Safety Starters and depth

[Redman]

Here is a list of the players at the free safety and strong safetypositions (let me know if I left anyone out or included anyone that should not be). My guess would be Shanle and Green will start (backed up by Titus Brothers and Brian Wilson at first). Who of the newbies do you all feel will add the most this season? My money would be on Thenarse. Who do you all think will see little if any playing time? Will any redshirt?

 

Returning

Andrew Shanle

Titus Brothers

Ben Eisenhart

Brandon Rigoni

Matt O'Hanlon

 

Changed to

Tierre Green

Brian Wilson

Dan Erickson

Jordan Adams

 

Incoming

Major Culbert

Ricky Thenarse

Corey Young

Anthony West

[pigsonthewing]

if the newbies burn out the older guys, let them play. i just hope their inexperience doesnt roast them like chestnuts over an open fire. on the other hand some people learn the best by learning the hard way. damned if you do damned if you dont i guess.

[Eric the Red]

Thenarse or Culbert will see a crap load of time on special teams. There fast and aren't afraid of contact.

[BigRedDallasTexan]

I wouldn't be suprised if Titus Brothers steps up and takes a starting safety spot. I thought he looked pretty good in the Alamo Bowl.

[Eric the Red]

Now a safety, Green rolls with the changes

 

BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star

 

Tierre Green is fine with another position change. From I-back to cornerback to strong safety, Green simply adjusts and moves on.

 

He even jokes about it.

 

"It's a trend I'm trying to set," Green said, cracking a smile.

 

 

Nebraska defensive back Tierre Green gets some advice from secondary coach Phil Elmassian during spring practice last year at Memorial Stadium. (Ted Kirk)

 

But lest the Nebraska coaches start envisioning him in yet another spot, Green wants to make this position stick.

 

In other words, he isn't playing safety for the good of his own health. If he's going to play safety, he wants to be a good safety.

 

"I just want to be able to make plays," said Green, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound junior from Omaha. "You've got to be able to make plays to be a great secondary person. Knock down balls, get interceptions. That's the type of player I want to be ... not so much just be in there and be in position, but actually make plays.

 

"If I can do that, I can nail down a spot. Only time will tell."

 

Most players who make position changes before spring spend the first few practices trying to find their heads.

 

That's not entirely the case for Green. He got a jump start in December, when coaches, during bowl practices, approached Green about a switch and began giving him practice snaps at safety. They'd worked him into several nickel packages last season -- Green's first at cornerback -- and saw he could do many of the same things a safety does.

 

"Some of our plays, the corner is almost playing safety, at times," Green said. "It all depends on the formation and what kind of scheme we want to run against a certain team."

 

Knowing he was going to switch to strong safety for spring drills, Green played there during seven-on-seven workouts in winter conditioning. That's when he made a good impression on senior Andrew Shanle, now Nebraska's top free safety.

 

"He's picking up the changes and understanding why we're making the changes or adjustments," Shanle said. "He's coming along great. You would never know this was his first year."

 

And really, it's not like playing safety is totally foreign to Green. He played the position at Omaha Benson High School, earning several postseason honors.

 

"It's actually really similar for me," Green said. 'It's just a little more advanced (now) because there's a lot more reads you have to make and stuff you have to know."

 

Green, of course, certainly isn't polished in his new position. In Monday's practice, Green was twice beaten deep on passes during seven-on-seven. He also was on the field during a scrimmage play when Nate Swift, left uncovered, caught a 59-yard touchdown pass. Green said he'd have to see film of the play to identify what exactly went wrong in the coverage.

 

But Nebraska safeties coach Bill Busch is certain of one thing: With Green, it won't likely happen again.

 

'He's a one-time mistake guy," said Busch, basically repeating what cornerbacks coach Phil Elmassian often said about Green last season.

 

Both coaches marvel at Green's football knowledge and work ethic.

 

'You never have to coach effort with him," Busch said. "And football comes easy to him. He understands the whys, what we're doing. It's not like, 'Well, why are we doing this?'

 

"As multiple as our offense is, we get taxed awfully well. I've been around a lot of teams during the spring where you don't have to defend as near as much as we have to defend. So we're constantly tweaking everything, trying to do everything better than we did it before."

 

Green said he's catching on well, that he's trying to make things come easy and learn from his mistakes.

 

"Indecisiveness kind of messes you up and throws you off," Green said. "The most time I make mistakes is when I commit to something before I really see what happens.

 

"It hasn't happened that often. Like I said, I'm just trying to make it where it's easier and the game slows down."

 

As for the rash of position changes?

 

"This will be my last stop," he said, "hopefully."

 

Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.

[huskerguy]

I think the safties will be Brothers and Shanle or possibly Tierre Green.

[Spartness]

I'll go with Jordan Adams. He can really fly -- yes 100 words a minute a computer keyboard.

[chuckd]

I'll go with Jordan Adams. He can really fly -- yes 100 words a minute a computer keyboard.

LOL

 

Well, once Mike Stuntz graduated, someone had to take his spot

[DaveH]

 

I would bet that Shanle and Green will start.

[DJR313]

I think Shanle and Green will possibly start, but I have heard Bryan Wilson has been impressive so far and Titus Brothers played pretty well in the Alamo Bowl as someone already stated. Hopefully they are all ready to step in at any time.

[KansasHusker]

If Thenarse makes it to lincoln...and is a superstar as advertised, does anyone think he could play a pivotal role in the d-backfield instead of redshirting?

[Hunter94]

no......few every have significant impact in their 1st year

 

 

hunter

[Benard]

Our safeties are going to kill us this year imo. I just can't see Tierre Making a big tackle. Bullocks saved us many times last year with tackles.

[DaveH]

Our safeties are going to kill us this year imo. I just can't see Tierre Making a big tackle. Bullocks saved us many times last year with tackles.

He also got schooled by AP more than a few times.

[Pedro Guerrero]

Our safeties are going to kill us this year imo.  I just can't see Tierre Making a big tackle.  Bullocks saved us many times last year with tackles.

He also killed us more then once with his missed tackles.

 

What makes you believe Green won't be any good?