2025 Spring Practice Notes



I know this is ridiculous, but I dont think this team lacks talent. Why they are not as talented as the elite teams they are still pretty talented athletes. The biggest flaw in the program is just knowing how to win. The last several years we seem to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory more than any other team I've seen. If they can figure out how to stop making nonsensical mistakes, we could see a really solid team this year. 

 
Gorillahawk said:
I know this is ridiculous, but I dont think this team lacks talent. Why they are not as talented as the elite teams they are still pretty talented athletes. The biggest flaw in the program is just knowing how to win. The last several years we seem to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory more than any other team I've seen. If they can figure out how to stop making nonsensical mistakes, we could see a really solid team this year. 
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Oh, I completely agree.  This team has underperformed their talent level for years.

But...like you said...his comment still just makes me roll my eyes.

Rhule's biggest challenge is getting the players to BELIEVE they are going to win and getting them to do what it takes....stop making stupid mistakes.

 
The fact the rules for the upcoming season are still fluid is unthinkable.  A sport without fixed rules is a reality tv game, like the NBA in the 90's or Survivor.  

Hartzog playing Nickle makes a ton of sense, on passing downs.  DB is an interesting unit this offseason because there's a ton of young athletes, 4 established vets, and a new coach.    

Rhule has a lot more confidence in Kwinton Ives than I do, but I assume there's a reason for that because he's been singing his praises for a while.  I haven't seen anything that resembles explosiveness with him, but EJ didn't look very explosive 2 years ago either and there appears to be some juice in the room behind him.  

Brix and Taumua each seemed like they were probably a year away for different reasons.  Brix was very raw in pass pro & Taumua looked physically limited.  If those guys can take advantage of the reps in spring to make a jump, that unit suddenly looks a lot more competitive.  

 
Gorillahawk said:
I know this is ridiculous, but I dont think this team lacks talent. Why they are not as talented as the elite teams they are still pretty talented athletes. The biggest flaw in the program is just knowing how to win. The last several years we seem to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory more than any other team I've seen. If they can figure out how to stop making nonsensical mistakes, we could see a really solid team this year. 
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I'm sure many don't what to hear it but it's not all that far-fetched.  Probably hyperbole but not as much as some would claim.

We scored more points on Ohio State and allowed fewer than Notre Dame did.  That's not nothing.

Of course, the revere is true (and more pronounced) if you compare Indiana.  

But still .... there is simply not as much of a gap as some want to claim.

 
I've said before: there's Haves and Have-Nots in collge football. The Have-Nots celebrate when they can land 4 & 5* guys, while the Haves fill the majority of their rosters with them. Check the team rankings on the recruiting sites, the tipping point for that is somewhere around #15 to #20. We're typically around #25 or so, putting us toward the upper end of the Have-Nots.

That said, the 2025 class is pretty much right on the edge of that line. 247 has us just above it (eighteen 4* recruits to seventeen 3*), while On3 and Rivals have us just below it. If the trend continues, well...

 
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Caught my attention in a video from today that LB's were aligned 3 across in the traditional Sam, Mike, Will look at the second level, communicating, and passing off assignments in a pass defense drill.  Then in another video, Bradden is drilling the D-Line vs a scout O-Line vs the run & they are clearly in a traditional 4-3 front with Davis playing the 3 tech with End's playing 5 & 9 techs.  

I know they aim to be "multiple" and have run 4 man fronts, but the 3 LB's seems to be an indication they are at least experimenting with some traditional 4-3 looks, & not just the 4-2-5 they have run in passing situations previously.  Which was essentially just bringing the Jack up to the line and shifting the ILB's away from the 3 tech & Nickle.  

 
floridacorn said:
Caught my attention in a video from today that LB's were aligned 3 across in the traditional Sam, Mike, Will look at the second level, communicating, and passing off assignments in a pass defense drill.  Then in another video, Bradden is drilling the D-Line vs a scout O-Line vs the run & they are clearly in a traditional 4-3 front with Davis playing the 3 tech with End's playing 5 & 9 techs.  

I know they aim to be "multiple" and have run 4 man fronts, but the 3 LB's seems to be an indication they are at least experimenting with some traditional 4-3 looks, & not just the 4-2-5 they have run in passing situations previously.  Which was essentially just bringing the Jack up to the line and shifting the ILB's away from the 3 tech & Nickle.  
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It was inevitable and not surprising.  

If you look at our current roster, we are more abundant at OLB & DE/Rush End.  We lack depth at Interior linemen, and we also have players that can be SS/LB crossovers.   We have guys that need to be on the field - and they aren't 300 pounders.  

This defensive unit will be quicker and more athletic then before, but with less interior beef (Nash & TyRob).  LBs will be able to play coverage, rush QB and help with run-stopping as best as possible.  There are a lot of 235-260 pounders ready to get after it, and they need to be on the field.  I just wish we had 4-5 Defensive Tackles to rotate, but I am not sure we have more than 3.  

 
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admo said:
It was inevitable and not surprising.  

If you look at our current roster, we are more abundant at OLB & DE/Rush End.  We lack depth at Interior linemen, and we also have players that can be SS/LB crossovers.   We have guys that need to be on the field - and they aren't 300 pounders.  

This defensive unit will be quicker and more athletic then before, but with less interior beef (Nash & TyRob).  LBs will be able to play coverage, rush QB and help with run-stopping as best as possible.  There are a lot of 235-260 pounders ready to get after it, and they need to be on the field.  I just wish we had 4-5 Defensive Tackles to rotate, but I am not sure we have more than 3.  
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There are several around 280 to 290, who will get bigger over the summer & fall.

 
More speed on defense will definitely help. Remember the early 90s when Osborne (McBride) decided more speed was needed. Those teams dominated.  

 
admo said:
It was inevitable and not surprising.  

If you look at our current roster, we are more abundant at OLB & DE/Rush End.  We lack depth at Interior linemen, and we also have players that can be SS/LB crossovers.   We have guys that need to be on the field - and they aren't 300 pounders.  

This defensive unit will be quicker and more athletic then before, but with less interior beef (Nash & TyRob).  LBs will be able to play coverage, rush QB and help with run-stopping as best as possible.  There are a lot of 235-260 pounders ready to get after it, and they need to be on the field.  I just wish we had 4-5 Defensive Tackles to rotate, but I am not sure we have more than 3.  
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Going into spring I would have said NU has a lack of 1 & 3 techs accompanied by a glut of 5 techs.  This surely isn't the terminology NU uses, but it's what I'm familiar with in 3-4 schemes, but I would break their 3 D-Lineman into these positions w/last years starters for example, NG (Hutmacher), DT (Robinson), DE (Butler).  What I've seen these position most commonly playing in NU's scheme are the NG being a 1 or 2i tech.  The DT being a 3 or 4i tech.  The DE being a 5, 4i, or 7 tech.  

From the limited practice film I saw, I'm pretty certain they have Jeudy & Van Popple at NG.  Lenhardt & Davis at DT.  Nwaneri at DE.  McGahee & McCullough at Jack.  So I think they have their 4 interior guys if, and that's a big IF Lenhard can hold up at DT.  After that, somebody like Hoffken or Borchers has to become serviceable.  

 
floridacorn said:
Going into spring I would have said NU has a lack of 1 & 3 techs accompanied by a glut of 5 techs.  This surely isn't the terminology NU uses, but it's what I'm familiar with in 3-4 schemes, but I would break their 3 D-Lineman into these positions w/last years starters for example, NG (Hutmacher), DT (Robinson), DE (Butler).  What I've seen these position most commonly playing in NU's scheme are the NG being a 1 or 2i tech.  The DT being a 3 or 4i tech.  The DE being a 5, 4i, or 7 tech.  

From the limited practice film I saw, I'm pretty certain they have Jeudy & Van Popple at NG.  Lenhardt & Davis at DT.  Nwaneri at DE.  McGahee & McCullough at Jack.  So I think they have their 4 interior guys if, and that's a big IF Lenhard can hold up at DT.  After that, somebody like Hoffken or Borchers has to become serviceable.  
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So you agree with me?  Where is the Big Ten interior beef?

12 games, and playing in the Big Ten.  You listed 4 names to solve the interior line and added a DE (in which we have plenty of) and LBs (we have plenty of as well).

Just looking at the names you dropped....

Jeudy is listed at 6-3 285, and you know how Huskers.com and the football team exaggerates their actual size.  Plus, Jeudy isn't high-motor and will rotate out as often as he can.  He's okay, but he's not holding down the fort.

Van Poppel - never played last year.  Was redshirted.  He's rusty.  Played year before as True Freshmen.  Has upside.  But can we really say Jeudy and Van Poppel are now going to handle the interior a ton of plays in the big ten, just because they are on the roster?  Please, that's not happening like it sounds.  

Cam Lenhardt is 260!  Will need to bulk or else he also will need several breathers going against Big Ten offensive linemen.

Keona Davis is 255 and has burst, a high-motor and drive, but he is still too thin and is more fitted as a Rush-End QB-rusher.

So therefor, where are the interior guys and the backups and the depth when it's blazing hot out, or freaking cold out, and teams like Michigan, USC, Penn State, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan State are playing against us... and they know to run the ball all game with some play-action passing?

I just don't see it and I think the DLine is going to haunt the Huskers success in a bad way.  They better be getting some big heavy boys ready to play before they think "oh s#!t, we thought Lenhardt,Jeudy and Van Poppel could hold it all down for a full year". Not to mention -  playing with aches and pain and dealing with minor injuries or soreness.

 
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SouthLincoln Husker said:
There are several around 280 to 290, who will get bigger over the summer & fall.
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