Post-Spring Game position breakdowns
digg it!
Facebook
del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit
By the Lincoln Journal Star
Quarterback
Stadium chatter: No surprises here. Joe Ganz entered spring No. 1 and leaves in the same spot. But who’s No. 2? It looks like Patrick Witt is that guy, “probably a little bit ahead” of sophomore Zac Lee, according to Bo Pelini. “I see them getting better,” the coach added, “and I really feel good about the quarterback position now and in the future.”
Fall outlook: Ganz seems a virtual lock to be the top guy. Now, the question is just if Lee has what it takes to close the gap on Witt.
Related Media
Red-White highlights
A record crowd watched NU's 2008 Red-White scrimmage, which the Red squad won 24-14. (Michael Mason-D'Croz / JournalStar.com)...
Top draw (predicted starter): Ganz.
Running back
Stadium chatter: Coaches showed how much they think of sophomore Roy Helu on Saturday, giving him 16 carries. Helu also caught two passes. That hardly means that Marlon Lucky, coming off 1,743 total yards last year, is out of a job. Running backs coach Tim Beck recently said Lucky is the senior “and the guy we’re going to ride.” Quentin Castille is fun to watch when running with a mean streak, but is going to have to cut out the fumbles.
Fall outlook: One of Nebraska’s deepest positions — redshirt freshman Marcus Mendoza is also in the mix — will get deeper in the fall when recruits such as Collins Okafor and Lester Ward join the party. Lucky will be tough to beat out, but Helu and Castille both have the talent to push him for snaps.
Top draw (predicted starter): Lucky.
Offensive line
Stadium chatter: It’s been called the strength of this team, depth believed to not be an issue. Senior right guard Matt Slauson has said there’s little drop-off between the first-team guys and the third-teamers. The young players are pushing the veterans for playing time, never a bad thing. Sophomore Jaivorio Burkes has emerged as a guy who could be a standout at right tackle.
Fall outlook: Seniors such as Slauson, Mike Huff and Lydon Murtha are proven. But don’t be surprised if some of the young pups break through and have critical roles: Keith Williams, D.J. Jones, Mike Smith and Marcel Jones are all capable. And keep an eye on walk-on redshirt freshman center Mike Caputo. The Millard North graduate has impressed as a backup to Jacob Hickman.
Top draw (predicted starter): Center Hickman, left guard Huff, right guard Slauson, left tackle Murtha, right tackle Burkes.
Tight end
Stadium chatter: Mike McNeill caught just one pass during an unheralded freshman season, but he’s proven this spring he could be a valuable part of Nebraska’s passing offense. Same goes for senior Hunter Teafatiller and sophomore Dreu Young. “I think there’s some guys who can get downfield and make some plays,” Husker tight ends coach Ron Brown said. “We’re not the largest tight ends in the world. We’ve got to work real hard in the blocking phase, but that’s going to come.”
Fall outlook: JUCO recruit Tyson Hetzer hurt his knee early in the spring and missed the rest of practice. He hopes to be back in the fall to challenge. Another guy who could battle for playing time is redshirt freshman Ryan Hill.
Top draw (predicted starter): McNeill.
Receiver
Stadium chatter: Ganz has said Nate Swift and Todd Peterson will be his go-to-guys, “my security blanket.” Redshirt freshman Curenski Gilleylen had a couple drops Saturday but also showed his potential to be a guy who can stretch the field on a 77-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. Junior Menelik Holt had three catches Saturday and could emerge as the big-body receiver to try to fill the shoes of Maurice Purify.
Fall outlook: There’s still a logjam at this position. Sophomore Niles Paul will certainly be in the mix for playing time. And junior Chris Brooks, who made a fancy one-handed catch Saturday, belongs in the conversation. Receivers coach Ted Gilmore said after the Spring Game that the battle for playing time is still wide-open.
Top draw (predicted starter): Swift, Peterson, Gilleylen.
Defensive line
Stadium chatter: Some new (and improved?) techniques by a new coaching staff. A “night and day” difference is how Zach Potter described it. “Last year we were more of a gap defense,” Potter said, “now we’re basically playing our man.” There also was high praise from coaches for the progress of defensive end Pierre Allen, a sophomore.
Fall outlook: Missing from the Red-White Game was junior tackle Ndamukong Suh, who sat out the spring with a knee injury. He should be full-go come fall. It will be interesting to see whether incoming freshman Baker Steinkuhler gets a look on this side of the ball. That will depend on how coaches feel about depth entering August.
Top draw (predicted starter): Potter, Ty Steinkuhler, Suh, Barry Turner.
Linebackers
Stadium chatter: The surprising emergence of senior Cody Glenn. He moved from running back after one week of spring practice and immediately began turning heads with what coaches call great instincts for the ball. Also, there’s a sleeker Phillip Dillard. The junior has dropped nearly 30 pounds.
Fall outlook: Is Glenn for real, or is his rise to the top a red alert for how depleted the linebacking corps is? It’s likely incoming freshmen Will Compton and Sean Fisher will have an immediate chance for playing time, as coaches look for depth. This position was a great disappointment last season; perhaps new personnel, however inexperienced, isn’t such a bad thing.
Top draw (predicted starter): Glenn, Dillard, Tyler Wortman.
Defensive backs
Stadium chatter: Some recovery time for Anthony Blue. The sophomore cornerback tore his ACL in winter conditioning and missed the spring. Also, junior Major Culbert has apparently found a permanent home at safety. Pre-spring talk of Culbert tinkering at linebacker never came to fruition. Safety Larry Asante "tweaked" a hamstring Saturday, but it's not believed to be serious.
Fall outlook: It’s reasonable to expect this group to garner more interceptions than last year’s secondary did. (Four would do the trick). Look for contributions from several young players — Anthony West, Culbert, Eric Hagg, Prince Amukamara and Blue, when he returns full-strength. Senior walk-on Matt O’Hanlon could also figure into the mix.
Top draw (predicted starter): West, Asante, Rickey Thenarse, Armando Murillo.
Special teams
Stadium chatter: More booming kickoffs from Adi Kunalic. As a freshman last season, Kunalic seemed to tire by season’s end. He booted one kick Saturday through the back of the end zone. Alex Henery has also shown a strong leg, what with a 65-yard field goal indoors during a practice last week.
Fall outlook: We didn’t see it Saturday, but Amukamara, who has an impressive offensive background in high school, could give Nebraska’s return game a spark. Nate Swift fielded punts Saturday after Marcus Mendoza fumbled one return and misjudged another.
Top draw (predicted starter): Kunalic, Henery, Dan Titchener.
