lo country

All good! That's what I thought mentioning #50 and 7th best DT. Honestly hoping for a rnd 1. Just help with recruiting seeing a guy go that high imho. I guess it comes down to how many teams need a good DT.

Ty at #50 or Fidone? Thanks

A lot like Trevor Lawrence IMHO. Trevor did a few designed runs and was serviceable in the in the zone read as well. He was right at 7 carries his soph campaign. 9 TD's and averaged 34 yrds/ game that year. I'd take it. As you mentioned, just enough tp keep the honest and not completely forget about him in the "run" game.

It's the off season and not much going on. Read a quick article with Rhule talking about Raiola being improved in year 2. Second time I have read in the off season talking about his weight. One mentioned 245 and playing at 225 or vice versa. I can't remember, but Rhule mentions this: Was he playing to heavy last season? Did that impact his ability to run or scramble better. The use of the word "nimble" makes me think of a guy "fleet of feet". Thoughts? Again, off season and nothing much else going on. I do LOVE the idea about "making sure he's a guy who can run". Run the damn ball guy likes this. BUT run him wisely. "You get to year two and you're really trying to master all the parts of the offense. I think for us it's him doing that while at the same time becoming dominant in the little things. His weight, making sure that he's a guy that can extend plays, making sure that he's a guy that can extend plays. Making sure that he's a guy who's nimble, making sure that he's a guy who can run."

I can't speak to the Pat's, but as a Panther's fan, I blame everything on David Tepper. 31-70 since he became owner with 6 HC's (some were interim w/mid season firings).....Dude is a clown show.

Not trying to get something started, but did Ekeler suggest we need to get better guys? Or is he giving a shoutout to 2 guys he coached who went to the league?

Or Niles Paul. Bo's teams had some dudes no doubt.

Great article on him when he was at NU. The whole put up or shut up. Definitely a guys who gets the most out of the players and is a players coach. https://247sports.com/article/mike-ekeler-tennessee-vols-football-new-assistant-coach-once-ran-marathon-on-interstate-after-nebraska-cornhuskers-practice-162061533/

All I saw teams that were in playoffs and we are linked with them somehow. I take that as a win. Rhule might have taken away or spring game, but nobody and mean nobody will keep NU from being undefeated in the off season. @MavricThank you for this statistic, that at least in my mind, makes us in good company. Again, off season world champs!! Unsure what the 5 year high was, but it's improvement!!!

First, that's an amazing stat regardless of your level of competition. Then, imho, even more so looking at who they played. Hope he brings some winning attitude with him.

I have to agree. Kind of like all those years I thought we were "hiding our real stuff" until conference play so as not to show our hand. And then realized that what I saw in game one was really who we were......There's got to be more I would guess. Injury concerns, cost, risk vs reward, does it make a difference as to who starts or doesn't etc....Might just be Rhule and the AD just don't want to do it and "say things" to try and not get the fan base upset. Who knows.

Amazing how much closer to the end of the season the start of spring football is when we go to a bowl game!!! Lookig forward to hear what Rhule says. Should be good.

I read they talked about not having anything new on film with the new staff....That and injuries.

Truth! LOL

Well, there goes our record undefeated in spring games.....Next thing will be we lose the off season. Come on Rhule WTH I do like the idea of a skills competition. With our luck even flag football could get guys hurt. Maybe a large scale meet and greet (I know we already do) with a concert, food trucks, other team sports etc....Something to signify the end of spring.

I hope Dana works with DR on a few things: Taking what is there and not what he wants. Work on the mid to long throws. Those at 10+ yards downfield. His are more like YOLO. Learn the difference in sliding vs diving for yards. Throw with urgency. Don't play "lazy". With all that being said, I do think year 2 he will be much improved. A better offensive identity. Better play calling. POTENTIAL for better play makers at the skill positions. Better ST play (hopefully) will help the play calling. More maturity by DR. Another year in the weight room. I don't see him regressing. He took some lumps and got us 7 wins and a bowl victory. I'll take it!

Haha. All good. I agree. Dude was a solid safety back there for us. That 2009 D was loaded. If only Ganz had one more year or TM started earlier....

Dude reminds me of Kerry Meier from Kansas. Although Meier stayed there for like 12 years and ICG has been in the portal that many times....

I will say one that was incredibly underrated was Matty O. He was much maligned for the Va Tech game wining TD, but that dude was one of the best I have seen in the open field. A very sure tackler. An eraser on the back end for sure. 12 tackle and 3 INT game against OU....Yea, I'd take a couple dudes like him.

Can't teach 6'6 255lbs...That helps a lot.

Lifelong Cowboys fan as well. Had he not fired JJ, I think they might have got 5 in a row tbh....Just dumb a$$ move. Still paying for it. Glad McCarthy is gone. But we owe Dak like $132 million or something like that....

AM got to KState, with better coaching and a better team and well, looked a lot better....Went to the UFL and won the championship and MVP. Proof positive (no one needs convincing) that coaching and team matters to success. Rhule has made changes and recruited to portal hard to get guys who can be "better" than what we have. Next year we struggle to get 6 wins again, I'll start to have some concerns. Until then, it's great to know we won a bowl, finished 7-6 and have the #1 portal class in the B1G and also the 2nd most B1G players in the portal. Gotta get to 105.

I'm a run the damn ball guy, I'll always take a dual threat QB over a static one. Just another thing to worry about as a DC. I wonder if DR "doesn't run" or "can't run". He had a few nominal runs this season. IMHO, If he is "capable" of running, I'd love 2-3 designed runs per game just to keep the D more honest. Maybe with the staff feeling better about a true #2 QB DR might run more. Last year was the last year in a long time we had a QB make it through the whole season without missing a game. A non running QB doesn't limit some of the option/zone read stuff obviously. (Also teach him when to slide/dive) But with Dana as OC, I feel better that they'll get a system that works for what they have. Not what they want. Afetr all we had the first winning season since 2016 IIRC.

Does DR have a high ceiling? Yes Did DR make some boneheaded true Freshman plays? Yes Will better play calling, WR's, OL, RB, TE play help? Yes If all things remain constant will DR reach his ceiling? No. It's a team sport. IMHO, DR's weakest game is the medium to long balls. They're big or bust YOLO throws. I am a HUGE fan of a mobile QB, but DR is not one. Dana will scheme around perceived or actual weaknesses and play to his strengths. Am I concerned about his play to date? Yes (bought into the hype). Am I concerned he is the weak link? Not at all. Rhule and Co saw what we have, what we need and are appearing to do the best to address this. But like any player, we won't know until they play.

I think the bolded might start becoming the benchmark to use for staying or going. Unsure what year I'd use, but I'd like to see what percentage of successful players took 3-4 years to shine. With the portal it seems like most will attempt to move on in year 2 if they get limited to no playing time. Rhule seems to have embraced and is learning the portal in contrast to his "program builder" reputation. As we struggle to become relevant and win at a regular clip the portal is the key. No time (yet) for the slow burn of building a program. Once we become a perennial fixture in winning, I think keeping the "majority" of good players on the roster increases as they see the vets going to the draft and know that they could be a 2+ year starter/contributor.