Who Starts @ I-Back Next Season?

[Mierin]

Cross is entirely too slow to be a feature back. Riley is pretty creative and may find a good spot for him but if he is an every down back, we're in trouble.

I don't agree at all. Cross is just fine...he's not setting land speed records but he's got just as much speed as Rex did.

Possibly, but he doesn't have near as much ability to not fall down the first time someone touches him.

Lame response that holds no water.

It holds water if you've watched the past 4 seasons of Nebraska football. Burkhead made something out of nothing on almost every carry. If you think Cross is as good at staying on his feet and getting extra yards as Burkhead then you have not been watching Nebraska's football games. It is as simple as that.

 

[Nuke LaLoosh]

I think Cross could be a great back in the right offense. Hes not a cut back read and react guy, hes a hole hitter. In a straight ahead blocking scheme I think Cross could be a 1000 plus yard rusher. In a zone, cut back type offense hes is what he is. The occasional big run, but alot of 1-4 yrds. Hes not an AA, burkhead, or helu that can cut on a dime and make people miss. If guys can make their blocks and give him a lane he'll break any arm tackles and probably run over most secondary players. Plus, I don't want to see him on 3rd down, just in case the qb has to dump it off. Who do you have more confidence in breaking a big play, him or someone else. He's just not the everydown back I want to see.

 

[LumberJackSker]

Cross is entirely too slow to be a feature back. Riley is pretty creative and may find a good spot for him but if he is an every down back, we're in trouble.

I don't agree at all. Cross is just fine...he's not setting land speed records but he's got just as much speed as Rex did.

no way he is no nearly as quick as Rex it takes him way longer to get moving and can't move as well laterally, probably doesn't even have the top end speed of Rex either. Not sure how you can say this if you've seen them both play.

 

[30Rozier]

Honestly, how anyone could have watched Cross and Burkhead play and then conclude that they are similar is beyond me. What are you drinking? Cross runs over inferior teams, gets eaten alive by any team with talent up front. He is not now and never will be feature-back material.

I think Taylor had better be pretty good because there is a serious lack of talent at RB that will limit the offense no matter the scheme.

 

[admo]

Cross is entirely too slow to be a feature back. Riley is pretty creative and may find a good spot for him but if he is an every down back, we're in trouble.

I don't agree at all. Cross is just fine...he's not setting land speed records but he's got just as much speed as Rex did.

Possibly, but he doesn't have near as much ability to not fall down the first time someone touches him.

Lame response that holds no water.

It holds water if you've watched the past 4 seasons of Nebraska football. Burkhead made something out of nothing on almost every carry. If you think Cross is as good at staying on his feet and getting extra yards as Burkhead then you have not been watching Nebraska's football games. It is as simple as that.

Not only do I fully agree with this, but I will add that Rex had incredible balance & lower body control. That's also where his power came from. And it was tough to hit him straight on. Ameer had that too. That's what made them successful after getting hit 2 yards behind the LOS. By bouncing off the initial contact in the backfield, gathering their balance, redirecting momentum, pushing, twisting and turning it into a 3 yard gain...or 5. Cross does not have that. He has upright power and slightly leans forward. That's why he sometimes gets stood up when the same amount of force hits him.

Emmit Smith always credited his success to great balance & lower body control with powerful legs. He didn't have speed, quickness or explosiveness.

 

[jmfb]

40 yard dash time has VERY little to do with how effective a running back will be in running the plays Mike Riley will put in

Inside zone, outside zone and stretch- require great body control, explosiveness, ability to quickly read and react his 1 key and great LATERAL speed which Imani simply doesn't have. Riley adapts his approach to the kids- but don't expect him to leave out what he has always believed in his WCO One back inside zone, outside zone and stretch. Rex was much better at this than Imani and that's why he's in the NFL- great body control and lateral quickness.

Great kid, works hard, love his effort, but not a good match for NUs offense this year or next

 

[CornHOLIO]

Tommy Armstrong

 

[Hunter94]

40 yard dash time has VERY little to do with how effective a running back will be in running the plays Mike Riley will put in

Inside zone, outside zone and stretch- require great body control, explosiveness, ability to quickly read and react his 1 key and great LATERAL speed which Imani simply doesn't have. Riley adapts his approach to the kids- but don't expect him to leave out what he has always believed in his WCO One back inside zone, outside zone and stretch. Rex was much better at this than Imani and that's why he's in the NFL- great body control and lateral quickness.

Great kid, works hard, love his effort, but not a good match for NUs offense this year or next

Cross reminds me of the straight ahead bangers that Minnesota ran last year and b!^@h slapped our defensive front 4 into submission....kind of like number 45 for Iowa this year, i guess we don't want to run that type of offense? Beck was always trying to hit a HR every play, which ended in a sh#t load of 3 and outs....nice

 

[Hunter94]

40 yard dash time has VERY little to do with how effective a running back will be in running the plays Mike Riley will put in

Inside zone, outside zone and stretch- require great body control, explosiveness, ability to quickly read and react his 1 key and great LATERAL speed which Imani simply doesn't have. Riley adapts his approach to the kids- but don't expect him to leave out what he has always believed in his WCO One back inside zone, outside zone and stretch. Rex was much better at this than Imani and that's why he's in the NFL- great body control and lateral quickness.

Great kid, works hard, love his effort, but not a good match for NUs offense this year or next

bullsh#t.......Beck is gone!

 

[jmfb]

Beck has nothing to do with how an inside zone, outside zone or stretch play is run- It is universal. Those are the plays Riley has lived and died with for the last 20+ years. Those are the plays all WCO - Pro style teams run.

The underlying skills required to run those 3 plays- don't change from coach to coach or team to team- it is what it is.

 

[Hunter94]

Beck has nothing to do with how an inside zone, outside zone or stretch play is run- It is universal. Those are the plays Riley has lived and died with for the last 20+ years. Those are the plays all WCO - Pro style teams run.

The underlying skills required to run those 3 plays- don't change from coach to coach or team to team- it is what it is.

you missed my point.........never mind.

 

[Saunders]

40 yard dash time has VERY little to do with how effective a running back will be in running the plays Mike Riley will put in

Inside zone, outside zone and stretch- require great body control, explosiveness, ability to quickly read and react his 1 key and great LATERAL speed which Imani simply doesn't have. Riley adapts his approach to the kids- but don't expect him to leave out what he has always believed in his WCO One back inside zone, outside zone and stretch. Rex was much better at this than Imani and that's why he's in the NFL- great body control and lateral quickness.

Great kid, works hard, love his effort, but not a good match for NUs offense this year or next

And he will prove you wrong. Mark my words. And when he does, I will expect you to own up to these comments and admit the asshattery contained in them.

 

[LumberJackSker]

Cross is entirely too slow to be a feature back. Riley is pretty creative and may find a good spot for him but if he is an every down back, we're in trouble.

I don't agree at all. Cross is just fine...he's not setting land speed records but he's got just as much speed as Rex did.

no way he is no nearly as quick as Rex it takes him way longer to get moving and can't move as well laterally, probably doesn't even have the top end speed of Rex either. Not sure how you can say this if you've seen them both play.

You do remember Rex ran a 4.73 at the NFL combine in the 40 right? Just sayin.

I do actually and you are still wrong if you think that cross is as quick or fast as Rex. Go back and watch Rex play cross has never been able to move as well as Rex did. Rex has more acceleration than cross does. Maybe there top end speed is similar bit Rex's quarter mile speed his ability to get from 0-60 is so much faster. If you believe cross can do the things Rex did then you've never watched them play

 

[LumberJackSker]

Cross is entirely too slow to be a feature back. Riley is pretty creative and may find a good spot for him but if he is an every down back, we're in trouble.

I don't agree at all. Cross is just fine...he's not setting land speed records but he's got just as much speed as Rex did.

no way he is no nearly as quick as Rex it takes him way longer to get moving and can't move as well laterally, probably doesn't even have the top end speed of Rex either. Not sure how you can say this if you've seen them both play.

You do remember Rex ran a 4.73 at the NFL combine in the 40 right? Just sayin.

I do actually and you are still wrong if you think that cross is as quick or fast as Rex. Go back and watch Rex play cross has never been able to move as well as Rex did. Rex has more acceleration than cross does. Maybe there top end speed is similar bit Rex's quarter mile speed his ability to get from 0-60 is so much faster. If you believe cross can do the things Rex did then you've never watched them play

I don't have to go back and watch anything...the proof is in the numbers

Cross is straight up faster than Rex.

so what was cross 40 time at the combine then all knowing football god

 

[jmfb]

Rex Burkhead isn't the model zone runner either- but he can run it. To make it to the NFL you have to

If you watch these highlights- you can see he isn't great at it, he is good at it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klWMlw6WVqs

They still had him run a lot of iso, lead, power stuff a LOT more than AA- playing to his strengths You see some very nice zone clips there as well

As you can see they ran him a good bit on toss sweep, speed option and even the Power Sweep read play (which we no longer run)- because Rex could get the edge

We rarely to never see Imani run those plays- my guess is because he cant get the edge- lack of speed. When he does try and get something wide, it's often times a negative play.

We also see Rex downfleid in pass patterns, probably has something to do with his ability to get open- body control & speed. Imani- hasn't ever been thrown to that I can recall

As to the NFL combine- the 40 times are usually low- those 100 kids with High School 4.4 and 4.3 times are all now magically 4.5, 4.6 4 years later

I don't remember Burkhead getting caught behind the LOS- and he carred the ball 100s of times more than Imani- Imani well we all know he's had a good number of negative plays

Football speed and 40 speed are 2 different things- my bet is Rex was faster than Imani while he was in College- and even after the injury- his then slower time at the NFL combine is probably faster than Imani- not that it matters

Great kid, not a complete RB- not a zone guy

Figure out a package of plays he can run effectively and a key breaker and maybe he gets a few snaps- that would be great

From what Ive seen of Rileys version of the WCO- that may be a bit of a stretch.