Which Huskers to watch? Here are seven for '07
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Nebraska seems poised to improve on last season’s 9-5 record. The Huskers reigned supreme in the Big 12 North Division last year with a 6-2 mark and was 5-0 against North Division foes. Can they repeat the title? Can they take the next step and prevail in the conference championship game and earn a coveted BCS berth for the first time since 2001?
Fourth-year coach Bill Callahan and his staff have made strides in improving the roster. Callahan now has had plenty of time to recruit players that fit his system. In our view, it appears things are falling into place.
However, Nebraska will look for several players to take their performances to a higher level in 2007 to help ensure further improvement for the program. We’ve identified seven of them who undeniably fit that description, each of whom will be in action Saturday:
1. Marlon Lucky, I-back, No. 20: Attrition at the I-back position leaves Lucky and fellow junior Cody Glenn as the only experienced I-backs on the roster, and Glenn hobbled through spring practice on a injured foot that dates to mid-November. It’s difficult to say for sure if he’ll ever fully recover.
Meanwhile, the 6-foot, 210-pound Lucky, a five-star high school recruit in the class of 2005, gives Nebraska both a big-play threat and someone who appears physically ready to endure being a go-to back on a weekly basis during the season.
Indeed, teammates say Lucky this spring appears bigger and faster. He made several impressive runs in scrimmages, providing evidence he has recovered well from an undisclosed medical emergency that left him hospitalized in February.
What’s more, Lucky has achieved greater understanding of the offense. NU’s complex system — especially the run-blocking aspect — makes it dangerous to rely on untested
I-backs. Look for Lucky to have a big game today.
2. Ty Steinkuhler, defensive line, No. 43: Aside from the quarterback position, no rebuilding job has been more important to Nebraska this spring than the one transpiring along its defensive line, which lost all four starters. Steinkuhler is particularly important because of his versatility.
A 6-3, 285-pound graduate of Lincoln Southwest who has exceptional pursuit speed, Steinkuhler was earmarked to play defensive tackle at the start of spring practice. Turns out, he also saw time at the “base” defensive end position this spring, perhaps suggesting coaches’ unease with other players at that position.
Whatever the case, Steinkuhler’s emergence in 2007 would help stabilize the situation up front and take pressure off highly regarded sophomore nose tackle Ndamukong Suh, regarded as an all-conference-caliber player based on his 2006 performance.
3. Carl Nicks, offensive left tackle, No. 77: Nicks is capable of becoming a dominant player in the Big 12, Nebraska offensive line coach Dennis Wagner says. The Huskers are looking to the 6-5, 335-pound senior to lock down arguably the most important position on the offensive line.
Last season, junior Chris Patrick made 12 starts at left tackle. However, the 6-4, 290-pound Patrick announced in March he plans to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft in July, paving the way for Nicks’ permanent switch from the right side.
Callahan said he’s confident Nicks will be reliable in consistently protecting the quarterback’s blind side in the pocket.
“The main thing is being more solid forcing rushers to come a little wider,” the coach said. “I think our corner got short a few times last season. We’re trying to improve that technique of our pass protection.“
4. Steve Octavien, outside linebacker, No. 15: In his two seasons at Nebraska, Octavien has flashed glimpses of his playmaking ability and explosiveness (10 tackles against Texas last season, for instance). Now that Octavien is healthy, the Huskers are looking for sustained greatness from the 6-foot, 240-pound weakside linebacker.
In addition to his linebacker duties, Nebraska coaches this spring have been moving Octavien to the line of scrimmage as a standup “edge” rusher in obvious passing situations.
“We’re trying to put Steve in a position where he can make plays, because he certainly has the ability to give us some big plays,” Husker defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said.
Octavien evidently feels a sense of urgency. He turned down interview requests this spring because he wants to stay focused.
5. Andre Jones, cornerback, No. 25: Last August, Jones was thrust into starting duty after starter Zack Bowman went down with a season-ending knee injury. Jones, fresh out of junior college, was forced to learn Nebraska’s system and techniques at an uncomfortable pace in preseason camp.
The 6-foot, 195-pound Jones played OK last season. Now, with Bowman again sidelined by a knee injury, Nebraska needs Jones to be better than OK. To be sure, it would help matters greatly if Jones lived up to the recruiting hyperbole that accompanied his arrival to NU.
Remember, Jones was a five-star recruit who made seven interceptions in two seasons at Fresno City (Calif.) Community College. However, Jones and fellow starter Cortney Grixby had just one interception apiece last season.
In addition to his cornerback duties, Jones hopes to bolster Nebraska’s kickoff return game. Last season, the Huskers ranked 112th nationally in that category. Their resulting poor field position helps explain their anemic third-quarter scoring production (49 total points).
6. Corey McKeon, middle linebacker, No. 13: Given Nebraska’s relative inexperience along the defensive front four, Nebraska will ask a lot of its linebackers in 2007. McKeon, in large part because of his position in the middle, needs to lead this group. Indeed, he needs to help take charge of the defense.
He also needs to improve on his production last season. After recording 98 tackles in 2005, he dipped to 69 in 2006. He went from 22 tackles for loss in 2005 to eight last season, from seven sacks to one. Credit McKeon for playing through a severe ankle injury and a stretched and bruised ligament in his knee suffered midway through the season. He never used injuries as an excuse.
Perhaps more important than statistics, Nebraska needs players such as McKeon to stabilize the defense and pull things together when they begin to unravel, as they did last season against Kansas and Oklahoma State.
7. Sam Keller/Joe Ganz, quarterbacks: OK, we’re cheating a little here by listing two players. At this point, we don’t know which quarterback ultimately will emerge as starter. This much is certain: Whomever does emerge obviously will be crucial to the team’s success, if only because of the quarterback’s wide-ranging responsibilities in Callahan’s complex West Coast system.
The Husker quarterback has the controls of a system similar to those being used by no fewer than 12 NFL teams. The diction is complex. The QB must be a high-level communicator. Walking to the line of scrimmage, he must set the pass protection and get the team out of bad plays and into good ones. Zac Taylor liked to say Callahan’s offense gives the QB an answer for everything — assuming the QB has a strong grasp of the system.
How firm is the grasp of NU’s current quarterbacks?
We’ll get a good look Saturday.
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