2025 defensive starters as of the new year
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It looks to me like Jones has passed Hill at CB, but my guess is Marshall (Idaho transfer) at the other CB spot, opposite C. Wright.
I would also guess J. Wright is a ILB and McCullough is the Rover.
Edit: I would also think we find another safety and play Hartzog at a nickel/dime situational position. And we will add another ILB, pushing Wright to a more situational role.
I would also guess J. Wright is a ILB and McCullough is the Rover.
Edit: I would also think we find another safety and play Hartzog at a nickel/dime situational position. And we will add another ILB, pushing Wright to a more situational role.
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FIFY
If Hartzog and Javin are still starting for us next year we are not going to win shit. On a top 20 team they would be 3rd string AT BEST
Gotta play the younger or new guys
JMO
Edit: I didnt name the exact 11 starters but who I expect to play/start the most
Javin Wright was the second leading tackler on the team in 2023 behind Gifford. Would have been fourth on the team this year if he had played in all of the games. He has shown incredible athleticism since showing up on campus and he always seems to be where the ball is. As for Hartzog, he has his limitations, but he has been starting games since the middle of his freshman year and even though there are more athletic kids in that room (that was true this season), he continues to play and the present coaches plus at least Bill Busch from the prior staff do nothing but sing his praises.
Hartzog is a massive liability at 5’7”.
Tackling is bad and doesn’t win 50/50 balls
DL - RVP & Davis - Middle still up for grabs
Jack - Same
LB's - Same, but waiting to see what we get in portal
Rover - Waiting to see. I doubt it's JW even with the waiver.
CB's - Ceyair, Jones and Marshall all in the mix. Blye to me won't start
Safety - No idea. I think Hartzog more is a nickel type guy. Still need help.
I do believe Javin was better in 2023. He seems to have regressed just a bit to me, it maybe he has a nagging injury. I am just saying if he gets the waiver and is starting we could be in trouble because he’s limited IMO.
And to me the number of tackles doesn’t mean too much, someone has to make the tackles and it isn’t the corners or DL making most of them.
Holy hell that’s right, he should be in the mix. Hopefully he’s not a look like Tarzan play like Jane type of guy because he has the first off the bus kind of look.
Hartzog not big enough for safety, and can’t tackle or defend the pass for shit!! If he starts anywhere besides the bench, it will be a crime. Rhule not playing beat players if he is out there!
Wright has had blood clots that required surgery in 2021, ending his season very early. He was able to play in 2022 and 2023. He had a flare up that cost him 4 games and seriously limited his practice time. A fully healthy Javin Wright is a very good football player.
Amie Just: Javin Wright's battle with blood clots, and his journey back to playing football
Javin Wright has been "through hell and back" with blood clots. Then came a trip to North Carolina to devise a plan to get back on the field.
huskerextra.com
I like Javin but let's not let his tackle numbers tell you who he is. The fact that Gifford was a tackle leader and everyone knows he was one of our most disappointing guys last year tells me to look deeper .
Remember when everyone talked about how good Reimers and Heinrich were because they lead us in tackles? Lol, so much more to it.
I don't think Javin is great but with a room so thin on experience I would welcome him back. We have seen enough to know he's not a "guy". He's solid at best but he won't get you beat.
Hartzog on the other hand WILL get u beat. He's a case of coaches falling in love with the kid who does everything right but will always have limitations. He needs to have someone playing ahead of him. Always a liability in pass game and teams target him deep.
I hope like hell they upgrade both spots but I could stomach Wright. But every time Hartzog gets beat deep in a jump ball/50/50 ball it's on the coaches now. They know who and what he is. Gotta get someone ready to play in front of him.
Holla
Yeah, and seems to have regressed a little as well. No real moves and just a straight push.
Jeudy is a good back up, but I see someone with else taking this spot and I have a feeling it will come through the portal. Jeudy and perhaps Hartzog are the two I have questions about right now. I think we are going to see maybe 2 or 3 players take some starting spots on the defense I'm just not sure who they will be.
I'm sure John Butler will have those guys in place, he sure used a lot of new blood during the bowl game, and he mixed them in well. John Butler took a lot of grief during the season, unjustly in my opinion and I think he may be a better coach who oversees the whole group rather than a position coach.
My point being is that we really don't know what the defense or offense will look like until the portal dust settles but it is fun talking about it.
I'm sure John Butler will have those guys in place, he sure used a lot of new blood during the bowl game, and he mixed them in well. John Butler took a lot of grief during the season, unjustly in my opinion and I think he may be a better coach who oversees the whole group rather than a position coach.
My point being is that we really don't know what the defense or offense will look like until the portal dust settles but it is fun talking about it.
My problem with these older, "decent" players is are the coaches just going to start them no matter what? I hate the thought of watching some of these for another year if there might be a young guy who should be playing over them. See it all the time. See Ceyair Wright for a perfect example. Dude was instantly our best db from his first start. Took an injury to force the issue.
Disagree, I think Jeudy is ready to take on a starting role. He's generally impressed in the time he's gotten in. I would like a big hoss to come in and help in run support though.
How big is he now? I kind of had him pegged as a DT potentially but I really haven’t paid much attention to him lately. I was thinking he played inside some on passing downs? In any case, I think those are 3 solid guys.
Your eyes are deceiving you; he's a decent player, but a starter in Big Ten he is not. He's got a nice role carved out for him, but we need a better guy there.
Hopefully he asserts himself in the weight room this summer. He can get better if he has the drive.
I don't think the drive is there. He's had plenty of time to do it.
Well he’s known his place on the depth chart and knew he was a backup. One year less of eligibility coupled with a new D line coach might light a fire under his ass. We can only hope.
Very true. I can't argue your point is spot on. I guess the only reason I feel like I do about Javin is because we are razor thin at LB. Any other scenario I think I world be as quick to do that. If I'm being honest I kinda feel that way about Buford as well.
Holla
It seems that on the DL, they mix and match size depending on the situation. Cam L. is more of a traditional 4 man front DE and was listed as the backup to Jimari for the season. In the three man "base" front for NU this season, they had a heavier end in Ty, a true NT in Nash and a more traditional sized DE in Jimari.
The coaches are apparently going forward with a hardship request for Javin. People can poor mouth the kid all they want, but he had really solid productivity as a backup LB last year. People forget that he really only emerged as a guy who was going to be on the depth chart in fall camp. Tackle number doesn't matter to some of you, but the kid was the second leading tackler as a backup, and you can add two pass deflection, 2 INTs and 1 forced fumble to that. Had he not had a recurrence of clotting, he would have started this season. As it stands, he approached his level of productivity from last season after hardly being able to practice for a month.
If he gets the hardship and if the clotting thing is held at bay, he will play a lot. He may not start, but he will be an important piece of the defense.
If he gets the hardship and if the clotting thing is held at bay, he will play a lot. He may not start, but he will be an important piece of the defense.
Not deceived at all, he's a good player. Also think he's an every down kind of guy who's solid against both the run and the pass. That said, in heavy formations, kick him out to DE and get a huge body to fill the middle. Jeudy will almost certainly start and I think he's ready for it.
What? So why wasn't he pounding the weight room as a 4* recruit at A&M? Why isn't he bigger, faster stronger after being in our program for awhile now. The dude is getting older and I don't care who is ahead of him, he isn't the same level physically as Nash or Ty. We need to recruit over his ass for a big body. He's a great depth piece, but that's it.
If Jeudy starts, we are in big ****ing trouble. He's a great depth guy, but that's it. We don't want him out there in any log term situation.
Yes , I thought so as well. I mentioned that during the year. He looks less explosive and doesn't really have any pass rush moves. I still think he may be a bit of a tweeter.
I think I'd let him get back down to his freshman weight and sacrifice a little bulk for his explosion and quickness back. Honestly without it this year he kinda looked like a guy. Nothing special....
Holla
I think Jeudy will emerge as one of our better players next year. Again, he hasn't really gotten the chance to yet due to who he was behind. There are so many examples of players emerging later in their careers as they get comfortable with the system and get the chance to make an impact on game days. So many of these players are written off, even at elite schools, because they don't fit the instant gratification generation, but these are the types of players that are essential to winning anything of meaning.
Another guy I wouldn't write off. Has had a bit of a sophomore slump, which isn't all that uncommon. Agree he's a bit of a tweener right now and needs a little extra time to get used to carrying around more weight.
The issue I see with Jeudy is stamina. When watching those chasing 3 videos he always seemed to be the last guy and needed encouragement to finish those stadium stairs. Being an every down guy is going to take a level of fitness that I don't think he has. Maybe he has a medical issue or something when it comes to endurance running, I will admit, I don't know, but I do remember him struggling in that enviornment.
DE: Nwaneri / Lenhardt
NT: Transfer / Jeudy
DE: Van Poppel / Davis
Jack: McGahee / Merritt
LB: Shavers / Stenger
LB: Transfer / C. Jones
CB: Wright / D. Jones
CB: Transfer / Marshall
S: Buford / Buford
S: Transfer / Rhett
Rover: McCullough / Gradney
There will be more shake ups with the portal and there will be a few surprise guys who can take a step this off season. There are some good young DBs who can hopefully emerge.
NT: Transfer / Jeudy
DE: Van Poppel / Davis
Jack: McGahee / Merritt
LB: Shavers / Stenger
LB: Transfer / C. Jones
CB: Wright / D. Jones
CB: Transfer / Marshall
S: Buford / Buford
S: Transfer / Rhett
Rover: McCullough / Gradney
There will be more shake ups with the portal and there will be a few surprise guys who can take a step this off season. There are some good young DBs who can hopefully emerge.
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