the first of a strong group of running backs will start to come off the list.  Whatever you think of Fournette and his career at LSU, he played on teams that could rarely pass the ball well.  This kid has the tape that most players dream about.  You could argue that this is way too high to take a running back, but with the success of Ezekiel Elliot from the year before and the need to take pressure off from Cam Newton, why not fill that spot for the better majority of Newton’s prime.  He can learn from Jonathan Stewart and doesn’t have to be the entire workhorse from day one.  My top receiver in the draft is Mike Williams, but I think they need to go with the RB.
9. Cincinnati Bengals – Derek Barnett DE – When the Bengals missed the playoffs for the first time in 6 seasons Andy Dalton was basically under ambush as his offensive unit resembled a M.A.S.H. unit last season.  Hopefully AJ Green can come back and be his normal self and Tyler Eifert can stay healthy.  They need a tackle on offense, or another linebacker, but with Reuben Foster’s recent drop due to background issues, Barnett is a safe pick at this point.  Barnett had the most productive college career of any of the DEs available and should continue to be a pain in the QB rear end in the NFL.
10. Buffalo Bills – Mike Williams WR – Tyrod Taylor is going to be a decent quarterback in this league or he isn’t, but one thing is for certain, if they get him some help, he may have a chance at the former.  Williams, as stated above, is my number one receiver on the board and he would give immediate help to the Bills offense.  This in turn should allow LeSean McCoy to continue to have success.  O.J. Howard would help at TE, and Reuben Foster should again be in the conversation about right here, but I think they will pass.  Take Williams and go get a CB and a TE later in a draft that has depth at those positions.  
11. New Orleans Saints – Carl Lawson DE – The Saints could go a number of directions on defense or they could just do the usual and take a skill position guy like O.J. Howard and surprise us all.  For me, it comes down to either a lockdown corner from up the road, Tre’Davious White from LSU or a true pass rusher like Carl Lawson.  It’s a tough call for me, but I’m leaning toward Lawson, simply because he can be an overpowering player, and I think you can grab a corner deeper in the draft that will still be a legitimate player in 2017 if they choose too.
12. Cleveland Browns – Deshaun Watson QB – You can only play musical chairs for so long at the quarterback position.  Cleveland needs someone with confidence to come in and lead this team.  I love Watson, he is my favorite QB in this draft, although I don’t like that he throws a lot of picks, he plays the best when the money is on the table.  I love that.  You took the best player in the draft at number one, follow it by drafting a franchise QB at 12.  If the Bears pass on Watson, which isn’t a sure thing, he should be available to take at 12.  That is, if someone doesn’t jump back up to get him before this point?
13. Arizona Cardinals – Reuben Foster ILB – The Cardinals went from a Super Bowl contender to an also ran overnight in 2016.  They have weaknesses at QB, CB and inside linebacker.  I have no other quarterbacks with a first round grade, other than Trubisky and Watson.  Should they trade up to get either, that would make a lot of sense, but if they choose to stay put, why not pick the best inside linebacker in the draft?  I don’t care about Foster’s “issues” the kid simply makes plays.  You could argue that he is a product of the system at Alabama, but his size and athleticism are very rare.  Take a project QB in the next couple of rounds, take a starter on your defense in the first round.
14. Philadelphia Eagles – Tre-Davious White CB – The Eagles added their cornerstone piece last year when they drafted Carson Wentz at QB.  They addressed his needs for help at WR by adding Alshon Jeffrey and Torrey Smith.  Now they must address the loss at cornerback and can do that by drafting the versatile White.  Christian McCaffrey is also a logical choice at this point, because the Eagles could use some new blood at running back and McCaffrey is a versatile piece that would fit nicely, but you have to be able to cover Odell Beckham and Dez Bryant in the NFC East, so I would stick with White.
15. Indianapolis Colts – Dalvin Cook RB – Andrew Luck has been beat up the last few years and the Colts defense hasn’t provided much in the way of help for the offense.  However, I think Cook could answer a lot of questions for the Colts.  He can take pressure off of Luck, allow the defense to stay off the field, balance out their offense and provide a home run hitter all with the same player.  I love Cook almost as much as Fournette and would draft him in a heartbeat.  Some people question his character, but I don’t worry about that.  Some guys can just flat get the job done and Cook is one of them.  Go get a pass rusher in the next round, there are just too many flags on the guys still available to take them over one of the best playmakers in the draft.
16. Baltimore Ravens – Tim Williams OLB – I start to question my sanity here.  Corey Davis is still on the board along with Christian McCaffrey.  The speedster John Ross is also out there, although I question if he is a first round talent.  The Ravens could use help at RB and WR, but this Williams kid is a lightning bolt and for some reason, I think he can provide a pass rush for the Ravens that they have been missing the last couple of years.  I don’t know if this is the right pick or not, but it seems like a great fit and sometimes that’s what you have to do.
17. Washington Redskins – Christian McCaffrey RB – When you get to this point in the draft, you start to see options that either come with some off the field issue or on the field performance limitations.  I’m big on going with the best player on the board if you can’t find an immediate fit somewhere on your team.  It’s clear that the game of chicken going on with Kirk Cousins and crazy front office mess with the Skins are big distractions for this team.  They could definitely use a WR like Corey Davis or even John Ross to replace DeSean Jackson, but McCaffrey is sitting here staring you in the face.  Take the best player available, give Cousins a security blanket and address the defensive needs later with limited players that are probably closer to having a second or third round grade, rather than reach at this point.
18. Tennessee Titans – Corey Davis WR – Having already selected a day one starter at safety, this time the Titans can lock down a day one starter at WR for Marcus Mariotta.  Davis may not be the speed demon that John Ross is, but he is by far the better receiver of the two.  The could go another direction and lock down one of the left over speed rushers like Jordan Willis or Haason Reddick, or possibly take O.J. Howard to play TE.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jordan Willis DE – Having all the top running backs off the board, Tampa instead will focus on increasing their pass rush with Willis.  Willis is a big motor guy that will help the Buccs get to the quarterback.  I’m hesitant to pass on Howard one more time, but they have already addressed their passing needs with DeSean Jackson and can focus on making their defense much better to make the team more complete.  You can take a back or a tight end in the later rounds.
20. Denver Broncos – Ryan Ramczyk OT – Denver needs someone to keep pressure off of the quarterback, no matter who it may be.  Ramczyk is the only tackle with a first round grade at tackle in this draft which is crazy after last season’s plethora of tackles that were drafted.  I’m big on building your team from the inside out and while Denver could use some help on defense, they must get the best blocker on the edge in this draft if he falls this far.
21. Detroit Lions – Jourdan Lewis CB – The Lions could go any number of directions on this pick.  They could use an upgrade at DE with a player like Reddick or Taco Charlton, or they could decide to reach for a LB at this spot like Jarrad Davis.  If I’m them I go with Lewis out of Michigan.  The tape doesn’t lie, Lewis was highly productive in college and he wouldn’t have to move very far.    
22. Miami Dolphins – T.J. Watt DE – Miami needs a guard and Cam Robinson would be a great value at that position moving in from tackle, but Miami was horrible on defense for much of last season.  Watt is a dynamic playmaker with a high motor and good bloodlines.  Some people prefer Taco Charlton, but I’m all in on Watt.  If that doesn’t work, a player like Marlon Humphrey or Sidney Jones might make sense, but I think the value as I said before is in the later rounds at cornerback.
23. New York Giants – O.J. Howard TE – Eli Manning has about three years left max and if the Giants want to try and get to the Super Bowl, Howard can help them get there.  The Giants don’t have a pressing need for a tight end, but this kid can be an All Pro and open up the middle of the field for a middling running game.  He also would relieve pressure for Odell Beckham and give the Giants an offensive potential like the Patriots have in the passing game.  I just don’t think you can pass that up to draft an offensive tackle or a linebacker that doesn’t have a first round grade.
24. Oakland Raiders – Jarrad Davis LB – The Raiders have just signed Marshawn Lynch, so clearly with a healthy Derek Carr, they know they should be in the playoff chase for the next few seasons.  The defense could use an injection of talent and Davis provides that from day one.  He is an athletic compliment to a player like Khalil Mack and gives the Raiders a run stopper up the middle.  They could add a cornerback too, but Davis is a good fit on this ball club from a need perspective.
25. Houston Texans – Obi Melifonwu S – This won’t happen because the Texans are going to either trade up to take Watson or if the is picked too early, will probably settle for their next hope at QB, either DeShone Kizer or Patrick Mahomes.  I just don’t have the same regard for those two quarterbacks in a draft that his heavy on 2nd and 3rd day selections at that position.  Melifonwu is a stud athlete that can come in and play safety from day one and help your already stingy defense.  Roll the dice with Tom Savage one more year, or take a flier on a QB like Davis Webb or Chad Kelly later on in the draft.
26. Seattle Seahawks – Cam Robinson OT – Russell Wilson was under constant duress last season and the Seahawks need to shore that up.  I love Robinson, although I’m not sure he is a starting right tackle, he should pencil in at guard if he doesn’t work out at tackle and start for ten years at guard.  Other options include drafting another CB like Humphrey or maybe a versatile defender like Adoree’ Jackson or even reaching on a player like Jabrill Peppers could work out in Seattle’s system defense.
27. Kansas City Chiefs – John Ross WR – I wrestled with picking a linebacker at this spot because the Chiefs have a need there and I like Zach Cunningham, but the Chiefs could use Ross to blow the lid off of defenses.  They need help at WR and at RB, but the value of running back can be picked up down the line. Ross falling to this point is probably about right and he provides an undeniable amount of speed.  
28. Dallas Cowboys – Haason Reddick OLB – Because of Randy Gregory’s propensity to ingest drugs and last year’s reach for Jaylon Smith who may or may not come back from injury, the Cowboys are in need of someone to get to the quarterback.  By hitting the jackpot last year with Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot, the Cowboys can focus solely on defense early this go round.  They also need cornerbacks, but let’s be honest, Reddick is a great fit here.  If he falls this far into the Cowboys lap, consider it a lock.
29. Green Bay Packers – Quincy Wilson CB – The Packers need at corner coupled with the fact that the outside linebackers left at this spot don’t wow me, means that Wilson is the pick.  Adoree’ Jackson could also be selected, with his return skills included, but I like Wilson’s big play ability a little bit more and he beats out Charles Harris the pass rusher, with Wilson’s value out on the edge for the Packers.  The Packers would love to have one of the top running backs fall to them and could possibly trade up to get one if a free fall happened to any of the big three in this draft, but they should all be gone by now and the Packers need the help at corner.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers – Charles Harris OLB – As always, the Steelers can use a pass rusher and this kid can certainly get after it.  Very athletic and in the same vein of recent run of Mizzou ends coming into the NFL.  I struggled with this, because the Steelers also could use an inside linebacker and a player like Zach Cunningham is still on the board, but I feel like they can get an inside linebacker later in the draft and you won’t get a player like Harris the next time the Steelers pick.
31. Atlanta Falcons – Forrest Lamp G – After a Super Bowl win basically was left on the field due to poor play selection and a complete melt down on defense, you would think that defense would be the key to the draft for the Falcons.  I argue that if they could have kept Matt Ryan upright in the fourth quarter, they would be the defending Super Bowl champs.  In which case, Lamp comes in and should help solidify a shaky line.  I don’t even have an alternative for the Falcons on this one, Lamp is the right fit at the right time.
32. New Orleans Saints – Adoree’ Jackson CB – If the Saints address their need to get the quarterback early, like I have them slated to do with Carl Lawson, then they can address the secondary that seems to be like a sieve on a year to year basis.  Jackson is as good an athlete as you will find in this draft and if he focuses solely on playing cornerback, he should become a top notch defender down the road.  Chances are with someone like Taco Charlton is still here, you could argue that they could make a play for another pass rusher and address cornerback later, but I think they should address the need with the best player available.  They also could go with Drew Brees’ heir apparent at this point, but I think you either do that later in the draft or trade up to get either Watson or Trubisky and I don’t think that’s an option if you want to give Brees one more chance to win as a Saint.

This draft is one of the stranger drafts I can remember.  Very heavy on game changing running backs, limited on can’t miss quarterbacks and woefully short on top notch defensive tackles and offensive tackles with first round grades.  As you go through the list of players that are available, it is quite evident that cornerback and linebacker/rush ends are the strength of this draft, but even those guys after a certain group could be swapped out with any player in the 2nd through 5th rounds and you could argue that a team made the right decision based on certain film.

Husker draftees could be short this year.  I still think someone will take a chance on Nathan Gerry and Cethan Carter is certainly undervalued from his time at Nebraska, although his injury history will certainly cause him to fall in the draft if he is drafted at all.  Jordan Westerkamp would be next bet on being drafted, I simply can’t see how he doesn’t make an NFL roster this fall if he is healthy.  I watch enough of the NFL to know that plenty of teams can use someone that rarely drops the ball…hint, hint, Chicago.  If Nebraska can keep the streak of multiple players drafted alive this year, they should start to see more players moving into the NFL as the Mike Riley era moves forward.

That’s it, that’s the list.  Remember, this is how I would draft…history says I’m about as accurate as most GMs, which isn’t saying much.

Spring Game Primer

It’s been quite a spring in Lincoln and it all comes to a head this weekend as the Husker Spring Game is finally upon us.  So far, we have heard stories of new players starting to move into starting roles and other starters continuing on their natural progressions.  Two big stories however have dominated the spring over all others.

For the first time in about 8 seasons, there has been an honest to goodness open quarterback battle.  Transfer Tanner Lee and redshirt freshman Patrick O’Brien, along with early enrollee Tristan Gebbia have been battling it out to lead Nebraska this fall.  All three quarterbacks were brought in to fit head coach Mike Riley’s offense.  This offense requires an accurate passing first QB.  Tommy Armstrong, while a great competitor, was not blessed with an accurate arm.  For the first time since Coach Riley arrived, he has quarterbacks that are equipped to run a pass first offense.  To the coaches credit, they worked to put together an offense that Armstrong could have success with, but they clearly should be more comfortable coaching a player up in an offense that they have taught for over two decades, moving forward.

The second big story, is the arrival of new defensive coordinator Bob Diaco.  Diaco comes from being the head coach at the University of Connecticut.  If you haven’t heard about Coach Diaco, he was defensive coordinator at Notre Dame when the played in the National Championship game a few seasons ago and he brings a fire to the position that players have seemingly fallen in line for.  Diaco’s pedigree and his energetic personality has dominated the headlines.  Let’s hope that it translates to a return of Blackshirt dominance on the field.  I don’t expect we will see much in the spring game, but reports so far is that Nebraska has a good one.

So as we get set for the game Saturday, let’s look at the position groups and the players to watch for that maybe we don’t know anything about yet.

Quarterback: This is as good a place to start as any and should be a fun day for some fans.  Tanner Lee, Patrick O'Brien and Tristan Gebbia are the players to pay attention too.  I look for Lee to take the lead after this spring and I hope to see that O’Brien and even newly arrived Gebbia aren’t that far off from being ready for action.  Look for some deep throws and some quick releases.  Should be a lot of fun!

Running Backs: Players to know are Tre Bryant, Mikale Wilbon and Devine Ozigbo.  All three have played in some respect in the last two seasons.  Wilbon is probably the shiftiest and the best athlete, but Bryant is probably the best of the three when it comes to all parts of the game.  Player that you should look out for, but don’t know, is Wyatt Mazour #37.  Coach Riley compared him to Danny Woodhead this spring.  Lets just hope Wyatt gets some touches this weekend so we can find out!

Tight End: Players to know are Tyler Hoppes, Matt Snyder, and Jack Stoll.  Hoppes has had a big spring, and the transfer from Wayne State has certainly been a surprise.  Snyder and Stoll are young and coming off injury plagued seasons so far, but they have been solid and steady this spring.  Offensive Coordinator Danny Langsdorf has said that this position has been a pleasant surprise this spring.  It will be interesting to see if that pans out.  Player to keep an eye on is David Engelhaupt #83.  A late add to last season’s class from Norfolk is a great athlete.  David should be a great player down the road, so watch for him a little bit.

Wide Receiver: Players to know are Stanley Morgan, De’Mornay Pierson-El, Bryan Reimers, and JD Spielman.  Morgan has had an awesome spring, until a recent injury cost him the last couple of practices.  From most accounts, Morgan has been the best player this spring on the team.  While there isn’t a lot of catches coming back from the last few seasons, Morgan and Pierson-El (finally healthy) and Reimers do have some experience.  Spielman has been electric this spring as well.  Player to keep and eye on is #9 Keyan Williams.  Williams is a transfer from Fresno State and happens to be the son of wide receiver coach Keith Williams.  So far Williams has been the leader to replace Jordan Westerkamp in the slot.  That is a key role in this offense, so watch out for Williams on Saturday.

Offensive Line:  Players to know are Nick Gates, Jerald Foster, Cole Conrad, Tanner Farmer and David Knevel.  This unit has a lot of starts behind it now.  It has had a bit of a rough spring, adjusting to a new defense in practice and trying to get everyone on the same page.  I happen to think their level of play, while not great, has been overplayed a little bit in the media this spring.  The one healthy game that these cats all played together, against Northwestern, they were at times dominate.  If they can manage to stay on the field together, this unit should come together well this fall.  Players to keep an eye on #56 Boe Wilson and #79 Michael Decker.  Wilson continues to get high praise, in fact he almost didn’t redshirt because he is so close to ready to go.  Decker has been running with the first team at center up until Conrad moved over from tackle.  I expect Decker to push Conrad next fall to start at center.  It should be a good battle.

Defensive Line: Players to know are Mick Stoltenberg, Carlos Davis and Freedom Akinmoladun.  Big Mick has had a great spring and the move to a 3-4 front with Mick at the nose so far seems to be a great fit.  Davis and Freedom both have a handful of starts under their belt and with Coach Parella in charge will hopefully return the defensive line to a position of strength for the Blackshirts. Player to watch #99 Peyton Newell.  Newell hasn’t been able to break into the lineup yet, but the move to the 3-4 should give him another life and hopefully he can take advantage of the opportunity.  He needs to because Coach Parella is bringing in three studs this fall to help out and if he doesn’t have a hold on his spot by then, they could pass him by.

Linebacker: Players to know are Dedrick Young, Chris Webber, Marcus Newby, Luke Gifford and Alex Davis.  This group has a combination of experience and youth.  The switch to the 3-4 should provide ample opportunity for this group to shine.  Different roles and different players will continue to emerge all the way into next fall from this group.  Webber and Gifford have had solid springs and I expect them both to play a lot.  Player to watch #15 Avery Roberts.  The highly touted freshman has not disappointed since he arrived on campus in January.  Roberts was the highest ranked  defensive recruit in 2017 and should be a playmaker this fall.  Watch out for him Saturday.

Safeties: Players to know are Josh Kalu, Aaron Williams, Antonio Reed and Kieron Williams.  Kalu has moved over from cornerback to get more talent on the field and this group seems to roll six deep without much trouble.  JoJo Domann would and should be on this list, but a torn ACL this spring will keep this young stud on the shelf, which is too bad.  Player to watch #19 Marquel Dismuke.  Dismuke may not play a lot this fall, but the talented safety from California should play on special teams and eventually be a big factor on defense.  Watch to see how many times he is on the field this weekend.

Cornerbacks: Chris Jones, Lamar Jackson, Eric Lee.  This group has great experience in Jones and Jackson has come far enough that Kalu has moved to safety.  While it may not have much depth that you know of this spring, Lee has blossomed and should play in the nickel and spell Jones and Jackson on regular downs.  This group has some young players on the way, that should provide plenty of depth this fall.  Player to watch is #23 DiCaprio Bootle.  Bootle already as the coolest name on the team on lockdown and now the super fast DB from Florida will start making his mark this spring.  When he is out on the field, he should stand out, hopefully in a good way!

There will be plenty of other new names on Saturday, so get your programs out.  It should be a fun game on Saturday, now let’s just hope for good weather!

GBR!

Watch the Carriker Chronicles!!!

Everything New this Spring in Lincoln!

Come On Bobby!!!

When we last blogged about our beloved Huskers, they were headed to Nashville to play Tennessee. Nebraska went with a backup quarterback, a banged up offensive line, a defense that was sputtering on fumes and little did we know at the time, a different defensive coordinator, defensive backs coach and a special teams coach.

My how things have changed in a couple months.  

One of the biggest letdowns in 2016 after a great 7-0 start was how quickly the team unraveled after losing in overtime to Wisconsin.  Nebraska had a chance to lock down a spot in the Big Ten title game, and when they didn’t hold serve, the wheels came off.  The defense that had played well enough to get to seven wins was destroyed against Ohio State and embarrassed against Iowa.  Not that it mattered a lot, but they were hammered against Tennessee as well, pretty much letting them run and pass wherever and whenever they wanted.

After that game, some major changes happened from a coaching staff standpoint.  Long time Mike Riley assistants that had been with him as far back as his NFL gig over 16 years ago, were released.  Special teams coordinator Bruce Read was first to get the axe, followed by defensive coordinator Mark Banker.  After that, secondary coach Brian Stewart took a defensive coordinator position at another school.  It was a rather shocking short burst of development.  So let’s look at why these changes had to be made.  

Nebraska’s special teams, outside of Drew Brown were anything but special.  Nebraska’s kickoff units ranked 94th (out of 128 teams) in returns, the punt unit 59th in returns, and 44th in overall efficiency according to ESPN.com statistics.  Add to that, Nebraska was dead last…let me repeat that…dead last in total net punting in 2016.  When you have a specific coach for special teams like Bruce Read was, you expect to at least finish in the top half of Division one football in most categories.  Nebraska was scraping the bottom of the barrel.  Read also didn’t recruit, or at least didn’t appear to recruit, and he needed to go.  Whatever ancillary help he supplied to Coach Riley in scouting or game prep wasn’t enough to overcome the disaster that was Nebraska’s special teams in 2016.

Defensively, Nebraska wasn’t much better at the end of the year.  However, when you look at defensive statistics and yards allowed, Nebraska wasn’t the worst in the country.  Nebraska did finish 19th overall in the country in yards given up, which was pretty good on the surface, and they finished 31st overall in points given up.  The Huskers finished 37th in the country in total passing yards give up and 32nd in rushing yards given up.  Not bad right?  Nebraska ended up 55th overall in total defensive efficiency. They finished tied for 65th in country in sack.  At Nebraska, finishing that low should never happen.  Unfortunately, you know there wasn’t a lot of fear struck into the hearts of quarterbacks on the schedule.

But when Ohio State hangs 62 on you and Iowa, who is pedestrian at best, hangs 40 on you, statistics don’t mean as much in the overall scheme of things.  You simply can’t get run over in the biggest games of the year at Nebraska. By the end of the season, teams had pretty much handled the Huskers D.

So in a surprising move, Coach Riley let go of Mark Banker.  Banker had worked with Riley for over 20 years. As a long time Husker fan it was a bit surprising, but Mike Riley doesn’t want to be average at Nebraska and this pretty much showed how serious he is about it.  

Mike Riley’s first replacement was defensive backs coach Donte Williams.  Williams came from the University of Arizona.  What separates Williams from the normal rank and file is that Williams is considered a top ten recruiter out West.  Nebraska finished second place for too many players in California the last couple of years and Williams should help keep that from happening.  He is a young up and coming coach that hopefully will provide some stability.  He will be coaching the cornerbacks.

The bigger surprise though, came when Riley hired new defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, the former head coach of Connecticut.  Diaco is considered one of the brightest young defensive minds in the country.  In his prior stints at Notre Dame Diaco was voted by some publications as the assistant coach of the year when he helped lead the Irish into a National Championship game appearance.  When you talk about hiring assistant coaches, Diaco being hired is considered a grand slam hire.  It’s the kind of hire we haven’t seen at Nebraska in a long time.

And to put the cherry on top of the replacement coaches, Bob Elliot was hired from the Notre Dame staff as well to coach the secondary with Williams and help Diaco with implementation of his defense. (Side note: Elliot has worked with Diaco and coached him when Diaco was a linebacker with Iowa in the 90s.  Yes, you read that correctly, Coach Riley hired two coaches with direct ties to Iowa.  Be still my beating heart…)

Why does all of this matter?  A big part of what separates good teams from great teams is recruiting.  All coaches that were let go weren’t what one would consider to be great recruiters.  All of the replacements were upgrades over their previous inhabitants and in a case of Williams was an upgrade of gigantic proportions in the recruiting world.

The other big part about great teams is that they all seem to have great assistant coaches leading their programs.  Bob Diaco runs a 3-4 defense, but more importantly, he has had success in the recent past, defending teams that run today’s high octane offenses.  Coach Banker had no such recent success and it felt like the Huskers were really out manned at a lot of positions in Banker’s scheme.  Diaco was brought in to shore that up.  We will see if Riley’s gambles pay off.  Something tells me will.  

Carriker Chronicles

Quick Notes:

Position Battles. As we move closer to the spring game, we will focus in on position battles throughout the team.  The biggest battles as of right now are quarterback, center, tight end, running back and who is going to rush the quarterback on defense.  A lot of new faces need to step up in a lot of areas on this Husker team.  We will discuss that a little more in depth as the spring moves along.

Recruiting. Nebraska as a state has had some pretty decent talent the last couple of years, but this next class of seniors may be the most talented Nebraska has had in the last 10 years.  Cam Jurgens of Beatrice and Masry Mapieu of York have already committed to the Huskers.  At least 3 other players in the state will be worthy of offers in 2018.  Nebraska will have a nice base of players to choose from, in what should be a rather small class.

Spring Time is here!  You can already smell it, the green is starting to return, the days are getting longer and spring is almost upon us.  That means spring football and more spring football.  Enjoy it, once the annual Red White scrimmage is over in April, It’s a long 4 months of no football.  Stay thirsty!

On with the Rewind:

Our prediction for the year end bowl game was Tennessee 31 – Nebraska 20.  The final score ended up with Tennessee 38 Nebraska 24.  We knew it would be tough with a backup QB and backup players or injured players across the board.  Nebraska needed to survive the bowl game as much as anything.  They couldn’t provide enough protection or block well enough on offense to give the Huskers much of a chance and the defense looked disinterested at best sometime.  We all know what off season changes have happened since.  Hopefully next season we will be signing a different tune after the bowl game. GBR!!