Great recruiting on the skill positions, but who is going to open the holes, give the passer time and stop the other team from scoring? Georgia had not 4 but 8 top defensive linemen. Rotation of fresh players was a key to victory. Alabama and Georga both had great offensive lines. It's in the trench that games are won or lost. So where is Nebraska getting the beef? It seems most injuries are the big boys up front, and who is backing up? Where's the BEEF?
Where's the BEEF?
- Thread starter Native Nebraskan
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We might or probably will add a guy or two after spring, but for the most part we're gonna have to coach up the guys we have. I'm less worried about offensive line than the interior defensive line. We have guys on the roster who have underperformed and I'm counting on them stepping up their game. A better QB and RB will make the o-line look better - and a better producing offense can help the defense look better. See how I can rationalize?
It was just one HS offensive lineman in this class? And one who's a little undersized at that. The numbers in our 2021 class were a bit low as well, but the quality was high. We're gonna have to be recruiting the portal hard over the next few years to backfill numbers on the LOS.
Greg Austin was horrible at just about every facet of his job. The bar is in the floor for raiola
Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't quite a few of our top O linemen guys with 2-3 years of eligibility left? Yeah we might need to find a couple of guys (like we did this year) through the portal, but IF we can sign 3-4 good high schoolers next fall I think we'll be okay there.
The issue with a lot of the young guys is many of them have been here a couple years and haven't even sniffed a meaningful snap.
NU has @ 23 OL at present time, and it actually looks like 10 of them are or can be productive players. Granted, all different levels of talent, but when you put it on paper there "seems" to be enough bodies to make the OL decent.
As like most everyone else, I'm not looking for a kick-ass OL, I'm just hoping NU has enough overall talent to be "decent" cause I think our skill people can present a lot of problems for many defenses.
I, for what it's worth, put these players in the following category:
Players in the OL that likely (barring injury or recovery from injury) that NU likely will depend on: Teddy, Nouli, Lutovsky, Corcoran, Hixson, Anthony, Williams.
Then next group, in my opinion, would be: Benhart, Piper, Bando, Banks, Miller. That's 5 more that can help for depth.
Last season proved that Corcoran at LT or RT and Benhart at RT are definite no-go's. The coaches will need to find other positions for those two kids to play cause Offensive Tackle isn't their position.
The other kids I think are just filling out the OL committee.
I do look forward to the spring and fall and seeing where some of these OL wind up.
I don't know why I obsess over stuff like this, but this thread reminds me of my wife's list of 'shit to do' that will never please her even as I'm into my one millionth task.
No offense, OP, but it just struck a chord.
No offense, OP, but it just struck a chord.
Again, the guy who was coaching those young guys is gone. Hopefully that change will pay off. I do think we've got enough talent there to expect better things than we've seen thus far.
Just curious about Prochaszka (sp), are you expecting him to not be recovered for the fall?
By comparison, I just saw that Minnesota's portal class is ranked 25th, so well behind ours. But (BUT!) their transfers include two o-lineman from Notre Dame and Michigan and three d-lineman from Vanderbilt, Clemson and Harvard. I guess all the beef isn't at Alabama and Georgia. Shouldn't be surprised, it's been pretty obvious for awhile that PJ places a higher priority on being good up front than we do.
I told my wife when I married I would not work off a "To do list", and never have. I'll do something if she asks, but no list.
Poor planning on your part.
You know what mg? I think as much as anything its because NU and those doing the evaluating really suck at it. Example, Jurgens was a TE converted to Center.
Corcoran and Benhart, both 4* kids and they are 2 of the lousiest OT's in the country.
What else does NU have? Nouli, Williams, Anthony all transfers, and a couple likely to START and the 3rd likely to play a lot.
We have a boatload of 3* kids that were recruited, and haven't even begun to play a meaningful snap in 1-2-3 years. That's just lousy recruiting. NU is filled with 6'6" OLmen that can't crack a lineup that had perhaps the 2 worst OL Tackles in the country last year. Doesn't say much.
Taking tall stiffs like Benhart that can't bend, can't move and can't play doesn't solve anything.
There isn't nothing wrong with kids that 6'2" or 6''3" that are big and have some athleticism.
Frost wanted NU to look like a Big Ten team walking through the airports. We looked like a team with tall OLmen walking through airports. Problem is NU sacrificed talent for heighth.
Hoping that the new guys can identify the best guys and get them playing better!
Yes. Until NU starts to recruit 2-3-4 kids a year that can be starters or backups in year 1 or 2 it will be difficult in the Big Ten.
Any way we slice it, there is always gonna be OSU, MU, MSU, PSU, IU, WI in the BIg Ten that are gonna have some really tough defenses.
Until NU can line up and effectively run the ball losses are gonna happen.
NU, under Frost, has tended to really load up on WR's and RB's. This point was made by someone a day or so ago. Then we look up a year or so later, and NU has had a huge number of transfers.
What's odd though, is that other than Jimmy Fritzsche and the little Farniok, who left, what other OL decided to transfer out? Has NU only lost 2 OL to transfer in 4 years or have I forgotten some guys that left?
It seems odd that in the position group with the MOST players, NU has had the least transfers.
Imo the talent is there, it’s the wrong techniques that were taught, if I understand correctly Austin wanted the defensive players to engage first if that’s true he should have been fired after season 1
Boe Wilson left and was an All-Conference player at Western Kentucky. Benching him for Piper was perplexing.
When the season is going south and someone is taking a chopping block out of a pickup near your person, aspects of the job like recruiting fall through the cracks.
Thanks, I forgot about that. Piper for Wilson, not a good trade.
It's possible that Piper would be all-conference in C-USA. Wilson was a super senior with P5 starting experience, so I'm not surprised he excelled. And quite possibly would have been sufficient here with better coaching. But also, maybe the change in scenery did him good. It's always fun on a winning team.
In the time span Frost has been here, Nebraska has taken 13 offensive linemen. By comparison, in that same timeframe, Bama has taken 18 and Georgia 23.
Piper may play next fall. He was on the two deep last year. He may end up being the back up center.
If we find more portal OL we like, I wonder if moving Banks and Piper to DL (where they were recruited) is a possibility.
I agree. If they aren't on the two-deep, they should move them. I assume Chin would not say no to a couple more big bodies to work with.
without developement what does it matter how many and how many stars we recruit? it's like guys come in and play around the same level during the entire time they have been here. new coach has his hands full.
There are multiple variables that are going on right now. New offense, new OC coordinator and new OL coach. I don't see how anyone can make any sound judgements on what we have on the OL.
As much as some of the current players may have disappointed, at this point I am taking a wait and see attitude. I was one of the most outspoken critics on here about our OL play, it has been horrendous and I lay the blame at the feet of the coaching staff, not the players. It very well could be those that left and had success elsewhere saw what was going on as well. Bottom line is that no matter the number of stars, the number of starts, whatever, it just wasn't getting done but now I am willing to give some grace as the staff and current players get this figured out. Spring ball will tell us something but obviously with the injuries, not as much as we would like. It is crazy to have kids who started most of a season and are now relegated to the bench for whatever reason. Probably a flier here as well, there is a reason we haven't had the walk-on O lineman make waves and push for playing time unless I am missing someone. I think the development issue is much bigger than some think. My worthless opinion of course.
As much as some of the current players may have disappointed, at this point I am taking a wait and see attitude. I was one of the most outspoken critics on here about our OL play, it has been horrendous and I lay the blame at the feet of the coaching staff, not the players. It very well could be those that left and had success elsewhere saw what was going on as well. Bottom line is that no matter the number of stars, the number of starts, whatever, it just wasn't getting done but now I am willing to give some grace as the staff and current players get this figured out. Spring ball will tell us something but obviously with the injuries, not as much as we would like. It is crazy to have kids who started most of a season and are now relegated to the bench for whatever reason. Probably a flier here as well, there is a reason we haven't had the walk-on O lineman make waves and push for playing time unless I am missing someone. I think the development issue is much bigger than some think. My worthless opinion of course.
