How To Improve the OL Immediately

[Hedley Lamarr]

A few ways to improve the line quickly. 

Cypionate, deca, dbol. Lift many heavy things = OL improved

 

[Toe]

I'm amazed at the number of folks already throwing Nash under the bus in terms of playing NG. Dude was a true frosh seeing his first meaningful reps going against top-tier O-line. That's a pretty tough situation. 

I'm not amazed by it, mostly because I've seen the same thing play out so many times. People are ready to call a new guy a bust as soon as he makes his first mistake.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

I'm amazed at the number of folks already throwing Nash under the bus in terms of playing NG. Dude was a true frosh seeing his first meaningful reps going against top-tier O-line. That's a pretty tough situation. 

Technically he was in his 2nd year at NU, so I wouldn't call him a "true frosh".  He was only a "true frosh" eligibility wise due to the free COVID year.  Nash was ok this year in limited snaps, but people are concerned that he will be the stud NT that his defense usually requires. 

 

[TonyStalloni]

I'm amazed at the number of folks already throwing Nash under the bus in terms of playing NG. Dude was a true frosh seeing his first meaningful reps going against top-tier O-line. That's a pretty tough situation. 

Once he gets acclimated to Big Ten action I don’t see many O linemen that would consistently beat him. If he can draw double teams he would be doing his job in a 3-4 defense. Also don’t forget about Jailen Weaver although he may be more of a DE prospect. He has great size and quickness.

 

[Undone]

This thread is depressing because it underscores just how little Frost and Austin did to get an OL ready for years 4 & 5.

We really should have been grabbing sophomores & juniors out of the portal for the offensive line last offseason. 
 

If Jurgens leaves I don’t know how we can even be as good as the mediocre unit we fielded this season unless we get players out of the portal.

 

[BigRedBuster]

This thread is depressing because it underscores just how little Frost and Austin did to get an OL ready for years 4 & 5.

We really should have been grabbing sophomores & juniors out of the portal for the offensive line last offseason. 
 

If Jurgens leaves I don’t know how we can even be as good as the mediocre unit we fielded this season unless we get players out of the portal.

I'll wait for judgement on this to see who the O line coach is, what players they get in the portal and what the result is next season.  There's a lot of factors changing in the unit this off season.

 

[BIG ERN]

I'm amazed at the number of folks already throwing Nash under the bus in terms of playing NG. Dude was a true frosh seeing his first meaningful reps going against top-tier O-line. That's a pretty tough situation. 

1. He isn't a true freshman

2. No one is throwing him under the bus. I stated he can be a good NT, just is a better fit at OL and has a better shot at NFL at OL as well. Not to mention our OL has been less than average the past few seasons. 

 

[Danimal]

Technically he was in his 2nd year at NU, so I wouldn't call him a "true frosh".  He was only a "true frosh" eligibility wise due to the free COVID year.  Nash was ok this year in limited snaps, but people are concerned that he will be the stud NT that his defense usually requires. 

Having concerns is one thing, writing the kid off already is another. Too many are doing the latter. Only time will tell if he becomes something special but he is apparently needed at NG with Daniels gone and it's not like he won't improve with development and experience. Can't see moving him and creating a hole at NG when we can see how the portal, shuffling(Benhart to OG when Teddy is back), and having an O-line coach that's worth a damn will do first. 

 

[Cdn Blackshirt Two]

I said since day 1 that Nash Hutmacher needed to play OL...he reminded me a lot of Linderbaum from Iowa who started on the DL. Similar body types, both were great wrestlers, and both don't have much of a wingspan. I think he would have started this year. 

Teddy

Hutmacher

Jurgens

Nouili

Turner 

Potential to also move Turner inside and Benhart start at RT. With the right OL coach all these kids can improve. There is size and talent to work with and I always felt Greg Austin was the weakest assistant coach we had. 

Just my opinion, but I think you have enough raw material left in the OL Depth Chart to make this work. 

The bigger issue is getting someone competent to teach technique and Tackle-specific S&C that prioritizes foot speed over brute strength. 

LT - Prochazka / Banks / Transfer?

LG - Lutovsky / Miller 

C -   Piper / Hixson

RG - Nouili / Bando

RT - Corcoran / Benhart (I see him as more an S&C project than anything else)

I would add that Hutmacher is the only wide body left on the roster I've noticed at NT and we all saw what happened to to our run defense when Daniels was injured....so as much as prioritizing improvement in the OL is important, with the make-up of the Big Ten West, we can't attempt to fix the OL by gutting our run defense.  With Daniels leaving, I'd really love to see Chins go and snag a Vince Wilfork-like kid from the transfer portal with the express objective of being able to hold their ground against Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota double-teams....as we all know they're coming. 

 

[runningblind]

1. He isn't a true freshman

2. No one is throwing him under the bus. I stated he can be a good NT, just is a better fit at OL and has a better shot at NFL at OL as well. Not to mention our OL has been less than average the past few seasons. 

Having concerns is one thing, writing the kid off already is another. Too many are doing the latter. Only time will tell if he becomes something special but he is apparently needed at NG with Daniels gone and it's not like he won't improve with development and experience. Can't see moving him and creating a hole at NG when we can see how the portal, shuffling(Benhart to OG when Teddy is back), and having an O-line coach that's worth a damn will do first. 

What BE said are my thoughts.  I'm not writing him off, but I simply think he's much more suited to play OG.  Yes we have a need a NT but I'm saying I don't think that's a good fit for him.  Square peg,  round hole.  Not doing the kid justice.

 

[Toe]

This thread is depressing because it underscores just how little Frost and Austin did to get an OL ready for years 4 & 5.

We really should have been grabbing sophomores & juniors out of the portal for the offensive line last offseason. 
 

If Jurgens leaves I don’t know how we can even be as good as the mediocre unit we fielded this season unless we get players out of the portal.

Over the last few years, there's been a few points where it felt like the O line was turning the corner. And every time, it immediately crumbled away. Insert Charlie Brown trying to kick the football, only to have Lucy pull it away.

And I suspect that Frost felt the same way: it looked like they were making progress, so he didn't pull the trigger on Austin.

But the most glaring thing is the failure to develop a pipeline. Even if our younger guys were making progress, you want to start underclassmen on the O line as little as possible. We've needed a solid core of upperclassmen, whether built from HS recruits or with transfers, and we've failed to build that.

 

[Born N Bled Red]

1. He isn't a true freshman 

2. No one is throwing him under the bus. I stated he can be a good NT, just is a better fit at OL and has a better shot at NFL at OL as well. Not to mention our OL has been less than average the past few seasons. 

1. He isn't a true freshman 

- Hate this argument, because in may ways he is, even though he has been on campus 1 year. When he got experience time, he was playing against potentially 6th year seniors. Because all the older guys got to come back one more year, there was no elevation in class status. IE. Playing against opponents his age or younger. While he has the benefit of knowing the playbook better. He is still playing against guys who still held significant age, physical development, and experience development over him. 

This is true in regard to our offensive line as well, and is the only thing that gives me hope that Benhart and Corcoran can mature into decent linemen as the older guys on other teams actually have to shuffle off this year. --- It is interesting that some folks are able to recognize this when poo pooing Chinanders success with the defense this year, but refuse to acknowledge it when discussing the the development of our offense. 

Just as our defense was greatly boosted by many returning 6th year guys, our young offense was stunted by returning 6th year guys on opposing defenses. 

 

[Jeremy]

Just my opinion, but I think you have enough raw material left in the OL Depth Chart to make this work. 

The bigger issue is getting someone competent to teach technique and Tackle-specific S&C that prioritizes foot speed over brute strength. 

LT - Prochazka / Banks / Transfer?

LG - Lutovsky / Miller 

C -   Piper / Hixson

RG - Nouili / Bando

RT - Corcoran / Benhart (I see him as more an S&C project than anything else)

I would add that Hutmacher is the only wide body left on the roster I've noticed at NT and we all saw what happened to to our run defense when Daniels was injured....so as much as prioritizing improvement in the OL is important, with the make-up of the Big Ten West, we can't attempt to fix the OL by gutting our run defense.  With Daniels leaving, I'd really love to see Chins go and snag a Vince Wilfork-like kid from the transfer portal with the express objective of being able to hold their ground against Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota double-teams....as we all know they're coming. 

This is one of the problems I have with the 3-4. No disrespect to Chins - the defense has definitely improved since he's been here. However, like you said, if you don't have a Wilfork kind of kid at nose AND at least one better-than-average DE, you're gonna get gashed. Michigan has a couple of guys like that, and Iowa's zone game was going nowhere. For whatever reason, we aren't getting guys like Hutchinson. JoJo would be comparable to Ojabo, but do we have anyone else like JoJo stepping in next year? 

I know this thread is about the offensive line, but I have real concerns about our front 7 next year. 

 

[suh_fan93]

 

[Undone]

Agreed, @Toe.

I think some people are downplaying Corcoran & Benhart because they didn't have exceptional seasons, but they were both really great recruits. Especially Corcoran, given the high profile teams that he received offers from.

And maybe Prochazka also gets downplayed because he's from Nebraska.

But the recruiting of high school guys in classes 3 & 4 (or 2 & 3 as some people don't count 2018 as Frost's "first class") was great in terms of star power on the rankings.

It just mainly seems like Austin didn't get the players ready. And sometimes the only fix there is to just go to the portal, but we'll see.

Corcoran will be a stud and I predict he'll be playing on Sunday in the fall of 2024. Prochazka is basically a full grown man right now but just got unlucky with the knee injury. If we lose Jurgens it's going to be costly.