Defensive Depth Chart

[Long Time Lurker]

Piggybacking off the 3-3-5 thread...what will the spring depth chart look like? Anyone want to take a guess?

DE- Robinson, Jeudy,
NT- Hutmacher, Wynn, Buckley
DE- Gunnerson, Butler, Wallin
LB- Henrich, Borders
LB- Reimer, Gbayor
OLB- Sherman, Borders
CB- Hartzog, Hill, Clark
CB- Newsome, Lynum
ROV- Gifford, Wright, Sanford
S- Buford, Brown, Singleton
S- Fqrmer, Collier

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

I think you are on point with the front 3 as far as size of DL goes. 2 bigger DL and then a smaller DE.

The actual players are so hard to predict because you simply don’t know who will pick up the system fast, or which players are better fits from a physical attributes standpoint.

There will be some surprises, players that jump ahead of others and some that fall back. It happens at every school when there is a coaching change or a system change.

 

[Long Time Lurker]

Agreed. There are a lot of variables here. Several guys appear to be hybrid/tweeners. Are Sherman and Borders OLB in space or are they Edge DL? Are some safeties (Wright?) better suited for OLB? There are a slew of hybrid DB's on the roster. Perhaps a new set of coaching eyes sees something in a back up that the previous staff did not.

 

[king_kong_]

Newsome, Hartzog and farmer can do enough in coverage to show 8 in the box nearly every snap

This has proven to be a winning formula in our offense challenged league which features very few - if any - talented passers

 

[Huskers123456]

I saw nothing to indicate Hutmacher would start over Wynn in the interior. Did Butler beef up a bunch? I thought he was going to be an edge? He looks to be too small for a 4-3 DE let alone a 3-3

I don't know much about Jeudy but I would imagine he would challenge opposite of Robinson.

 

[Long Time Lurker]

I imagine that there will be a lot of situational personnel. Gunnerson, Butler, Wallin, Borders, and Sherman seem like edge rushers while Robinson and Jeudy seem like 4-0-4 defensive ends.

I'm guessing Hutmacher and Wynn split reps at NT

Also guessing that Henrich and Reimer are the ILB with Sherman and/or Borders moving between edge and WLB

Agree with Kong. They've got 5 productive DB's with starting experience. They should be able to play a lot of man coverage.

 

[Mrs.Jeans15]

I'll just wait and see.

New system.

Kind of makes it exciting.

 

[Illinois Husker]

Garrett Nelson will be playing somewhere.

 

[scarletred]

Hope Heinrich hasn’t lost any speed with his 2nd surgery last season..

Borders most likely passes him on the depth chart..

 

[Mrs.Jeans15]

Hope Heinrich hasn’t lost any speed with his 2nd surgery last season..

Borders most likely passes him on the depth chart..

He had speed?

We will be better if hes second string, imo

Then again who knows in a different scheme.

 

[PeliniTheCrutch]

Garrett Nelson will be playing somewhere.

Okay sounds good.

 

[rcnut223]

Garrett Nelson will be playing somewhere.

Is he actually able to come back? He declared for the draft, if he signed with an agent he’s done .

 

[Redblood23]

Piggybacking off the 3-3-5 thread...what will the spring depth chart look like? Anyone want to take a guess?

DE- Robinson, Jeudy,
NT- Hutmacher, Wynn, Buckley
DE- Gunnerson, Butler, Wallin
LB- Henrich, Borders
LB- Reimer, Gbayor
OLB- Sherman, Borders
CB- Hartzog, Hill, Clark
CB- Newsome, Lynum
ROV- Gifford, Wright, Sanford
S- Buford, Brown, Singleton
S- Fqrmer, Collier

Lord I hope not..

DE- Robinson, Van Poppel
NT- Wynn, Hutch, Buckley
DE- Jeudy, Gunnerson,
LB- Borders, Heinrich
LB- Reimer, Gbayor, Singleton (position switch)
OLB- Sherman, Butler, Princewill
CB- Hartzog, Hill, Clark
CB- Newsome, Lynum, Nation
ROV- Wright, Williams, Bretz
S- Buford, Brown, Gifford
S- Farmer, Collier

 

[HominidHusker]

I’m interested in what Corey Collier and Kaine Williams can do. Our safety play has been subpar lately, and these guys were #3 and #11 national safeties per Rivals in 2021.
Omar Brown I predict may also make a jump (Nickel) with Gifford continuing to improve.
We need guys to step up from what we’ve had.

 

[Huskers123456]

Lord I hope not..

DE- Robinson, Van Poppel
NT- Wynn, Hutch, Buckley
DE- Jeudy, Gunnerson,
LB- Borders, Heinrich
LB- Reimer, Gbayor, Singleton (position switch)
OLB- Sherman, Butler, Princewill
CB- Hartzog, Hill, Clark
CB- Newsome, Lynum, Nation
ROV- Wright, Williams, Bretz
S- Buford, Brown, Gifford
S- Farmer, Collier

I think Gifford plays significant snaps. He's the kind of hybrid this defense utilizes.

 

[jamsand]

He had speed?

We will be better if hes second string, imo

Then again who knows in a different scheme.

Henrich is sllllloooooooooooowwwwwwww!!!
And terrible at being gap sound! Hopefully surgery and new coach/ mental philosophy turn him 180 as it was hard watching him last two seasons!

 

[huntered]

Newsome, Hartzog and farmer can do enough in coverage to show 8 in the box nearly every snap

This has proven to be a winning formula in our offense challenged league which features very few - if any - talented passers

every 3rd string qb we have faced in the last 5-10 years seems to have had a career day against us. if we can go against them after they have been beat by other teams then we have looked a lot better.

 

[king_kong_]

every 3rd string qb we have faced in the last 5-10 years seems to have had a career day against us. if we can go against them after they have been beat by other teams then we have looked a lot better.

we didn't stop anybody

wasn't just the 3rd stringers

last year Busch saw how inept/slow the offenses in our conference are and challenged them to beat us deep. surprise, surprise - it worked

we should be the most aggressive defense in the country given the complete dearth of offensive talent we face this season (and most conference seasons)

our corners are good enough to do this

 

[pascal]

Don't discount Hutmacher. It isn't rare for good interior defensive lineman to struggle some in their early years.

 

[jamsand]

Don't discount Hutmacher. It isn't rare for good interior defensive lineman to struggle some in their early years.

This young man is going to be a force this year on d-line! Can’t wait to watch this defense’s transformation!

 

[inWV]

I count 12 guys on defense that either started or played meaningful snaps in B1G play. Buddha Wright was playing a bit near the end of the season and he would make 13. Sherman played a bit at Georgia as well. Last year I would count 8 as being in this category. NU only returned Robinson from the interior line rotation. This year Wynn, Robinson and Hutmacher all have experience in meaningful games.

 

[Long Time Lurker]

It looks to me like they're thin at 4-0-4 defensive ends. They have two, maybe 3 guys for NT, but only Robinson and Jeudy seem built to be 3-4 ends (maybe Gunnerson?). They may need to get creative with their fronts or bulk someone up.

 

[SomedayHusker]

we didn't stop anybody

wasn't just the 3rd stringers

last year Busch saw how inept/slow the offenses in our conference are and challenged them to beat us deep. surprise, surprise - it worked

we should be the most aggressive defense in the country given the complete dearth of offensive talent we face this season (and most conference seasons)

our corners are good enough to do this

I’ve been lightly shouting this for awhile. This is what the Michigans and OSUs do. Aggressive defense, man coverage lined up close. There might be 2 receivers a B1G team will face per year that you’d wanna change that up against and Trey was one of them.

 

[HuskerDrew]

From looking at this, I hope the next recruiting class includes 4 DL and 2 Edge guys… minimum

Gotta load up on the big guys

 

[inWV]

It looks to me like they're thin at 4-0-4 defensive ends. They have two, maybe 3 guys for NT, but only Robinson and Jeudy seem built to be 3-4 ends (maybe Gunnerson?). They may need to get creative with their fronts or bulk someone up.

Last year after Bush took over, I saw a lot of four guys up at the line with 3 having a hand on the turf. A lot of Mathis, Feist and Ty with Nelson in a two point. This year I think we will see Ty and Wynn, with Hutmacher and Jeudy in the rotation. Gunnerson and Sherman go 250, which is a nice size for a 4-3 DE. We will see a four man front against the run heavy teams.

 

[Danimal4NU]

They went out looking for playmakers at the LB position for a reason. I'd be surprised if Heinrich is still starting, or at least for very long. We completely whiffed there if he is starting all year.

 

[dinglefritz]

I saw nothing to indicate Hutmacher would start over Wynn in the interior. Did Butler beef up a bunch? I thought he was going to be an edge? He looks to be too small for a 4-3 DE let alone a 3-3

I don't know much about Jeudy but I would imagine he would challenge opposite of Robinson.

Nash is a run stopper. He can eat double teams but lacks the foot speed to be much of a sack threat. I expect he’ll be more of an early down/short yardage kind of guy. I think Wynn might be a little more athletic but not as Stoudt. It would be nice to have the whole package that Suh provided.

 

[Mrs.Jeans15]

From looking at this, I hope the next recruiting class includes 4 DL and 2 Edge guys… minimum

Gotta load up on the big guys

Yes I'm waiting for the 4 star DTs.

Cause that's what it takes to be a good defense. Pressure up the middle.