Big 12s best from 2010

[n.e.husker]

http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/26049/ranking-the-big-12s-best-players-no-18

 

No. 18: Eric Hagg, DB, Nebraska

 

2010 numbers: Hagg made 49 tackles, including 41 solo and three tackles for loss. He intercepted five passes and his only punt return of the year went 95 yards for a touchdown against Texas. He also had a sack, broke up four passes and forced a fumble.

[n.e.husker]

http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/25869/ranking-the-big-12s-best-players-no-21

 

No. 21: Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska

 

2010 numbers: Made 70 tackles, including 14.5 tackles for loss. He also had 9.5 sacks, broke up a pass and forced a fumble.

[n.e.husker]

Will keep this updated as it goes. This could be the last we here from Mr. Ubben.

[walksalone]

From what I gathered, he's compiling the list as he goes along, because David not being on there, would be a travesty...

[n.e.husker]

Lavonte should be up near the top of this list. I expect to see Fonz, Prince and Alex as well.

[walksalone]

Lavonte should be up near the top of this list. I expect to see Fonz, Prince and Alex as well.

 

you would seriously hope so

[whateveritis1224]

I don't know if Henery's going to be on the list. But I do expect to see Fonz, David, and Amukamara (who should be in the top 5 and all 3 should be in the top 10). Wouldn't be surprised to see Martinez either, who even with the drop off after he injured his ankle still had a pretty good year.

[roundegotrip]

Not to take anything away from Hagg, but why does he get so much more love in the press than Gomes?

[druski_2k5]

Not to take anything away from Hagg, but why does he get so much more love in the press than Gomes?

 

Eric Hagg is good, darn good. But Gomes, dude is a ball-hawking play maker that I will think we are going to miss him more than Hagg next year. One of my favorites on defense, he always is in the right spot, getting a crucial tipped pass or making a tackle before the first down marker to keep the other team's drive alive.

 

Hagg may blanket receivers, and he is most certainly great at it, but Gomes has that attribute about him you can't teach and makes the plays that are crucial to a defense to get off the field or makes the right reads to stuff a play early on. Great, great, great instincts.

[zoogs]

Hagg has been the centerpiece of our defense and is a freakish blend of size and speed. Gomes we remember for making some unique turnover highlights, but IIRC was a liability in coverage too much last year. I think Hagg probably has much better pro potential; I'm surprised at how down scouts are on him in general and I guess that's because of his tweener status.

[roundegotrip]

For comparison, some stats for Hagg and Gomes.

 

2010 season

Hagg: 49 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF, 4 pass breakups, 5 INT

Gomes: 99 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 sack, 2 FF, 7 pass breakups, 3 INT

 

Hagg in 34 career starts has 15 PBU and 6 INT

Gomes in 20 career starts has 12 PBU and 7 INT

[n.e.husker]

Gomes did have more of an opportunity to make more tackles from the safety position, he was also brought up in the box next to Lavonty a lot as we ran 6 DBs most of the year.

 

They both made huge plays for us, Gomes mostly in 09' Hagg this past year in the ISU game and even Texas.

[roundegotrip]

I guess my point, and again this isn't to take one single thing away from Eric Hagg, is that Hagg gets the press as the freakish hybrid athlete and defensive linchpin and all that, yet Gomes is up in the box stuffing runs every game while at the same time racking up coverage stats.

 

What I've taken away from watching Gomes the last two seasons aren't the memories of a few impressive turnovers, it's an impression of a guy who is all over the field making plays wherever the ball is.

[n.e.husker]

I guess my point, and again this isn't to take one single thing away from Eric Hagg, is that Hagg gets the press as the freakish hybrid athlete and defensive linchpin and all that, yet Gomes is up in the box stuffing runs every game while at the same time racking up coverage stats.

 

What I've taken away from watching Gomes the last two seasons aren't the memories of a few impressive turnovers, it's an impression of a guy who is all over the field making plays wherever the ball is.

 

I hear ya man, i was just throwing that out there. I also think that Dejon will be missed most from the secondary, the dude had a nose for the ball and could flat out play.

 

Eric really came into his own his senior season.

[knapplc]

Hagg has been the centerpiece of our defense and is a freakish blend of size and speed. Gomes we remember for making some unique turnover highlights, but IIRC was a liability in coverage too much last year. I think Hagg probably has much better pro potential; I'm surprised at how down scouts are on him in general and I guess that's because of his tweener status.

 

 

When was Gomes a liability in coverage? I'm not remembering him costing us much of anything last year.

 

Agree on the tweener status being the reason people aren't as hyped about Hagg as they should be. He's one of those guys who may benefit from dropping in the draft a bit, then ending up with a Baltimore, Pittsburgh, New England or Chicago type of defense, where the DC isn't afraid to think outside the box.

 

I'll bet there are some guys named Ndamukong Suh and Barrett Ruud whispering in the ears of their coaches/owners about some of these Blackshirts that aren't generating a bunch of hype. Detroit especially could use the talents of Gomes or Hagg.