Nickens to DT

kchusker_chris

kchusker_chris

All-American
With another huge guy (6'5", 310) shifting over to DT to join VV (6'3, 325) - it looks like we're heading towards more of a run stuff DT than our typical years. Any chance we see more 3-4 this season? We talk about it here and there and people quickly shoot it down, attributing their opinion to either Bo's stubbornness to change his scheme or our success under Suh. Well, Suh's gone - and Bo's certainly searching after last year. We aren't playing guys like 285 Rome, or 6'6 290 Baker anymore. We're going 30-40 pounds heavier adding our speed at LBer and end. Seems to me there's a shift beginning. Even if it's still 4-3, we're getting big in the middle, and quick on the ends. That's different than the last few years.

 
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Yeah, I think the D is gonna look a lot different next year, and not just in terms of personnel. I think this is probably Bo adjusting to the type of ball that is played the conference as well. Maybe its just taken him a couple of years to see the necessity of it. Hopefully it frees up our quicker, smaller LB's to make plays. The coaches must feel pretty good about what they at offensive guard also.

 
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onlyHskrfaninIL said:
Yeah, I think the D is gonna look a lot different next year, and not just in terms of personnel. I think this is probably Bo adjusting to the type of ball that is played the conference as well. Maybe its just taken him a couple of years to see the necessity of it. Hopefully it frees up our quicker, smaller LB's to make plays. The coaches must feel pretty good about what they at offensive guard also.
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He knows the necessity of it. He's known it all along. He just didnt have the personell. The 2011 class was mostly organized and targeted by the time Bo and the staff found out that we were moving to the Big10 (summer of 2010). Essentially, you could say the 2012 class was really the first class that was based around Big 10 football to it's fullest extent, and the issue there is, it's a small class. Then there's the 2013 class.

We've had talent issues. We've had some mental issues. I'll even agree with some coaching issues. But this changing conferences is still to this day THEE MOST undersold reason/excuse/my dog ate my homework explanation for the defensive struggles over the last 2 seasons.

 
I think you hit on it.

I think we are still going to be mostly in a 4-3 but the two middle DTs are getting bigger. They are going to be run stuffing mountains just daring the OL to try to move them. Everyone else is going to speed speed speed.

I like it.

 
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I don't know what I think about this move. Part of me is scratching my head because I was under the impression that our youngsters were studs and ready to step in. Now we are moving a longtime OL player to the DT spot?

Is Nickens that good at DT or are we still that thin at DT?

Hopefully the Spring game clears this up a little bit

 
3-4 linemen contain instead of attack. I think that's been consistent with Bo's philosophy while here, despite employing a 4-man front. It makes sense to have bigger linemen to take on those gap-eating responsibilities, doesn't it? Our defensive ends for instance, have been bulked up to be bigger even to the detriment of their play, at least in Cam's case.

I do think it's fair to question that, without extraordinary personnel both on the line and at the nickle hybrid and safety spots, how well this containment DL works when you're talking about only 3 base linebackers instead of 4.

 
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Hedley Lamarr said:
I don't know what I think about this move. Part of me is scratching my head because I was under the impression that our youngsters were studs and ready to step in. Now we are moving a longtime OL player to the DT spot?

Is Nickens that good at DT or are we still that thin at DT?

Hopefully the Spring game clears this up a little bit
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I think it has to do with being thin there, at least until some of the 2013 guys get on campus. Plus the coaches maybe didn't see this guy making the 2 deep at Oline. Why waste that kinda size. Natural move to defense if we think he may never make it on the Oline.
 
I am not sure if this has to do more with being short on depth, as it does with Nickens being a natural talent at the DT position. He has the size, I imagine he has the strength. I am sure the coaches believe he could fit in well for that position. Part of it may have to do with depth, but I think a lot of it has to do with him being a threat on the DL.

As for the 3-4, I heard that we were going to see more of it. I think we will be merging to a primary 3-4. Gregory's selling point to Nebraska, from Papuchis, was that we would play him in some 3-4 packages, his specialty. The mass recruiting we have done in speedy and good sized LB's also point in that direction.

With Randle being more and more unpredictable of being a starter, I think we are looking at every opportunity we have to make hybrid players. Bo stated in his last interview (Signing Day I think it was), that he wants players to be hybrid. Play more than one position and play package. Position as moving DE to DT, or OL to DL? I am not sure, but it looks like he wants kids to come in with an open mind and play where their strongpoint is, despite where they were in the High School years. Bo has been spot on about moving players to other positions before fall camp. Amukamara is a prime example.

This could be a VERY good move, but its not a permanent move, at least I don't believe it is. If Nickens becomes what they think he will, they will keep him. If not, I think he would be moved back to the OL.

 
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HuskerNationNick said:
I am not sure if this has to do more with being short on depth, as it does with Nickens being a natural talent at the DT position. He has the size, I imagine he has the strength. I am sure the coaches believe he could fit in well for that position. Part of it may have to do with depth, but I think a lot of it has to do with him being a threat on the DL.

As for the 3-4, I heard that we were going to see more of it. I think we will be merging to a primary 3-4. Gregory's selling point to Nebraska, from Papuchis, was that we would play him in some 3-4 packages, his specialty. The mass recruiting we have done in speedy and good sized LB's also point in that direction.

With Randle being more and more unpredictable of being a starter, I think we are looking at every opportunity we have to make hybrid players. Bo stated in his last interview (Signing Day I think it was), that he wants players to be hybrid. Play more than one position and play package. Position as moving DE to DT, or OL to DL? I am not sure, but it looks like he wants kids to come in with an open mind and play where their strongpoint is, despite where they were in the High School years. Bo has been spot on about moving players to other positions before fall camp. Amukamara is a prime example.

This could be a VERY good move, but its not a permanent move, at least I don't believe it is. If Nickens becomes what they think he will, they will keep him. If not, I think he would be moved back to the OL.
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I hope they try this out and if it doesnt look like it will work immediately move him back to OL and let him work on getting higher on the depth chart there, I dont think it is a good idea to keep trying to make a player into something their not, or to keep switching players back and forth, seems to be extremely detrimental to the players attitude. I think that is a big reason why Heard is leaving.

 
Husker from Kansas said:
HuskerNationNick said:
I am not sure if this has to do more with being short on depth, as it does with Nickens being a natural talent at the DT position. He has the size, I imagine he has the strength. I am sure the coaches believe he could fit in well for that position. Part of it may have to do with depth, but I think a lot of it has to do with him being a threat on the DL.

As for the 3-4, I heard that we were going to see more of it. I think we will be merging to a primary 3-4. Gregory's selling point to Nebraska, from Papuchis, was that we would play him in some 3-4 packages, his specialty. The mass recruiting we have done in speedy and good sized LB's also point in that direction.

With Randle being more and more unpredictable of being a starter, I think we are looking at every opportunity we have to make hybrid players. Bo stated in his last interview (Signing Day I think it was), that he wants players to be hybrid. Play more than one position and play package. Position as moving DE to DT, or OL to DL? I am not sure, but it looks like he wants kids to come in with an open mind and play where their strongpoint is, despite where they were in the High School years. Bo has been spot on about moving players to other positions before fall camp. Amukamara is a prime example.

This could be a VERY good move, but its not a permanent move, at least I don't believe it is. If Nickens becomes what they think he will, they will keep him. If not, I think he would be moved back to the OL.
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I hope they try this out and if it doesnt look like it will work immediately move him back to OL and let him work on getting higher on the depth chart there, I dont think it is a good idea to keep trying to make a player into something their not, or to keep switching players back and forth, seems to be extremely detrimental to the players attitude. I think that is a big reason why Heard is leaving.
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I don't think the coaches made him do it. They are short on DT's and asked him if he would be willing to switch and give it a shot. He did the unselfish thing and said ok. He has the size and the coaches probably saw that having a veteran guy over there would help.

 
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