HOL: Top 40 Huskers for 2018

[Mavric]

39. Barrett Pickering, K, Fr.
Nebraska has some massive shoes to fill at placekicker this offseason following the departure of four-year starting placekicker Drew Brown, who finished his career ranked second in program history in field goals made (59) and fourth in points scored (355).

T37. Cam Jones, DB, Fr.
Nebraska needed to add some big-time talent for its secondary in the 2018 recruiting class, and the addition of Jones helped out in a huge way.

T37. Caleb Tannor, OLB, Fr.
Nebraska pulled off what many would call a huge National Signing Day surprise by securing the signature of the four-star Tannor.

36. Miles Jones, RB, Fr.
Jones is a playmaker regardless of which position he plays on the football field. He scored touchdowns as a running back, wide receiver and as a kick returner as a senior. He's a threat to score any time he gets the ball in his hands.

35. Boe Wilson, OL, So.
It seems as if Wilson has been on the cusp of cracking Nebraska's offensive line rotation for the past two years, but his playing time has been few and far between.

40. Austin Allen, TE, RFr.
Regarded by many as the top in-state prospect in the 2017 class, Allen sat out as a redshirt last year after starring as a multi-sport athlete at Aurora (Neb.) High School.

HOL

 

[I am I]

How does Wilson end up 36 when 3 of the writers didn’t even rate him?? Weird 

 

[Mierin]

How does Wilson end up 36 when 3 of the writers didn’t even rate him?? Weird 

It's just an average. The 26th and 30th pulled it down.

It could be something like:

(26 + 30 + NR + NR + NR)/5 = 35.8

where NR = 41

and whoever had the 40th highest average is ranked 40th.

Using that method, Pickering would have 37.2 points and Jones and Tannor would each have 36.6, and Miles Jones would have 36.4, which matches with the order.

Actually, any value they give for NR would work the same way.

 

[Mavric]

34. Eric Lee, CB, Jr.
After committing to Nebraska as one of the prized recruits of the 2015 class, Lee has yet to take that next step as a fixture in the secondary entering his junior season.

33. Jaron Woodyard, WR, Jr.
Revamping the wide receiver position was a top priority for head coach Scott Frost and his staff, and Woodyard should be able to come in and be an instant impact player.

32. Tre Bryant, RB, Jr.
When healthy, Bryant has proven to be one of the top running backs in the Big Ten Conference. The problem is his chronic knee injury continue to make him an unclear concern entering fall camp.

31. Caleb Lightbourn, P, Jr.
Lightbourn is poised to make a big jump this season after his consistency improved dramatically as a sophomore in 2017.

30. Jaevon McQuitty, WR, RFr.
After his first season as a Husker was derailed by an offseason knee injury, McQuitty bounced back in his return this spring and capped it off with three catches for 33 yards and a 25-yard touchdown grab in the Red-White game.

HOL

 

[Mavric]

29. Will Jackson, CB, Jr.
Due to a shortage of depth at cornerback, Nebraska had been scouring the country well after the 2018 signing day for prospects who could provide immediate help at the position.

28. Mike Williams, WR, Jr.
The Huskers may have struck gold with Williams not only because was able to enroll this spring, but he also appears to be a great fit for what NU wants to do on offense, which is to play fast.

27. Tyrin Ferguson, OLB, Jr.
After seeing immediate action in 10 games as a true freshman, Ferguson's impact has been few and far between the past three seasons. He ended up redshirting his second year in 2016, and then only played in five games with three total tackles in 2017.

26. Freedom Akinmoladun, DE, Sr.
Through the first half of his redshirt freshman season, Akinmoladun looked like he was well on his way to becoming Nebraska's next great pass rusher after racking up 4.5 sacks in his first five games.

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[Mavric]

25. Mikale Wilbon, RB, Sr.
Entering the spring there was a lot of buzz about Wilbon potentially being the frontrunner to win Nebraska's starting running back job in Scott Frost's new offense. Though the emergence of JUCO transfer Greg Bell changed the conversation a bit, Wilbon is still in prime position to have a big role this season.

24. Luke Gifford, OLB, Sr.
Gifford came into his own at linebacker halfway through last season, starting the first seven games and racking up a career-high 39 tackles along with 1.5 sacks and an interception.

23. Antonio Reed, S, Sr.
Reed's potential has never been a question, but the issue has been how long will it take for him to realize it?

22. Deontai Williams, S, Jr.
Williams was added to Nebraska's safety mix this offseason with the specific chore of providing instant depth at the position. Based on his play this spring, he may be well on his way to doing that and much more.

21. Jack Stoll, TE, So.
Nebraska entered the start of spring practices with what looked to be a deep and wide-open tight end position. Following the spring game, Stoll had emerged as the clear No. 1.

HOL

 

[Mavric]

20. Khalil Davis, DL, Jr.
While he may be a bit overshadowed by his twin brother Carlos, Khalil Davis has a chance to be a fixture on Nebraska's defensive line because he can play either at end or tackle.

19. Cole Conrad, OL, Sr.
While Nebraska's coaches haven't yet named a projected starter at center, they certainly have set the table for Conrad - who made seven starts at center last year but missed five games to injury - to be at the forefront of that discussion entering fall camp.

18. Mohamed Barry, ILB, Jr.
Barry was one of the players who benefitted the most from Nebraska's switch to a 3-4 defense last year, and he should thrive even further playing in Erik Chinander's more aggressive scheme.

T16. Matt Farniok, OL, So.
Farniok was thrown into the mix in a major way last year as a redshirt freshman, playing in seven games and making four starts at two different positions - two at right tackles and two at right guard.

T16. Aaron Williams, S, Sr.
Since enrolling early as a true freshman back in 2015, Williams has been a mainstay in Nebraska's secondary. A lingering injury limited him to just nine games last season, but that didn't stop him from being one of the Huskers' most productive defensive backs.

HOL

 

[Mavric]

15. Will Honas, ILB, Jr.
Honas arrived on campus regarded by many as the most likely 2018 newcomer to make an immediate impact this season, and he definitely backed that up with his play this spring.

14. Dedrick Young, ILB, Sr.
Young adjusted pretty well to moving inside in Nebraska's switch to a 3-4 scheme, ranking second on the team with 80 total stops last year to become just the 36th Husker to rack up more than 200 career tackles (201).

13. Ben Stille, DE, So.
He may only be entering his redshirt sophomore season, but Stille is already establishing himself as one of Nebraska's top defensive leaders not only for the future, but also for this year.

12. Tyjon Lindsey, WR, So.
One of the most heralded members of Nebraska's 2017 recruiting class, Lindsey had a modest debut season as a true freshman with 12 catches for 76 yards.

11. Jerald Foster, OL, Sr.
Foster returns for his final collegiate season as one of the top vocal leaders not only of the offense, but of Nebraska's entire team.

HOL

 

[Mavric]

10. Tristan Gebbia, QB, RFr.
Gebbia earned the immediate reputation as a true football film junkie from the day he stepped on campus last spring as an early-enrollee true freshman. After a redshirt year, he'll enter fall camp with a chance to be Nebraska's next starting quarterback.

9. Breon Dixon, OLB, So.
When the NCAA ruled that Dixon and several other former Ole Miss players would be eligible to play this season, Nebraska's defense instantly changed as a result.

8. Carlos Davis, DL, Jr.
Though he was recruited to play in a 4-3 defensive scheme, Davis adapted well to Nebraska's move to a 3-4 last year by posting 42 tackles in 12 starts at defensive end. He also added 2.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, and led the team with six quarterback hurries, giving a glimpse of his ability to make plays in opposing backfields.

7. Brenden Jaimes, OL, So.
Jaimes joined some rare company last year when he made his first career start as a true freshman at right tackle four weeks into the season. He ended up holding onto the job for the final nine games, giving him the most starts ever by an NU true freshman offensive lineman.

6. Tanner Farmer, OL, Sr.
Injury derailed Farmer's junior season after eight games, but he returns as one of the key veteran leaders on Nebraska's offensive line as a senior.

HOL

 

[Mavric]

5. Greg Bell, RB, Jr.
When Bell committed to Nebraska over Tennessee back in December, he immediately vaulted towards the top of the backfield conversation entering spring practices.

4. Adrian Martinez, QB, Fr.
Martinez was the No. 1 priority for Scott Frost and his staff from the day they took over at Nebraska, and it didn’t take long to see exactly why. Despite being a true freshman who missed his senior high school season to injury, Martinez shined during spring ball and made himself a serious contender to be the starter come Sept. 1.

3. Mick Stoltenberg, DL, Sr.
Even though he missed part of the spring to a knee injury, Stoltenberg’s presence was obvious as Nebraska went through its first practices under Frost and Co. 

2. J.D. Spielman, WR, So.
Spielman burst onto the scene last season as a redshirt freshman, ranking second on the team with 55 catches for 830 yards and two touchdowns while leading all Huskers with 1,572 all-purpose yards.

1. Stanley Morgan Jr., WR, Sr.
After catching 61 passes for a school-record 986 yards and 10 touchdowns, Morgan had an opportunity to forego his senior season at Nebraska and enter the 2018 NFL Draft. As soon as he saw what Frost was bringing to Lincoln, though, the star receiver was immediately sold.

HOL

 

[Mavric]

As a refresher, this was the criteria:

Voting Criteria: Player's importance to the team in 2018, overall talent, and future potential for the upcoming season. A player's long-term/NFL prospects were not taken into consideration.

Given that, here are my thoughts:

Too Low:

• Caleb Tannor - He might not be out there every play but I think he'll be an impact guy
  
• Miles Jones - Depending on Bryant's health, I think he'll get some touches
  
• Mike Williams - I think he'll be about the #3 WR and there will be some good opportunities for him
  
• Freedom Akinmoladun - Not sure how a starting DE is #26
  
• Luke Gifford - Not sure how the most experienced - and best last year before injury - OLB is #24
  
• Dedrick Young - Breakout year coming
  
• Tyjon Lindsey - Perfect for Frost's offense
  
• Jerald Foster - Maybe the best player at a thin position doesn't crack the Top 10?  OK
  

Too High

• Cole Conrad - I think he'll be solid but replaceable
  
• Mohamed Barry - I think he'll be a contributor but #18 is too high for a guy who might not start
  
• Ben Stille - I think he'll make some plays but we are fairly deep on the DL and I'm not sure he's in the top group
  
• Tristan Gebbia - Just a feeling but I think Martinez wins the job and runs with it (pun intended)