Been reading through the old Ozigbo thread. I just don't get all the hating on him from fans and coaches for the first three years as a Husker. He was clearly our best back, certainly better than Wilbon, yet he received far fewer carries. That was Riley. Frost seemed pretty cool on him to start the 2018 season also. Some players are game players and some are practice players. I have to wonder if Devine was the former and perhaps a bit deficient in the latter. His senior game performance spoke for itself.
Scoring the Huskers: returning Running Backs
- Thread starter NUance
- Start date
Decked
Heisman Trophy Winner
He ran a 4.5 in high school at Millard West. Has he lost a step since becoming a Husker?
runningblind
All-American
Fellas. I know it's the offseason, but comparing Belt to Burkhead is peaking a bit too soon don't you think?
Ill admit I've actually never seen Brody Belt play as far as i can remember. So I can't really choose a side to this, but if he is anything close to Rex, that would be a great walkon to have.
Edit: film does look good, but it could have just been a few plays. Just he is so much smaller than Rex, with the same speed.
Last edited by a moderator:
84HuskerLaw
All-Conference
Belt has played so little that I’ve seen so far but he is not shown me anything like Burkhead. Rex tore up TX high school football and was a fine Husker RB. Still a pro.
Belt is not 4.5 but might be 4.6ish to my eye test. Runs too straight up and not elusive or really powerful as a pusher (small).
It's a terrible situation that young kids have to be put in that situation, however Nebraska is a very sports oriented state and sometimes that comes with the territory. The tweet didn't really go into depth and didn't really answer the situation completely which I agree shouldn't have been needed. But there is a chance that the rumor wasn't so rumorish.
I'm not arguing that he is in the "Burkhead" category. Far from it, he gives up 2" and 30lbs (currently), but I'd like to see him take strides in that direction. If he doesn't, he likely won't see the field much as a Husker. Not going to argue the 40 speed as I've never timed him. Only repeating what I've read. Full pads slows some more than others. I can see your 4.6ish assessment in full pads as legitimate.
Brody didn't look too bad in the spring game, but then again Jaylen Bradley didn't look too bad either. As I recall, Brody looked better running in traffic. Again I'm not saying he's anywhere near the category of Burkhead. Just that that's the style he'll need to emulate to see the field as a Husker.
I understand, Burkhead was just much stronger. This kid may be able to be a solid backup, but i hope he isn't the best we got. Reminds me of Mazour. But maybe he could be a bit better than Mazour.
ColoradoHusk
Heisman Trophy Winner
And nothing against Mazour as the kid, but NU’s running game was significantly worse when Mazour played significant snaps. Mills was tearing up Wisconsin, but had to come out for breathers, the offense stagnated when Mazour was at RB. The best run Mazour had all year was his 10 yard TD against Iowa. We don’t need guys like Belt and Mazour to play better, we need to recruit more talent like Mo Washington and Wandale Robinson and be able to keep them on the field.
I'd like to think I speak for the majority on the board, but getting another player the caliber of Rex at RB would not be a bad thing.........
ColoradoHusk
Heisman Trophy Winner
I agree that getting another Rex would be great, but just because a RB is white, doesn’t make him Rex.
ColoradoHusk
Heisman Trophy Winner
Being a Muslim doesn’t automatically someone an “Arabian”.
Belt might be the furthest thing from Mo and Ameer, and if he is being counted on playing significant snaps, then NU is going to be in big trouble offensively.