247: Most Indispensable Huskers

No. 11: Dedrick Young

He has started in 31 football games and has 201 tackles in his career. There's a very real chance Young could be in the top three of Nebraska's all-time tackle leaders (87 would do it this year) by the end of the 2018 campaign. And yet Young is part of teams that went 19-19 the last three years and played on one of the worst statistical defenses in modern Husker history last year. So when you're in the middle of all that, fair or not, impressive individual numbers aren't celebrated as much.
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No. 10: Jerald Foster

Our road trip into the top 10 begins with the Lincoln Southeast grad who was one of just two Husker offensive lineman to start every game last year. As long has Foster has been around the program, it was really his first season of full-time work as a starter, robbed of the opportunity in 2015 for all but four games due to a fall camp knee injury. The Nick Gates/Jerald Foster left side takeover didn't ever take off quite as some thought it might. Nebraska's O-line a season ago was dripping with inconsistencies, causing the Huskers to finish the year averaging just 3.51 a carry. That ranked 112th nationally. But before your neighbor goes on some rant about Mike Cavanaugh playing the wrong guys, it's worth noticing the Huskers are shaping up to have an O-line with much the same personnel this year under the guidance of a new leader, Greg Austin. Foster, Tanner Farmer, Matt Farniok and Brenden Jaimes will be key figures just like a season ago. The difference is it's now Jaimes and Foster on that left side — two guys who have the kind of footwork that should allow them to excel when asked to pull and get out in space. It's also suspected the fast tempo, combined with more of a QB running threat, could cover up some flaws on this O-line.
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No. 9: Mick Stoltenberg

While there are those behind Stoltenberg eager to help — namely Peyton Newell, Damion Daniels and a new grad transfer — the presence of the senior from Gretna for this team seems critical from both a standpoint of leadership and, well, muscle. Some knee problems have held Stoltenberg back before and there was/is some concern that he missed most of the spring, although Scott Frost has said recently the senior was among those on track to be there when it matters in fall camp. It's something to watch, because a full year of work by Stoltenberg as the starter at the nose would be a most welcome thing while others, like Daniels, grow into one day owning a bigger job. After Frost first got here, Stoltenberg was one of the first names he mentioned when discussing players leading in the weight room. "I think we're kind of moving in the right direction as far as accountability goes. I'm starting to see guys really take responsibilities for things they're supposed to do," Stoltenberg said just before the spring. "That's in all facets of life. It's football, it's academics, it's socially, it's really everything." He's no doubt one of the guys who can help hold people accountable.
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Oh that's just absurd.  Stoltenberg should be at least a half dozen spots higher.  The total defensive stats for NU of all players behind Stoltenberg are[SIZE=11pt]—[/SIZE]drum role please[SIZE=11pt]—[/SIZE]2 assisted tackles.  Two!  Assisted!  

 
NUance said:
Oh that's just absurd.  Stoltenberg should be at least a half dozen spots higher.  The total defensive stats for NU of all players behind Stoltenberg are[SIZE=11pt]—[/SIZE]drum role please[SIZE=11pt]—[/SIZE]2 assisted tackles.  Two!  Assisted!  
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Is Deontre not considered behind him?

 
NUance said:
Oh that's just absurd.  Stoltenberg should be at least a half dozen spots higher.  The total defensive stats for NU of all players behind Stoltenberg are[SIZE=11pt]—[/SIZE]drum role please[SIZE=11pt]—[/SIZE]2 assisted tackles.  Two!  Assisted!  
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I agree, if they are going to frame this as guys who are indispensable there aren't 8 guys ahead of him, especially not when they've already eliminated the QB. That means they think something like a WR, perhaps Morgan, is more indispensable. I like Morgan, and while he'll be useful and could become a star in this offense, he's not more indispensable simply by positional rank. 

 
No. 8: Luke Gifford

The first game he played in as a Husker ended with him at the bottom of a dogpile of another team's celebration. Gifford, then a redshirt freshman, was hanging on to a BYU receiver as he fell into the end zone on a Hail Mary on the game's final play. BYU players were soon celebrating at the goal line. Gifford was stuck beneath them. Welcome to college football. The greeting isn't always friendly. Gifford played here and there through his sophomore seasons, but mostly as a reserve. Sulk about it or fight your way out to a leading job on the team? Gifford did the latter.
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No. 7 Greg Bell

Yeah, that's right. We put a guy who has never played a down for Nebraska in our top 10. Sometimes you have to trust your senses, even if you don't have all the evidence yet. Everything we have seen about Bell, and heard about Bell, suggests the newcomer from the JUCO ranks is the most likely guy to be the top Husker running back come this fall. This is where the devil's advocate can say, 'So what? They're going to play a lot of running backs and there are others more experienced.' But it's what has been said here and there by coaches that give you the idea Bell has the *potential* to maybe provide something we haven't seen enough around here in recent years.
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No. 6: Carlos Davis

Many would say he is Nebraska's best defensive lineman, and some would even say he's the best defensive player the Huskers have, period. So the fourth-year junior belongs somewhere in the top 10 on this list for his talent alone. He's a defensive end, but he's strong enough to line up as the starting nose tackle if the Huskers are in a jam or, you know, just because. "Country strong," is how DaiShon Neal once described Carlos and his twin brother, Khalil. With 16 starts to his name, now would be the time you'd think the native of Blue Springs, Missouri, could make that move from being one of Nebraska's best to one of the conference's best. The Huskers sort of need that out of the 6-2, 295-pound Davis. As a sophomore he had 42 tackles, with four for losses and 2 1/2 for sacks. He led the team in quarterback hurries with 6. Some would suggest Davis could have had more had he not been handicapped by a scheme that seemed to lack aggression from front to back. Whether that's true or not could be proven in the fall ahead perhaps.
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No. 5: JD Spielman

While Husker fans were driving through the downpour of last season, you could still see it out there through your side window, some light, some hope for you to appreciate even as your windshield wipers worked overtime. Young JD Spielman, even on some of the worst Husker days, like when Ohio State was kicking his team in the teeth, looked like he could play with anyone in the country. Heck, he had 200 yards receiving against the Buckeyes. He set freshmen receiving yards. He made catches in traffic on third-and-5s. He returned a kick for a touchdown. He ran all over the place, and then, at that moment when it was important to stay put, he did that too. You can see why he'd hang around to see what he might do in Scott Frost's offense. Whether he can match the 830 receiving yards, more than 75 a game, that he had a season ago is a fair question as this staff has tried to upgrade the depth around him, bringing in JUCO guys like Mike Williams and Jaron Woodyard to hopefully help right away. Those guys seem promising and all, especially based off what Williams showed in the spring.
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No. 4: Tanner Farmer

He could emerge as the starting center, he could be the starting right guard. Farmer was already as important as anyone in helping this O-line figure it out, then his value only increased after the announced departure of Michael Decker. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Farmer matters so much because of his versatility. While he's played 19 college games at right guard, he was taking snaps at center this spring to get ready if needed. With Decker out of the mix, you could make the case Farmer is the best Nebraska has to offer at two positions on the field. Hence why we voted him so high on this list. We also think he just might wed perfectly with this fast-paced offense of Scott Frost's that asks its O-linemen to show they can move their feet and get out in space. Remember, Farmer is a guy who once spent an offseason grinding with the Husker wrestling team to get in better conditioning. 
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No. 3: Aaron Williams

Every coach Aaron Williams has had seems to be a fan. That's no insignificant statement either since he has had about as many position coaches as a guy could possibly have in a four-year career that didn't even include a redshirt. Now his leader is Travis Fisher, and predictably, Fisher likes him too. Near the end of spring, Fisher still was sorting out who might be slotted where on his depth chart, but there was one name he brought up in a sort of "Of course he's going to be a main guy" way. Yep. It was the senior from Atlanta.
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