I think we can pencil in Banderas at the MIKE. He's currently listed at 240 lbs on the roster, and Clouse's comments in TT seem to confirm his current weight....
Anyway, that leaves the SAM and the WILL. The candidates for those spots are Mike Rose-Ivey, Dedrick Young, and Marcus Newby.
Newby was arguably Nebraska's best linebacker by the 2015 season's end. Young started 11 games as a true freshman, and should make a nice jump into year 2. Rose-Ivey has arguably the most talent and is a senior who reportedly has molded his body into Greek God status this offseason, no homo.
I don't expect these guys below to start, but you have to like the fact Nebraska has athletic depth now behind them with Weber, Tyrin Ferguson, Mohammad Barry, and even Luke Gifford, who is now up to 235 lbs. The true freshmen might have a shot at some PT as well. That position group has seen an incredible turnaround since Riley's arrival in 2014, when the LB position had reached dumpster fire levels. Kudos to Coach Riley for identifying the needs and a big shout out to Coach Bray for implementing the plan.
So who will be the starting OLB's in 2016? It's a good problem to have.
Anyway, that leaves the SAM and the WILL. The candidates for those spots are Mike Rose-Ivey, Dedrick Young, and Marcus Newby.
Newby was arguably Nebraska's best linebacker by the 2015 season's end. Young started 11 games as a true freshman, and should make a nice jump into year 2. Rose-Ivey has arguably the most talent and is a senior who reportedly has molded his body into Greek God status this offseason, no homo.
I don't expect these guys below to start, but you have to like the fact Nebraska has athletic depth now behind them with Weber, Tyrin Ferguson, Mohammad Barry, and even Luke Gifford, who is now up to 235 lbs. The true freshmen might have a shot at some PT as well. That position group has seen an incredible turnaround since Riley's arrival in 2014, when the LB position had reached dumpster fire levels. Kudos to Coach Riley for identifying the needs and a big shout out to Coach Bray for implementing the plan.
So who will be the starting OLB's in 2016? It's a good problem to have.
