DL & LB... Who do we land and when do they start commin?

girlknowsfootball

girlknowsfootball

Starter
Looking at the Commitment board our emptiest positions as of now are LB and DL. With Bo's knack for Defense and his fame for his defenses and Suh's year last year you'd think these would be the spots players were lining up to fill, but recruiting has been difficult for us at LB and slow for us a DL. Take a look at the commitment list below:

18 Current Commits + Braylon Heard & Bronson Marsh = 20 2011 Players

4 Open Slots Remain

OFFENSE

QB Rating

Jamal Turner :star :star :star :star

Bubba Starling (? Pro Baseball) :star :star :star :star

RB

Aaron Green :star :star :star :star

**Braylon Heard (? Grades) :star :star :star :star

OL

Tyler Moore :star :star :star :star

Ryne Reeves :star :star :star :star

Ryan Klachko :star :star :star :star

Zach Sterup :star :star :star :star

Givens Mordi Price :star :star :star

WR

Taariq Allen :star :star :star

Daniel Davie :star :star :star

**empty slot**

TE

**empty slot**

K

Niklas Sade :star :star :star

DEFENSE

DL

Kevin Williams :star :star :star

Max Pirman :star :star :star

**empty slot**

LB

David Santos :star :star :star :star

**empty slot**

DB

Tevin Mitchell (? Arkansas) :star :star :star :star

Charles Jackson :star :star :star :star

Daimion Stafford (? Grades) :star :star :star :star

Aaryn Bouzos :star :star

**Bronson Marsh :star :star

** - indicates last year's class who will be freshmen fall 2011 with incoming freshmen.

Projected Empty Slot Commits:

WR Patrick Onwasour :star :star :star ,OR Devin Lucien :star :star :star :star

TE Darien Bryant :star :star :star ,

DT Todd Peat Jr. OR Christian Heyward OR Gabe Wright OR Mickey Johnson :star :star :star :star,

DE Greg Townsend Jr. OR Ray Drew OR Jermauria Rasco :star :star :star :star... Devonte Wilson OR Bryant Dubose OR Lake Koa-Ka'ai OR Joseph Carter :star :star :star ,

LB Dexter Moody OR Keith Williams OR Keeon Virgile OR Antonio Poole :star :star :star OR Princeton Jackson :star :star :star :star

DB Wayne Lyons :star :star :star :star

As players commit to their schools I will update the guys on the board above.

 
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Would really like to see one of those :star :star :star :star DT's come in for us. Those guys you listed would round out a great class! I'd be happy to see our next commit come from any of those guys.

I think we have Adeyanju. He really liked his visit.

 
Charles Jackson would be my guess as the next commit. Also, the tight end visiting this weekend my commit as well. After that we need to concentrate on the D-line more than any other position.

 
Yeah GNF, that has suprised me as well. I thought we would have a deluge of upper tier D linemen just salivating for a chance to get the Suh treatment. I like Ankrah's upside, don't profess to know much about Williams, and feel very comfortable with Meredith. But that is a high attrition position. Meredith has already gotten dinged up this year. I feel great about this recruiting class and don't want to be the perpetually unsatisfied fan, but we definitely need to land a couple of high quality recruits at the D Line and LB positions. I'm just shocked that the Pelini defensive reputation hasn't borne more fruit. Yet. It ain't Febuary, after all. :)

 
+1 - thanks for putting this together.

Any word if maybe one of those OL recruits might be looked at on the DL. Seems to happen frequently with NU classes (Stein, Cotton, etc)

We do have 11 DEs on the roster with at least 2 years left at NU. Some of those like Ashburn, Ankrah, Meredith, Okuyemi, Vestal, Williams have great potential. The DT position on the other hand is getting thin. After Stein, Rome, Moore, Randle it's sparse. With Suh, NU's recent track record for the interior DL and Crick graduating soon...that looks like a prime spot for a highly ranked recruit to come in and fill. Talk about instant exposure for a 4-5* DT. Nebraska is going to get all kinds of pub next year as we work our way through our first year in the Big10. More than likely every Big10 game will be ABC/ESPN. We should be set up to make a run at the 1st Big10 Champ, etc. If I was a DT there are very few other places I'd be looking.

 
kchusker_chris said:
+1 - thanks for putting this together.

Any word if maybe one of those OL recruits might be looked at on the DL. Seems to happen frequently with NU classes (Stein, Cotton, etc)

We do have 11 DEs on the roster with at least 2 years left at NU. Some of those like Ashburn, Ankrah, Meredith, Okuyemi, Vestal, Williams have great potential. The DT position on the other hand is getting thin. After Stein, Rome, Moore, Randle it's sparse. With Suh, NU's recent track record for the interior DL and Crick graduating soon...that looks like a prime spot for a highly ranked recruit to come in and fill. Talk about instant exposure for a 4-5* DT. Nebraska is going to get all kinds of pub next year as we work our way through our first year in the Big10. More than likely every Big10 game will be ABC/ESPN. We should be set up to make a run at the 1st Big10 Champ, etc. If I was a DT there are very few other places I'd be looking.
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There was a lot of banter that Vestal could very easily grow himself into a DT with his very large frame. I wonder how much bigger he'll be heading into next season? I know he was very open to the idea actually but don't know how that has or hasn't changed.

As for the OLine guys I believe Sterup is the only one that has extensive experience on the defensive side of the ball. Not sure I'd like that as his defensive dominance at Hastings SC is due a lot to the fact that he is so much bigger than the kids he goes up against.

 
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kchusker_chris said:
+1 - thanks for putting this together.

Any word if maybe one of those OL recruits might be looked at on the DL. Seems to happen frequently with NU classes (Stein, Cotton, etc)

We do have 11 DEs on the roster with at least 2 years left at NU. Some of those like Ashburn, Ankrah, Meredith, Okuyemi, Vestal, Williams have great potential. The DT position on the other hand is getting thin. After Stein, Rome, Moore, Randle it's sparse. With Suh, NU's recent track record for the interior DL and Crick graduating soon...that looks like a prime spot for a highly ranked recruit to come in and fill. Talk about instant exposure for a 4-5* DT. Nebraska is going to get all kinds of pub next year as we work our way through our first year in the Big10. More than likely every Big10 game will be ABC/ESPN. We should be set up to make a run at the 1st Big10 Champ, etc. If I was a DT there are very few other places I'd be looking.
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I love this post! Great Post.

I completely agree with you on the DT need. The only DT left out on the list above that I see contributing is Jay Guy, he had a HUGE offer list coming out of high school and was a Texas high school football player. I think it's going to take him a couple of years to develop though, he needed to get his weight under control and convert fat to muscle but I see him being an explosive player for us in 2012 or 2013.

As far as OL, Tyler Moore is clearly going to play offense as coaches have already been discussing with him his opportunity to play immediately if he shows well in the spring. Ryan Klachko is a natural guard and I see us keeping him there with guys like Ricky Henry graduating and Keith Williams Graduating as well. Ryne Reeves is going to play center or guard and will stay there as he is one of the top 3 in the country and Caputo graduates next year. Zach Sterup does have some experience at DL but with his 6'8"-6'9" height I see pad level being a problem for him on the defensive side of the ball, one might argue that 6'6" stein is a DT but that is pushing it for height and Sterup is 2" taller. As for him playing DE he doesn't have the speed... most pass rushing DE's run a 4.7-4.8 40, Zach runs a 5.0. I see him playing OT, but of all the guys we are getting this year I think he may be one that doesn't play to his ranking... dunno why, but just the feeling I have.

With that said, I would like to see us bring in at least 2 DT's and at least 1 DE this year. We have 3 4* DT's and 5 4* DE's on our board. These are guys that still have us in their list of schools they are considering. Although, DE's can grow into DT's pretty quickly if they come in at 250-260 so we could see some good out of that as well.

 
Great thread. I've wondering for months when we will pick up a couple more D-linemen. Our need at DT is so great this is nearly a recruiting emergency. Nothing like waiting until the 11th hour.

 
girlknowsfootball said:
kchusker_chris said:
+1 - thanks for putting this together.

Any word if maybe one of those OL recruits might be looked at on the DL. Seems to happen frequently with NU classes (Stein, Cotton, etc)

We do have 11 DEs on the roster with at least 2 years left at NU. Some of those like Ashburn, Ankrah, Meredith, Okuyemi, Vestal, Williams have great potential. The DT position on the other hand is getting thin. After Stein, Rome, Moore, Randle it's sparse. With Suh, NU's recent track record for the interior DL and Crick graduating soon...that looks like a prime spot for a highly ranked recruit to come in and fill. Talk about instant exposure for a 4-5* DT. Nebraska is going to get all kinds of pub next year as we work our way through our first year in the Big10. More than likely every Big10 game will be ABC/ESPN. We should be set up to make a run at the 1st Big10 Champ, etc. If I was a DT there are very few other places I'd be looking.
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I love this post! Great Post.

I completely agree with you on the DT need. The only DT left out on the list above that I see contributing is Jay Guy, he had a HUGE offer list coming out of high school and was a Texas high school football player. I think it's going to take him a couple of years to develop though, he needed to get his weight under control and convert fat to muscle but I see him being an explosive player for us in 2012 or 2013.

As far as OL, Tyler Moore is clearly going to play offense as coaches have already been discussing with him his opportunity to play immediately if he shows well in the spring. Ryan Klachko is a natural guard and I see us keeping him there with guys like Ricky Henry graduating and Keith Williams Graduating as well. Ryne Reeves is going to play center or guard and will stay there as he is one of the top 3 in the country and Caputo graduates next year. Zach Sterup does have some experience at DL but with his 6'8"-6'9" height I see pad level being a problem for him on the defensive side of the ball, one might argue that 6'6" stein is a DT but that is pushing it for height and Sterup is 2" taller. As for him playing DE he doesn't have the speed... most pass rushing DE's run a 4.7-4.8 40, Zach runs a 5.0. I see him playing OT, but of all the guys we are getting this year I think he may be one that doesn't play to his ranking... dunno why, but just the feeling I have.

With that said, I would like to see us bring in at least 2 DT's and at least 1 DE this year. We have 3 4* DT's and 5 4* DE's on our board. These are guys that still have us in their list of schools they are considering. Although, DE's can grow into DT's pretty quickly if they come in at 250-260 so we could see some good out of that as well.
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I think a lot of people make too much of height when it comes to D-linemen. If you can play a position, you can play it. It doesn't matter too much if you're Jolly Green giant or midget sized... if you can flat out play a position well, I'm sure the coaches would play you there. In fact, before he signed with the Redskins and went to crap, most would've told you Albert Haynesworth was the best DT in the game today, and he is 6'6". Crick is as tall.

However, my argument is really insignificant here, as I just don't see Sterup playing DT anyway. I think he's definitely an O-line type. Good footwork from Bball should help him there, and tackles can afford to be taller if they can still get their butts down and run block effectively. I think this is the question most of us have regarding Sterup: can he get low enough and be flexible enough to be a good o-lineman for us? Time will tell... good potential though. All those coaches from different schools that offered must've seen something they liked.

However, my argument really

 
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