floridacorn

2 hours ago, Toe said:

Some rumblings that he wanted starter-level NIL money, even though he was a second-stringer. Doubt he'll find the money he was looking for elsewhere...

Looked like he was running with the 1's in the spring game to me.  Granted, Princewill was out.  Did Rhule make a run at Princewill's brother?  That would have been a good trade in Jan.

7 hours ago, brophog said:

 

I thought Haarberg looked like the backup QB and I mean that as a compliment. What do you want your backup to do: don't take unnecessary risks, check down when necessary, throw it away when necessary, get completions and move the chains. He played within himself and listened to his coaching and because he's a very talented guy he can do that and still make some big plays. I said coming in that he was the QB I wanted to see the most because he was the benchmark last year and that benchmark has risen substantially.

 

I thought Kaelin looked like a talented freshman. I've seen some people out there say they were disappointed in him, but it's not a crime for a freshman to play like a freshman. There's a reason why even the most talented freshman QBs rarely play significant time their first year. It's not an easy transition to make and I thought he did some good things and some bad things but overall showed he's a very capable player with an exciting career ahead of him. I don't think it's fair to compare him or Haarberg to Raiola because I'm not sure by the end of the season it'll be fair to compare any college QB to Raiola.

 

I think if the offense continues to make strides this summer and fall (and a lot of people did a lot of good things today) then once Raiola starts stacking games on top of each other and learning from those experiences......I just think his trajectory will be very steep. He just makes things look so easy, and not easy "for a freshman" but easy for anyone. He has the physical tools, the intangibles, the leadership, the work ethic, all of the coaching resources in the world......but he lacks the experience. 

Agree.  Coach speak aside, I would go so far as to say they are each exactly where Rhule would hope they would be when spring ended.  DR the clear #1, HH an improved/improving backup, and DK showing promise, but at a level where he should be embracing a RedShirt season.  

48 minutes ago, gobiggergoredder said:

A lot of love for HH.  Didn’t see this huge transformation some saw.  He had a few good throws.  Made several into coverage.  He’s a back up.  We need back ups.

I think he's improved and enough to expect he'll continue to improve.  

1 hour ago, brophog said:

The thing I really notice as a positive change with Haarberg is his comfort factor. He knows he can't get hit, so maybe that has something to do with it, but he was so indecisive and skittish last year. In the spring game, they're not all amazing plays but he checks down when he needs to, he throws it away when he has to, and he stands tall in the pocket.

I'll piggy back off this by echoing this as well as a noticeable difference in his mechanics.  He's still figuring it out and there were a few passes where he put too much air under the ball because he's still thinking about his mechanics.  There were a few plays where you could see him working through his progression while remaining poised in the pocket and we never saw that last season.  Hard to look at that and not believe Rhule made the right call bringing Thomas in.  

On that some note, DR is really advanced reading the D pre and post snap.  He makes those RPO's look easy and effortless.  

Chief Borders keeps jumping off the screen to me when I peep these limited training camp vids.  It's not ball, but he looks like a different athlete this spring compared to what I saw last season and compared to other players he's in drills with.  It also looks like he's consistently in drills with the Jack's.  We'll see how that translates, but along with some of the O-lineman, he stands out as a player who looks like he's made a leap.

I noticed the receivers doing a drill today known as settle up and noose.  It's an everyday drill air raid teams use to train running mesh vs zone & it's kind of exclusive to that system.  I'm not implying NU's on the verge of becoming an air raid offense, but between this and the Holgorsen visit, I expect to see them implement some concepts from that offensive.  

On 4/5/2024 at 6:30 AM, floridacorn said:

 

I found it interesting MJ made a point in both this presser as well as the 1on1 interview with the official Nebraska athletic department media member that the "Jacks" have their own "room" separate from the inside linebackers.  Is this a new development and is a coach leading this room other than Dvoracek?

For anybody interested, Rhule did state today that Jack Potenza was indeed coaching the Jacks and that was a new development this season.  

On 4/2/2024 at 1:13 PM, Gage County said:

LB MJ Sherman

 

I found it interesting MJ made a point in both this presser as well as the 1on1 interview with the official Nebraska athletic department media member that the "Jacks" have their own "room" separate from the inside linebackers.  Is this a new development and is a coach leading this room other than Dvoracek?

Interesting that Bonner is switching back to WR.  Not surprised because he wasn't utilized as a mismatch out of the backfield and there are more natural lead blockers at FB, but that seems like quite a physical transformation to yo yo between over the course of 12 months.  

Hugh Green & Leroy Selmon were 2 of my favorite players growing up, they wore 53 & 63, but I was a WR/DB growing up so I always wore 13 or 23.  By the time I got to HS, everybody wanted 23 because of MJ, and I wore 43 through HS & college as a SS.  It was more important to me than it should have been.  lol

Singleton still out & Hartzog still at S is noteworthy.  Looking at the likely candidates to emerge at the corner opposite Hill, that is a very undersized defensive backfield.  

In addition, of the 5 players I thought would be key for spring ball (other than QB), 4 have been early members meeting with the media (Fidone, Prochazka, Butler, Hartzog), with Coleman receiving praise from Rhule but limited during spring.  Hopefully that's a positive sign these guys have taken big steps forward.

It's admittedly a PR nightmare to have a native son with his name etched on the stadium make a lateral move to another school.  A&M on the other hand has a track record of throwing $ at problems for PR wins.  Did they actually poach an elite AD or overpay for a PR W???  

10 hours ago, Mavric said:

 

So, since the clock no longer stops on first downs, the two minute warning is needed.  

Perhaps I misread, but I was under the impression it would still stop to move the chains in the last 2 minutes.  

The clock stops to move the chains on every first down, 2 minute warning isn't needed.  Just like the 2 pt conversion quit being needed when CFB opted for OT.  Now teams are forced to go for 2 in extended OT's to avoid 7 OT periods.  Short sighted, reactionary rules drive the world...

On 12/22/2023 at 9:30 AM, Akees said:

List five players (current and early enrollees) you are keeping an eye on during the spring game. Please don't include Raiola.

If I had to boil it down to 5 individuals, it would be these 6...

Fidone - With a healthy year under his belt, does he look like a matchup nightmare in the middle of the field?

Coleman - With a season, winter conditioning, and spring practices, does he look like a player DC's are scared to cover in man yet?

Haarberg - He's a backup with significant game experience, that's a luxury in CF in 2024.  He's also a player with a baseline we can assess the impact of Thomas with fairly easily.  

Butler - Started the season at Jack, what does he look like with an offseason of prep at DE?

Hartzog - Has a lot of experience, but it's time for him to look like a 1b CB.  

Prochazka - I don't think he's had a healthy offseason and if the left side of the O-line is solid this year, the O-line will be respectable for the first time in a long time.  If he can solidify himself as the LT, everything else falls into place.  

4 hours ago, GretnaHusker14 said:

What do we think of this *Potential* Two-Deep?

 

QB - Railoa, Haarberg

RB- Dowdell or Ervin, E. Johnson or R. Johnson

FB- Bonner, Liebentritt

WR- Neyor, Garcia-Castaneda or Bullock

WR- Banks, Coleman

WR- Lloyd, Doss

TE- Fidone or Boerkircher, Nelson

RT- Benhart, Brix

RG- Corcoran, Lutovsky or Pyle

C- Scott, Evans-Jenkins

LG- Mazzccua, Piper? or Taumua

LT- Prochazka, Knaak

 

DE- Lenhardt, Wallin or J. Williams

NG- Hutmacher, Juedy

DE- Robinson, Van Poppel

Jack- Pwill or Butler or Sherman

LB- S. Thomspon or Gbayor or Bullock

LB- Wright or Borders, Rogers

NB- Gifford, Barnes or K. Williams

CB- B. Hill or Hartzog, Gradney

CB- T. Hill, Nation or Bootle

S- Buford, Bretz or Benning

S- Singleton, Collier

 

PK- Alvano, Ottomanelli

KOS- Alvano, Buscini

P- Buschini, Koch

LS- Witucki, DePooter

KR-  T. HIll, Lloyd

PR- Nation, Doss

CB I would be surprised if Hill & Hartzog aren't entering spring as the projected day 1 starters.  Bootle was ahead of Lynum on the depth chart before he got hurt last season & Nation seems weight away from being a factor as your day #1 #2's.  Rhule has said Turner & Charles were in the mix at CB last season.   I wouldn't be surprised if Buford makes a push.  He's talented and has more size that most of these guys.  Not sure Gradney plays CB & I don't know how Hill projects.  

OL I'm not saying you're wrong, but Mazzccua has only played RG to my knowledge, & I'll be surprised if any of the Freshman avoid redshirt.  

2 hours ago, soup said:

and Josh Martin interim TE coach moves back to analyst position in had before drunk TE coach was fired.

I believe Martin was a ST's analyst prior to being promoted to TE coach.  If analysts are indeed permitted to work with players moving forward (and you have to appreciate the irony of that happening after Saban retires since he lobbied for it), I wonder if Martin will be retained as an O analyst who actually coaches TE's, and Satterfield is the OC without a position room as White is.  That would make a lot of sense if applicable.  

7 minutes ago, Husker in WI said:

Awesome! Obviously still have to see how it shakes out on the field, but the staff has done an incredible job of bolstering weak spots this offseason - QB, RB depth, WR experience, G experience and size, LB depth.

 

There's really not a position group I'm worried about, and there were several just a month ago. QB is thin (which is just how it is with that position these days) and some guys need to make good on their potential across the team - but they've hit every spot I had major concerns with.

Agreed, they've made the strategic additions needed through the portal to bolster those rooms.  CB is probably the position with question marks left for me, but there's no shortage of competition.  

Saw him play live a few times this season, he's a force.  He has plays where he's heavy footed, but what caught my attention is that he'd recover if he got a single hand on the defender.  So, elite strength, and short area quickness.  He has plays in run game and pass pro where he just engulfs people.  

Holgorsen would be a really interesting addition.  I'm guessing Rhule has a relationship with him, because it's not a scheme fit.  Which could be really electric or combustible.  Again, interesting.  Those Air Raid guys seem to be true believer, blood oath Air Raid guys.  

34 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

Then, that would indicate that the scheme worked to have a successful running side to their offense.  Yes, it was probably set up with the pass.  Pass constantly, then make a nice big run because the defense is defending the pass.  It's no different than back in the 80s and 90s when we didn't pass very much, but when we did, it was pretty effective lots of times.  Teams weren't defending it, and we capitalized on it.

 

No single statistical analysis is fantastic all by itself.  You have to look at a team in a multitude of ways to really get the big picture.  This just happens to be one way you could look at it.

I understand and to his credit Riley leans on a run concept that compliments his tendency of having his OT's in a 2 point stance.  In other words, they don't tip their plays.  Their scheme is clearly a factor in their efficiency running the ball, but the claim was made it's a "better scheme" for running the ball.  That's akin to claiming draws are the best running play in football.

36 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

It's an interesting way to analyze running games, but USC's presence as an outlier tells me he should just leave it at contact and not make the leap to scheme/OL.  USC is an Air Raid offense that seemingly only runs counter gt outside of short yardage and they finished 90+ in rushing.  

48 minutes ago, Kayvan said:

Stinks about Fields. I know we didn’t really get to see him in action, but I had built him up as someone I expected pretty awesome things out of at Nebraska. My fault for having those expectations, he just looked so awesome in his high school film.

Rhule did hype him up pretty hard on signing day a year ago.  

10 minutes ago, Pedro G said:

Totally two different styles of QBs. But no one would ever have more impact on this program than Tommie. No he wasn’t the only player, but he seemed to had led the Huskers back after TO teams started to falter some. Yes TO’s wins and loses were still very good but they had some blowout losses. Maybe — hoping he will  — when it’s all said and done, DR “hopefully” will have as much of an impact. But you never know for sure. But being a pocket passer compared to an option QB, it will be very difficult to ever say who would be better on the college level. However, until DR proves himself, I will go with Tommie.  

The perspective of what constituted a blowout loss was vastly different back then.  

1 hour ago, Mavric said:

 

This is why the elite basketball players go to these academies.  I don't know that I've ever even seen a disparity like this in youth sports.

2 hours ago, Huskerfollower4life said:

You guys think he is actually committed behind the scenes?? I will believe it when it's actually official.

I will only say if Rhule isn't certain this is going to happen, I don't understand why Rhule or Dom would allow this to be played out so publicly, and doing so would seem to be an unnecessary risk for Rhule.  At this point if Raiola stays with Georgia, it's going to be the recruiting equivalent of putting Anthony Grant in the game vs Minnesota.  

1 hour ago, BigRedBuster said:

I fully understand why he's looking.  And, even though I hope he sticks with Nebraska, I would gladly take Raiola even if it means he's gone.

 

But, I stand by my opinion that, if we are bringing in a good QB coach, why not stick with Nebraska.  He's not going to start next year pretty much no matter where he goes.  So, stick with Nebraska, get some good coaching, reevaluate in a year and transfer if needed.  OR....maybe weird things happen and you end up QB1 here.

There would be a lot of factors into Kaelin potentially sticking with Nebraska, first would be how hard the staff pushes to keep him in, and probably the most overlooked one would be how he gets along with Raiola.  They have been around each other in a few settings.