I was looking at the roster for the 2014 Holiday Bowl against USC, the one right after Pelini got fired, and it really reinforced the depth of our program's decline talent wise over the next 8 years. The roster for the Holiday Bowl included:
Armstrong - Would not start over DR in 2024
Abdullah - Would easily be our starting RB in 2024
Carter - Would be in the rotation with Fidone in 2024
Bell - Would be a starting WR in 2024
DPE - Would be a starting WR and KR/PR in 2024
Westerkamp - Would be a starting WR in 2024
Reilly - Would be in the rotation at WR in 2024
Lewis - Would easily be our starting LT
Sterup - Would be a starting Guard
Gerry - Rhule would have made him a starting ILB in 2024 just like the Eagles did.
Kalu - Would probably start at CB as a Freshman in 2024
Gregory - Would be the starting Jack in 2024
Collins - Would be the starting NG in 2024
Valentine - Would be a backup DL in 2024
Janovich - Would be the starting FB in 2024
Anderson - Would be the other starting OLB in 2024
11 guys who were in the rotation that year who were/are NFL guys and more who were younger and became NFL guys after they became contributors at Nebraska. I'm not sure that we have had any players until recently who are better than these guys were at their positions. We were thin at LB, and needed some more help on the DL, but this was a pretty decent lineup. I don't think that there is any player on the 2022 roster that could have started on the 2014 team except for one year wonder Palmer. Pretty sad.
Armstrong - Would not start over DR in 2024
Abdullah - Would easily be our starting RB in 2024
Carter - Would be in the rotation with Fidone in 2024
Bell - Would be a starting WR in 2024
DPE - Would be a starting WR and KR/PR in 2024
Westerkamp - Would be a starting WR in 2024
Reilly - Would be in the rotation at WR in 2024
Lewis - Would easily be our starting LT
Sterup - Would be a starting Guard
Gerry - Rhule would have made him a starting ILB in 2024 just like the Eagles did.
Kalu - Would probably start at CB as a Freshman in 2024
Gregory - Would be the starting Jack in 2024
Collins - Would be the starting NG in 2024
Valentine - Would be a backup DL in 2024
Janovich - Would be the starting FB in 2024
Anderson - Would be the other starting OLB in 2024
11 guys who were in the rotation that year who were/are NFL guys and more who were younger and became NFL guys after they became contributors at Nebraska. I'm not sure that we have had any players until recently who are better than these guys were at their positions. We were thin at LB, and needed some more help on the DL, but this was a pretty decent lineup. I don't think that there is any player on the 2022 roster that could have started on the 2014 team except for one year wonder Palmer. Pretty sad.
