Disagree. CU actually won some things of significance during their run that gave their fans some latitude when running smack. This ongoing crap reminds me more of K-State fans.
2016 Schedule
- Thread starter leodisflowers
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Disagree. CU actually won some things of significance during their run that gave their fans some latitude when running smack. This ongoing crap reminds me more of K-State fans.
Without seeing any big personnel improvements over last year, to expect a better season you're really basing your hope on two things:
- The players buy in and grasp the systems better in year 2
- Coaches have learned to game plan to the personnel better and won't have complete brain farts in this area (i.e. Purdue)
Yeah, as I said in a prior post, it REALLY should not be hard to hit 9-3 given that schedule (definite loss to Ohio State, possible losses to Oregon and then 1 other Big Ten team, likely Iowa or Wisconsin). I think 8-4 would be ok, but disappointing. Anything less than that is a failure and should be met with contempt.
Correct, that and I just don't see us losing to some of the teams we did last year. Everyone is beatable, and I am basing hope on what we saw at the end of the year last year. Rose colored glasses probably, but I am feeling good vibes out of Lincoln right now. Still have to prove it on the field, but I like the mojo and am going to stay positive. It also may because Parrella has me all fired up. #GBR
Here's my thoughts on the roster and position by position:
FS- Nate Gerry will be back and in year 2 of the system. His back up will likely be former 4-Star Avery Anderson ...( Yes, I believe the coaches will move him to to Free Safety. Anderson's Backup will likely be JoJo Domann.
SS- Replacing Byerson Cockrell - Byerson was very good in run support and pursuit. He was terrible in Coverage. He was really a very undersized Outside Linebacker. Aaron Williams will battle Antonio Reed for that spot. Both are more athletic and much better in coverage than Cockrell. Marquel Dismuke may factor into the equation as well.
All together, Nebraska is going to go from basically a 3 player rotation at 2 safety spots in 2015, to a legit scholarship 3 deep in 2016. And the athleticism is boosted dramatically.
Safety will be improved.
CB - By season's End, Nebraska's corners were better mainly because of experience and some added personnel... But lets be honest, that's like beating a Midget at horse.
Right CB- Chris Jones really cemented a starting spot for 2016 by closing out 2015 in strong fashion. He's the best returning starter at that Position since Dennard. He will be backed up by 4-Star top 250 Redshirt Freshman Eric Lee. Don't be shocked if they give Marquel Dismuke some looks at CB as well.
Boundary Corner - This is a position where Lamar Jackson could seriously start as soon as week one For now though, they will go with Josh Kalu. Ideally, he's your best Nickel Back and you likely want him over the slot. Kalu proved to be an upgrade from Jon Rose and Davie last season. He should be improved as well in year 2 of the season. He's also played in 25 career games... That's a lot for a 20 year -old.
Cornerback will be much better
There is nothing more exciting for the Blackshirts than the Linebackers in 2016.
MIKE - Josh Banderas- I expect him to have a monster season in year 2 of this scheme and with Coach Bray. He will be backed up by Chris Weber, a dude who once had a 17 tackle game, and Tyrin Ferguson, the former New Orleans HS Defensive POY. No player in 2016 will look sexier off the bus than Tyrin Ferguson ( no homo). I think Weber could get overpassed strictly because Ferguson has unrivaled athleticsm. Nebraska will actually redshirt Pernell Jefferson, and he's already nearly 240 lbs with a Big Ten body.
WILL- Dedrick Young should be the most improved player on the field in 2016. The jump from Freshman to sophomore year is significant for most players. Its even more magnified for a kid who started as a true freshman. The delayed reactions and mistakes will be limited. Young will be pushed by arguably the fastest linebacker on the roster, Redshirt Freshmen Mohammad Barry. Luke Gifford will return from injury to fill out the 3rd string spot. And considering he was needed to actually start week one last season, I would say that position has gotten significantly better.
SAM - There may not be a tougher Fall camp competition than the battle between Mike Rose-Ivey and Marcus Newby. By year's end, Newby had firmly taken the job., He was aided by Rose-Ivey's injuries, but was a strong #1 even in the bowl game. Both of them will play, and expect this position to be in great hands all season. The 3rd stringer will be about the future with Greg Simmons NOT redshirting. This position was made for him going forward.
The coaches will have a decision to make with regards to Quayshon Alexander. He's an elite athlete. I believe, this is just personal opinion, that he should stay at Weak Side Defensive End. I don't care if my edge rusher is only 6'2 1'2. I want a speed guy who can wreak havoc whether he has a 6'6 Alex Davis type frame or if he's in the Dwight Freeney mold at only 6'1.
But if the Coaches decide they want Quay and Collin Miller to play Linebacker, I expect them both to fit into the WILL and SAM rotation. But... I hope they are defensive Ends. I think this team needs them to play on the edge, especially with a legit 3 deep at Backer.
LINEBACKER WILL BE DRASTICALLY BETTER
Weakside Defensive End - Alex Davis will battle Ross Dzuris for the starting spot...That's not encouraging. While there is a lot of Hype coming out of Lincoln about Davis, he's never stepped on the field. Dzuris has no business being a starter in the Big Ten. Ideally, he should be a 3rd string situational guy. This is where Miller and Quayshon can make the biggest push. I love Miller's motor. he's very disruptive and much athletic than Dzuris in a similar body type. Quayshon is a dynamic athlete. The key for him will be whether or not he can stay versatile enough to play the run as well. There is also some rumblings about Sedrick King playing in 2016. He's up to 6'4 1/2 and 253 pounds. The kid has added almost 30 pounds of muscle after never lifting prior to his arrival in Lincoln. he's always been explosive, but really lacked the strength to play at this level....
Strong Side Defensive End - McMullen is moving inside. He may play some Base End occasionally on goal lines or in short down and distance, but he's a legit 6'4 300 now and will potentially start next to Maurice. Freedom is the natural Strong Side Defensive End. In this defense, you need a strong and powerful athlete on that side of the defense to hold the edge and be disruptive vs. the run and the pass. He should be much improved after his first season at the position. Freedom will be backed up Daishon Neal and I still think you'll see some McMullen in there as well.
Defensive End- MEH? Could be better.. could be the same.
Defensive tackles - I'm far more effusive than the Iowa fans who is suffering from wishful thinking. Nebraska has 3 Defensive tackles in McMullen at 6'5 300, Maurice, 6'4 300, Kevin Williams at 6'2 285 who have played in more than 80 combined games. There isn't another group in the Big Ten with that much experience. Nebraska will also get the Davis Twins in the mix next season. Both of them are over 290 and Carlos in particular might actually be starting by mid season. The biggest loss for replacing Maliek Collins will be in the pass rush. At times, he was the only pass rush on the team. The defensive philosophy will allow them to stop the run as well as a year ago.
Defensive tackle - The Same
The Defense as a whole should be DRAMATICALLY better.
And really... that's what it will take to improve.
FS- Nate Gerry will be back and in year 2 of the system. His back up will likely be former 4-Star Avery Anderson ...( Yes, I believe the coaches will move him to to Free Safety. Anderson's Backup will likely be JoJo Domann.
SS- Replacing Byerson Cockrell - Byerson was very good in run support and pursuit. He was terrible in Coverage. He was really a very undersized Outside Linebacker. Aaron Williams will battle Antonio Reed for that spot. Both are more athletic and much better in coverage than Cockrell. Marquel Dismuke may factor into the equation as well.
All together, Nebraska is going to go from basically a 3 player rotation at 2 safety spots in 2015, to a legit scholarship 3 deep in 2016. And the athleticism is boosted dramatically.
Safety will be improved.
CB - By season's End, Nebraska's corners were better mainly because of experience and some added personnel... But lets be honest, that's like beating a Midget at horse.
Right CB- Chris Jones really cemented a starting spot for 2016 by closing out 2015 in strong fashion. He's the best returning starter at that Position since Dennard. He will be backed up by 4-Star top 250 Redshirt Freshman Eric Lee. Don't be shocked if they give Marquel Dismuke some looks at CB as well.
Boundary Corner - This is a position where Lamar Jackson could seriously start as soon as week one For now though, they will go with Josh Kalu. Ideally, he's your best Nickel Back and you likely want him over the slot. Kalu proved to be an upgrade from Jon Rose and Davie last season. He should be improved as well in year 2 of the season. He's also played in 25 career games... That's a lot for a 20 year -old.
Cornerback will be much better
There is nothing more exciting for the Blackshirts than the Linebackers in 2016.
MIKE - Josh Banderas- I expect him to have a monster season in year 2 of this scheme and with Coach Bray. He will be backed up by Chris Weber, a dude who once had a 17 tackle game, and Tyrin Ferguson, the former New Orleans HS Defensive POY. No player in 2016 will look sexier off the bus than Tyrin Ferguson ( no homo). I think Weber could get overpassed strictly because Ferguson has unrivaled athleticsm. Nebraska will actually redshirt Pernell Jefferson, and he's already nearly 240 lbs with a Big Ten body.
WILL- Dedrick Young should be the most improved player on the field in 2016. The jump from Freshman to sophomore year is significant for most players. Its even more magnified for a kid who started as a true freshman. The delayed reactions and mistakes will be limited. Young will be pushed by arguably the fastest linebacker on the roster, Redshirt Freshmen Mohammad Barry. Luke Gifford will return from injury to fill out the 3rd string spot. And considering he was needed to actually start week one last season, I would say that position has gotten significantly better.
SAM - There may not be a tougher Fall camp competition than the battle between Mike Rose-Ivey and Marcus Newby. By year's end, Newby had firmly taken the job., He was aided by Rose-Ivey's injuries, but was a strong #1 even in the bowl game. Both of them will play, and expect this position to be in great hands all season. The 3rd stringer will be about the future with Greg Simmons NOT redshirting. This position was made for him going forward.
The coaches will have a decision to make with regards to Quayshon Alexander. He's an elite athlete. I believe, this is just personal opinion, that he should stay at Weak Side Defensive End. I don't care if my edge rusher is only 6'2 1'2. I want a speed guy who can wreak havoc whether he has a 6'6 Alex Davis type frame or if he's in the Dwight Freeney mold at only 6'1.
But if the Coaches decide they want Quay and Collin Miller to play Linebacker, I expect them both to fit into the WILL and SAM rotation. But... I hope they are defensive Ends. I think this team needs them to play on the edge, especially with a legit 3 deep at Backer.
LINEBACKER WILL BE DRASTICALLY BETTER
Weakside Defensive End - Alex Davis will battle Ross Dzuris for the starting spot...That's not encouraging. While there is a lot of Hype coming out of Lincoln about Davis, he's never stepped on the field. Dzuris has no business being a starter in the Big Ten. Ideally, he should be a 3rd string situational guy. This is where Miller and Quayshon can make the biggest push. I love Miller's motor. he's very disruptive and much athletic than Dzuris in a similar body type. Quayshon is a dynamic athlete. The key for him will be whether or not he can stay versatile enough to play the run as well. There is also some rumblings about Sedrick King playing in 2016. He's up to 6'4 1/2 and 253 pounds. The kid has added almost 30 pounds of muscle after never lifting prior to his arrival in Lincoln. he's always been explosive, but really lacked the strength to play at this level....
Strong Side Defensive End - McMullen is moving inside. He may play some Base End occasionally on goal lines or in short down and distance, but he's a legit 6'4 300 now and will potentially start next to Maurice. Freedom is the natural Strong Side Defensive End. In this defense, you need a strong and powerful athlete on that side of the defense to hold the edge and be disruptive vs. the run and the pass. He should be much improved after his first season at the position. Freedom will be backed up Daishon Neal and I still think you'll see some McMullen in there as well.
Defensive End- MEH? Could be better.. could be the same.
Defensive tackles - I'm far more effusive than the Iowa fans who is suffering from wishful thinking. Nebraska has 3 Defensive tackles in McMullen at 6'5 300, Maurice, 6'4 300, Kevin Williams at 6'2 285 who have played in more than 80 combined games. There isn't another group in the Big Ten with that much experience. Nebraska will also get the Davis Twins in the mix next season. Both of them are over 290 and Carlos in particular might actually be starting by mid season. The biggest loss for replacing Maliek Collins will be in the pass rush. At times, he was the only pass rush on the team. The defensive philosophy will allow them to stop the run as well as a year ago.
Defensive tackle - The Same
The Defense as a whole should be DRAMATICALLY better.
And really... that's what it will take to improve.
Easy Cornicator. According to Iowa you are just drinking koolaid, and that we will be way worse. Just too many holes.
It was pretty obvious Iowa was just playing smart football last year. Why open up the offense when the weather was so bad and Tommy kept throwing picks? The game was not as close as some of you think.
Nebraska vs Ohio State for the B1G Title. Winner gets a playoff spot.
Somewhat agree with you, but smart football isn't 0/9 on third down, and for that reason the game was as close as the score indicated.
I like how the schedule sets up psychologically. Two marquee games in Oregon and Ohio St. that will sustain the players' interest all year. Riley's personality and coaching style will lead to greater consistency, IMHO. The team will be sharp against Fresno St. and Wyoming because the players will want to be ready for Oregon. The team will be stoked to play Oregon with a coaching staff that knows the OU system inside and out. After that, NW and Illinois are wrongs waiting to be righted. NU will not overlook Indiana because everybody knows that the Hoosiers can light it up against anybody. Purdue and Wisconsin are two more wrongs waiting to be righted. If our top 30 players are mostly healthy vs Ohio St., we can be tough out for the Buckeyes and maybe even beat them. Remember, OSU knocked off USC in '06 and '08 when the Trojans were just as talented as the Buckeyes. NU should have the upper hand on Minnesota as they transition to the post-Jerry Kill era. Maryland, I have no idea, but it seems like we should win. Iowa? I think they maxed out last year, hard to do two years in a row. Don't turn the ball over five times, NU should win.
Maybe seeing things through Big Red Rosy glasses, but I think this will be the most focused and consistent team NU has had in years.
+1
We should be focused and well coached this year. We have a lot of returning players that will want to right last year's wrongs.
I believe the biggest keys to success for Nebraska in 2016 will be contingent upon the defensive side of the football. Nebraska in 2015 turned the ball over too much. But it should also be no surprise that Iowa, Wisconsin, Northwestern, and even Illinois all played better defense than the 2015 Huskers. Until Nebraska stops acting like the Pelini sieve, things won't change much.
As for the Offensive personnel in 2016, here's my best guess:
The Iowa fan who wants to say Nebraska is replacing 4 starters is incorrect. Its really 3. Zach Sterup took away the starting spot from Chongo Kondolo by week 7 last year. And he is a big loss. Nebraska never really began to run the ball with authority before Sterup took over. Chongo started the first half of the season and graduated, but he lost his starting job. His replacement was a much better player and will be missed.
RG- Who will be the replacement? It will likely be top 100 Recruit from the 2014 class, Tanner Farmer or former US Army All American DJ Foster. Both are big, strong, and physical run blockers.
C- Ryne Reeves has graduated. He will be replaced by former 4-Star Paul Thurston who has actually started 4 games at Center the last two seasons. He played the whole way vs. UCLA and was instrumental in Nebraska's dominance up front vs. the Bruins.
LG- Dylan Utter returns at LG, but there is some talk of him actually moving over to Center because of the talent with Farmer and Foster.
LT- Alex Lewis is a big loss. He will play in the NFL, despite being a hothead. I think what you will see is Nick Gates shifting over to the Left Side. Gates, the former top 100 recruit, will be one of the most talented Tackles in the league. He was often excellent at RT in 2015. However, shifting over to LT could weaken the left side.
RT- This is the biggest question on the O-line. The likely candidate is 6'9 320 lb David Knevel. This monster hasn't really had a lot of chances to crack the rotation with 2 future NFL tackles in front of him in Gates and Lewis. Knevel was offered by the likes of Alabama out of HS. can he finally take the next step? That remains to be seen. The other likely candidate is Redshirt Freshman Christian Gaylord. at 6'7 300, he could sneak past Knevel. Christian was pursued by Ohio State and Texas before signing with the Huskers. The different between the 2 is simple. Gaylord has better feet and is a better pass blocker. Knevel, despite his size, is a more powerful run blocker. That battle will go down to the start of Fall Camp.
Offensive line - The same... but Right Tackle will be a big question mark.
TE- There is no more NFL ready Skill player at Nebraska than Cethan Carter. I expect him to have a big season in year 2 of this offense. Sam Cotton should be improved after a year in the scheme. Look for Nebraska to use him in more combo double tight situations, probably on the Right Side. The addition of Matt Snyder will be huge. Snyder will join Carter as the most athletic TE duo in the Big Ten. That position should be excellent in 2016.
WR- The #1 Unit in the Big Ten without question. Starters will be
Slot- Westerkamp with Spielman behind him.
Z- Brandon Riley with DPE behind him until DPE is 100% with Grimm or Alston behind those 2
X- A combo of Stanley Morgan and Alonzo Moore - both will start games.. Both will have 40+ catches by season's end.
WR and TE- Better and ELITE
RB- Devine Ozhigbo and Terrell Newby will share carries.
FB- I believe it will be a job up for grabs between Harrison Jordan and possibly Luke McNitt or even Trey Foster.
RB- Tailback should be better. Devine is a great player and up to 230 right now. Fullback will take a step back.
QB - The job is obviously Tommy's to lose. I think POB will overtake Ryker by midseason for the #2 spot
One would think Tommy will be better in year 2 of a system. But Tommy didn't make mistakes due to inexperience in 2015. He makes mistakes due to brain cramps or needing Lasik. At this point, I can only say QB play will be the same. And even if POB were to take the starting job, I can't see how POB's mistakes as a true freshman would be any less than Tommy's brain farts as a Senior.
I think defense will make or break the Huskers in 2016.
Wouldn't it be great if all it took was a Ricky Vaughn glasses addition to make TA great? Has the staff looked into this???
Excellent again!
People keep complaining about O-line, but we have YEARS of 4 star talent lined up to step right in to those roles? Think of Jalin Barnett, Tanner Farmer, Nick Gates, etc. Plus that giant Canadian David Knevel, who I am going to just start referring to as Paul Bunyan.
O-Line : I would say the same or better than last year.
Receivers: Absolutely the best in the Big Ten.
Running backs: No real step back here. The same, or better.
Tight Ends: Better.
Fullback: Totally a step back; Janovich was a BEAST. Then again, this position was only used as often as it was BECAUSE he was such a beast.
QB: This is going to be the thing that causes the offense to not be a buzzsaw. Sorry to say, I just don't think TA is a pro-style passer. He runs well, he has great games, but the kind of inconsistency he displays will probably always be there.
People keep complaining about O-line, but we have YEARS of 4 star talent lined up to step right in to those roles? Think of Jalin Barnett, Tanner Farmer, Nick Gates, etc. Plus that giant Canadian David Knevel, who I am going to just start referring to as Paul Bunyan.
O-Line : I would say the same or better than last year.
Receivers: Absolutely the best in the Big Ten.
Running backs: No real step back here. The same, or better.
Tight Ends: Better.
Fullback: Totally a step back; Janovich was a BEAST. Then again, this position was only used as often as it was BECAUSE he was such a beast.
QB: This is going to be the thing that causes the offense to not be a buzzsaw. Sorry to say, I just don't think TA is a pro-style passer. He runs well, he has great games, but the kind of inconsistency he displays will probably always be there.
Great stuff Cornicator. Hopefully on the line Jalin Barnett can make a splash as well. I like the direction we are headed. At RB I agree, but I think Wilbon is going to push for some time (not knowing his current standing with the team). That kid could be a stud. Great stuff though,
Protecting home field ie going 7-0 would go a long way toward what then would likely be a really good season. That said I would count Oregon as loss I would like to think 6-1 is dry do- able with only Ohio state being the automatic loss. All other games winnable I would like to see us split our tough games 3-2 or 2-3 on road at worst. we must avoid 1-4 or 0-5 on road for sure
