Helu up to 222!

[Huskers Forever]

Pelini doesn't think it's slowed him down any:

Pelini: Helu's looked tremendous

A guy gains a little weight and it’s all the talk. So it goes for Roy Helu, who showed up to spring football looking more Hulkish, toting 222 pounds, 15 more than he had at the end of last season.

 

For any Husker backers worried the extra bulk might slow the running back and take the hurdling out of his game, the words of Bo Pelini after Saturday’s practice should ease concern.

 

The Husker head coach was heavy on praise for Helu, saying he has looked tremendous through three spring practices.

 

“He’s really picked up where he left off,” Pelini said. “I think he’s bigger, he’s faster. I think he’s feeling good. He looks like he’s smaller and he’s actually carrying more weight. Obviously the strength staff did a tremendous job and you got to give credit to Roy. He worked his tail off and it’s paying off for him.”

 

Coming off a team-best 803 rushing yards as a sophomore last year, Helu recently ran the fastest sprint time he’s had at NU.

 

“He looks pretty special,” Pelini said.

 

Pelini seems to like the 1-2 punch he has developing with Helu and fellow junior Quentin Castille, coming off a career-high 125 yards in Nebraska’s Gator Bowl win.

 

“Quentin looks good, he looks fast,” Pelini said. “I like our backs.”

I think what is telling, is that Bo says he looks smaller, while carrying more weight. That means he has lost body fat, and put on pure muscle. And with the type of fast twitch muscle training they do, he will be more explosive and faster for sure. I just can't wait to see him become the best RB in the Big 12 next year.

[redout22]

Tim Griffen from ESPN said he looked pretty good today

[zoogs]

Would like a link if avail.

[Ohio Pete]

Would like a link if avail.

Reposted here, but the specific comment was:

The bigger and stronger version of junior I-back Roy Helu Jr. looked in midseason form as he ripped off several long runs at the end of practice. And junior I-back Quentin Castille also appeared to have not lost any power after trimming some weight during the offseason. The combination should provide the Cornhuskers with the North Division's best 1-2 running punch if they can remain healthy.

[Enhance]

but we are STILL lacking that big play, take-it-to-the-house-back. quick and shifty is good for decent runs, but we don't have that shifty, speed burner who can go all the way. we need that threat at running back.

 

I would agree for the most part, because we had a few good runs this past year that went to house from 25+ yards, but definitely not enough of them. If you notice, our backs have an easy time of making it into the secondary but then get caught by the corners and safeties. Helu said in the spring practice conference that he has gotten faster, and I'm sure Q has as well, so hopefully we will have that threat for the upcoming year.

 

Time to get us another Heisman running back

 

I agree. We haven't seen a home run back in awhile. Helu and Castille are both good at getting the intermediate yards (Helu with a quick cut and Castille with train wreck contact), but the guy who can simply outrun everyone on defense is missing. Maybe Burkhead is that guy. Mendoza has the speed to take it all the way, but now he plays a different position. Maybe we'll get lucky and the downfield blocking on the edges will improve so much that there just won't be anyone there, giving Helu/Q a head start.

 

 

Actually, both Castille and Helu can break big runs --- sure, neither is a burner, but both are able to hit the home run occasionally. I understand that Okafor is quite fast and that he is the fastest back (now that Mendoza has moved). As for Burkhead, who knows?

 

Overall though, our backs are pretty good. No complaints here.

 

Okafor is a pretty fast guy. Even in high school he was a burner, so I'm excited to see him play some day. He wasn't rated that high (from a recruiting/star standpoint) because he wasn't the best at cutting/reading plays and maximizing their potential.

 

And Husker_x, I think you bring up a great point. Our tight ends really need to step it up this year in the running game, because their power blocking was pretty lackluster this past year. The thing that is separating us from some great runs is blocking on the outside from our tight ends imho. WR's can only do so much.

[hack]

It's likely just the camera angle, but he looks kinda chunky in this picture.

 

 

previously, everyone said that helu looked like tiger woods.

 

now he looks like a tiger woods that could kick your @$$.