2023 Spring Practice Notes - Offensive Line

I'm really hoping we don't actually use a fullback much to speak of in whatever we're doing on offense in 2023. Unless that guy is going out for a pass route out of the fullback position.

Probably needs to go into the "What's your unpopular Husker take" thread.

 
Pedro G said:
No mention of fullback. I know there is walk-on transfer from UNK, Trevor Ruth. What about hybrid TE, Janiran Bonner? Could he play some there? He would be a legit running threat. 
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For a couple days Sam Hoskinson (legacy walk-on Center who was still listed at 240 lbs a few years into the program) was listed at RB, but clearly that didn't work out because he's no longer on the roster today. Might have just been a mistake as well.

But I imagine Ruth is the favorite to win the FB job (probably some competition from whichever walk-on LBs don't cut it there), but I expect to see way more looks with an H-Back than a true FB. Satterfield loves his TEs, so we'll see some of them in the backfield and Bonner seems to be the best fit for that.

 
I would expect the only time they really use a true fullback would be goal line and maybe short yardage situations.  Otherwise it will be a tight end they bring in motion and drops into the "fullback" position.  

 
Husker in WI said:
For a couple days Sam Hoskinson (legacy walk-on Center who was still listed at 240 lbs a few years into the program) was listed at RB, but clearly that didn't work out because he's no longer on the roster today. Might have just been a mistake as well.

But I imagine Ruth is the favorite to win the FB job (probably some competition from whichever walk-on LBs don't cut it there), but I expect to see way more looks with an H-Back than a true FB. Satterfield loves his TEs, so we'll see some of them in the backfield and Bonner seems to be the best fit for that.
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Satterfield said this week that he would like to have "position-less" football, so I think he wants guys who have the ability to line up in different spots in the field.  Bonner being selected as a hybrid tight end/wide receiver could mean he could line up in many different spots on the field.  Sam McKewon mentioned that Bonner could be lined up in the back field and get a carry, or line up in an old wing-back spot, or on the line as a tight end, or in the slot.  While Rhule has used the term of "full back" I still doubt we see much of a specific, dedicated guy used in the full back role for a high percentage of snaps.

 
ColoradoHusk said:
Satterfield said this week that he would like to have "position-less" football, so I think he wants guys who have the ability to line up in different spots in the field.  Bonner being selected as a hybrid tight end/wide receiver could mean he could line up in many different spots on the field.  Sam McKewon mentioned that Bonner could be lined up in the back field and get a carry, or line up in an old wing-back spot, or on the line as a tight end, or in the slot.  While Rhule has used the term of "full back" I still doubt we see much of a specific, dedicated guy used in the full back role for a high percentage of snaps.
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I watch some Temple football when Rhule was there. And he ran a pro I and a little shotgun. There was a fullback much of the time. He wasn’t always straight in front of the I back but sometimes a little to the left or the right. Thus I am wondering if that is what he wants to run on offense here. 

 
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ColoradoHusk said:
Rob Zatechka has said that he worries Prochazka is too tall to stay healthy as an o-lineman or football player. Playing o-line puts too much stress on the long, levers of his body.
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Thanks, I can see his point. 

Additionally, there have always been some talented players (across all sports) that have this fluke tendency with the injury bug.  Even if they put in the hard work and do all the right things.  But yeah, being 6'9 or 6'10 offensive lineman and 3 straight years of having an injury makes one wonder why.  Hope he recovers, because I don't think we've seen nearly half of his true talent yet.

 
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admo said:
Thanks, I can see his point. 

Additionally, there have always been some talented players (across all sports) that have this fluke tendency with the injury bug.  Even if they put in the hard work and do all the right things.  But yeah, being 6'9 or 6'10 offensive lineman and 3 straight years of having an injury makes one wonder why.  Hope he recovers, because I don't think we've seen nearly half of his true talent yet.
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Is a shoulder injury really going to be from being to tall?

 
Undone said:
I'm really hoping we don't actually use a fullback much to speak of in whatever we're doing on offense in 2023. Unless that guy is going out for a pass route out of the fullback position.

Probably needs to go into the "What's your unpopular Husker take" thread.
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It's just a bizarre thing to really hope for.  If not having a fullback is something that helps you win games, it should have worked during the Frost era.

 
BigRedBuster said:
Is a shoulder injury really going to be from being to tall?
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I don't know, I don't think so.  I'm only 6'2. Wingspan 6'7 lol...  But like I also mentioned, there are extremely talented players that get bitten by the injury bug in sports more than the average player.  And from the looks of it, this could be the case  :dunno   

Actually, this is the case.  I wouldn't put $5 bucks on T Prochaska playing a full season.  Not even 8 games (2/3rd of the season).  And it sucks.

 
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It's a crap shoot.  Guys can go their whole career and stay healthy.  Walter Payton missed one game his entire career.  Mike Brown was on his way to a HOF career until the injury bug bit and he couldn't stay healthy.  Yes both Bears 

 
admo said:
I don't know, I don't think so.  I'm only 6'2. Wingspan 6'7 lol...  But like I also mentioned, there are extremely talented players that get bitten by the injury bug in sports more than the average player.  And from the looks of it, this could be the case  :dunno   

Actually, this is the case.  I wouldn't put $5 bucks on T Prochaska playing a full season.  Not even 8 games (2/3rd of the season).  And it sucks.
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I remember thinking Adrian Peterson wouldn’t have a good NFL career because he was hurt a lot in college. Some how that ended when he got to the NFL. 

 
BigRedBuster said:
I remember thinking Adrian Peterson wouldn’t have a good NFL career because he was hurt a lot in college. Some how that ended when he got to the NFL. 
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Until towards the end of his career, then it hit again. But he was great in his memorable Vikings years.

(This last sentence was extremely painful to write as a Packers fan, because there aren't many memorable Vikings things. Shirtless Kirk Cousins wearing bling and screaming, "You like that!" might be the only other thing.)

 
The Dude said:
It's just a bizarre thing to really hope for.  If not having a fullback is something that helps you win games, it should have worked during the Frost era.
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I'm pretty sure there's a good sized portion of our fan base that believes at least one or all of these three things:

1. Frost's offense wasn't "good."

2. Frost's offense was too complicated.

3. Nebraska football would be more successful if we had a power run offense where we just smash in there in the "I" or similar formations, which would need a fullback.

I disagree with all three, but especially the third one. But I'm pretty sure the "bring back the fullback" crowd has roughly those three things in mind.

 
I think we will have the ability ti use a FB is certain situations. Rhule mentioning getting 75 yards in the 4th quarter comes to mind to wear down the D.  But agree that is might not be run from the "I".  An extra blocker on certain downs to help the OL, goal line situations etc...  Might even be a TE who comes into the backfield as a HB...I like the options for sure.

 
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