2018 Husker Camp Countdown

[Mavric]

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#40 - Miles Jones

5-9 • 170 • Freshman • Athlete (WR)

Jones joins Nebraska ready to run. The four-star running back from Miramar, Florida, did it all for American Heritage, which won the Class 5A state title in 2017. That year, Jones had 1,830 all-purpose yards, 695 on the ground, 401 receiving yards and more than 800 punt and kick return yards. He averaged 11.4 yards per carry and led the team in receptions with 29. He should fit in perfectly at Nebraska’s “duck” position as a slot receiver who can also take handoffs in the backfield. Miles could be a home run hitter for Nebraska — a much-needed one, at that — should he get acquainted with the offense over the summer and fall.

 

OWH

[Mavric]

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#39 - Caleb Lightbourn

6-3 • 235 • Junior • Punter

Caleb Lightbourn’s sophomore season was significantly better than his first. Then again, with a dysfunctional offense, the punter got plenty of chances to show off his leg in 2017. Lightbourn averaged 42.1 yards per punt in 2017 and finished the season ranked sixth in the Big Ten in punts. He had 13 punts 50 yards or longer and pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 21 times. Nebraska’s special teams are a huge question mark, particularly the field goal unit. With Lightbourn, Nebraska will need a consistent leg, and one that is comfortable getting plenty of work should the new offense need some time getting settled into the Big Ten.

 

OWH

[Mavric]

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#38 - Jaron Woodyard

5-11 • 180 • Junior • Wide receiver

Nebraska infused some junior college flavor into its wide receiver corps for 2018. Woodyard comes to Lincoln from Arizona Western College. In his second year at Arizona Western, Woodyard caught 36 passes for 522 yards and six touchdowns. He also showed his speed with 304 kickoff return yards. As a freshman, Woodyard averaged 23.7 yards on his 11 receptions. Woodyard was the No. 2-ranked junior college receiver by 247Sports and turned down Power Five offers for track out of high school in Maryland. With J.D. Spielman, Mike Williams and Tyjon Lindsey, Woodyard is yet another weapon for Scott Frost and Troy Walters to experiment with.

 

OWH

[Mavric]

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#37 - Cam'Ron Jones

6-1 • 200 • freshman • defensive back

When Cam Jones walks onto the field, he says, he turns into “the baddest thing walking.” And Nebraska may need some of that attitude on the defensive side of the ball. Jones, a four-star safety from Mansfield, Texas, is ready to contribute immediately. His high school coaches had to tell him not to tackle kids in practice, fearing he would hurt them. Considering the 2017 defense was tentative, and tackling wasn’t a strong suit, Jones’ ferocity will be felt by everyone on the defensive side of the ball whenever he gets in the game.

 

OWH

[Mavric]

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#36 - Austin Allen

6-8 • 210 • redshirt freshman • tight end
In Scott Frost’s offense, the tight end is a chameleon. At times he has to be an offensive tackle, a fullback, a slot receiver, a wideout. Austin Allen seems to be able to fit into all those roles. Other than maybe Jack Stoll, Allen looks the most comfortable being the versatile tight end, particularly on passing downs. The Aurora native sat out 2017, but in 2016 he caught 41 passes for 507 yards and eight touchdowns.

 

OWH

[Mavric]

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#35 - Andrew Bunch

6-1 • 200 • Sophomore • Quarterback

Do not mention to quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco that Andrew Bunch is “just a walk-on.” Don’t mention that to Bunch, either. He’s here to play. While Bunch beating out Adrian Martinez and Tristan Gebbia as the starter could be a long shot, he could still end up seeing playing time this season should Nebraska’s two freshmen struggle to stay healthy in their first Big Ten action. Bunch spent his freshman year at Scottsdale Community College and threw for 1,331 yards and 13 touchdowns in nine games.

 

OWH

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#34 - Jaylin Bradley

6-0 • 180 • Sophomore • Running back

With questions surrounding the running back position, the Bellevue West graduate could be in line for more playing time. As a true freshman, Bradley showed flashes of productivity,  recording four receptions for 38 yards  and  24 carries  for 93 yards.

 

OWH

[Mavric]

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#33 - Eric Lee

6-0 • 195 • Junior • Defensive back

It’s a make-or-break year for the highest-rated recruit in the 2015 class. The 2017 season didn’t lead to confidence in cornerbacks Lee and Lamar Jackson. In nine appearances last season, Lee had 30 tackles and two pass deflections. At a thin position, Nebraska brings in junior college transfer Will Jackson and will have an open competition for playing time this season. In Erik Chinander’s defense, Lee may benefit with a new set of aggressive schemes but will have to win time at a position becoming more infused with talent.

 

OWH

[Mavric]

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#32 - Will Jackson

6-3 • 190 • junior • defensive back

Nebraska is Jackson’s fourth school since 2015. He originally attended Kentucky but was dismissed after an undisclosed violation of team rules in February 2016. He transferred to Iowa Western but left after one year, citing financial reasons. He ended up at Mesa Community College in Arizona, where he had four interceptions last season. Jackson is a bigger corner who can disrupt big Big Ten receivers. With questions around the defensive backs, Jackson will have plenty of chances to prove himself.

 

OWH

[Mavric]

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#31 - Cole Conrad

6-5 • 300 • Senior • Offensive lineman

On an offensive line still looking for an identity, Cole Conrad could be the finger to plug whatever hole is letting water through the dam. Conrad can play center, where he made seven starts as a junior. He can also be placed at guard or tackle, both of which he played briefly in 2016.

 

OWH

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#30 - Matt Farniok

6-6 • 315 • sophomore • OL

Two starts at right tackle and two starts at right guard put Farniok in a similar position to Cole Conrad and Tanner Farmer. Where does he fit best in this offense? Farniok appeared in seven games last season, filling in for injured right tackle David Knevel. Farniok was later replaced by true freshman Brenden Jaimes after Farniok was hurt. Fully healthy now, Farniok’s spot is likely on the other tackle spot. But does that spot still work in a different offense?

 

OWH

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#29 - Khalil Davis

6-2 • 290 • junior • defensive lineman

As part of a defense that needs to put pressure on opposing offenses, Khalil Davis will be pivotal in 2018. Davis had four tackles for loss, two sacks and one forced fumble in 2017. For a defensive line that seemingly has an unlimited amount of lineups, Davis could find himself in more third-down situations than anything, jamming up the middle rather than stunting in for a sack. Regardless, Davis needs to be consistent for the defensive line to be effective in 2018.

 

OWH

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#28 - Devine Ozigbo

6-0 • 230 • Senior • Running back

Where, oh where, will Devine Ozigbo fit? Best guess is where Taj McGowan fit in UCF’s offense in 2017. Last year, McGowan, 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, had 69 carries for 235 yards and eight touchdowns. He was fourth on the team in rushing. In 2017, Ozigbo had 129 carries for a team-best 493 yards. But Ozigbo just doesn’t fit what coach Scott Frost and running backs coach Ryan Held have had traditionally as the No. 1 running back. Ozigbo hasn’t shown he can go off for an 80-yard run, which hurts his chances to start. If he can show that in the next few months, he may have a chance. If not, he’ll likely be a red-zone back and a back Nebraska uses to keep defenses off balance.

 

OWH

[brophog]

Note on the comparison of Ozigbo to McGowan: McGowan got most of his carries early in the season and had none after the Temple game. As the season went on the rotation drastically shrunk until only Killans and Anderson saw carries. It's easy to see why:

 

Killans 6.4 ypc

Anderson 7.2 ypc

McGowan 3.4 ypc

 

It's not a terribly inaccurate comparison, but it's also not a flattering one.

[Mavric]

6 minutes ago, brophog said:

Note on the comparison of Ozigbo to McGowan: McGowan got most of his carries early in the season and had none after the Temple game. As the season went on the rotation drastically shrunk until only Killans and Anderson saw carries. It's easy to see why:

 

Killans 6.4 ypc

Anderson 7.2 ypc

McGowan 3.4 ypc

 

It's not a terribly inaccurate comparison, but it's also not a flattering one.

 

If they re-did this list after the season, I don't think Ozigbo is in the Top 50