How To Improve the OL Immediately

[BigRedBuster]

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. 

The biggest problem Nebraska has had, in my view, is when we get a good recruit like Corcoran, our success is all dependent on them.  And, when they take longer to develop or don't quite get to the level of the hype, it''s a major problem. I'm sure Iowa, Wisconsin, OSU or Alabama all have high 4 star players that don't develop like they expect.....like us.  But, this is where developing the pipeline becomes so important.  OK....Corcoran didn't develop like expected.  There needs to be someone else that does.  That either gives Corcoran time to develop or proves he's not "the guy" without hurting the team on the field.  

Hopefully the new O line coach gets this done.  I still believe we have more talent on the line than what the play on the field indicates.  It needs developed and instilled with the right nasty attitude.

 

[BigRedBuster]

We need an O line that plays like #77.

 

[Undone]

I still believe we have more talent on the line than what the play on the field indicates.  It needs developed and instilled with the right nasty attitude.

This is it right here - agreed.

But there are some challenges to getting the OL play significantly turned around from where it was by week one of this next season, and one of them is Jurgens potentially leaving.

I just hope Frost can win enough games to still be here in 2023 because the line could be good at that point.

 

[Ulty]

We need an O line that plays like #77.

There would be like 30 yards worth of penalties if a Nebraska O-Lineman did that.

 

[Husker in WI]

I'm fairly optimistic about the OL assuming Jurgens comes back. It is weird how much it took for changes to be made in the OL room though - there's got to be some kind of disconnect with practice and the games for these guys. I just can't believe that Benhart is getting toasted on every one on one in practice, or that Piper looked that much worse than Nouli and still got run out there. I understand with Nouli they mentioned his consistency wasn't there in practice, and it's not like he was perfect in the games. But makes you wonder if other changes could have been made too - the forced changes were a lot better than what we'd been doing.

All the guys have gotten bigger, but I'm not sure they got much better under Austin. However talented he is, Teddy shouldn't have immediately been an improvement on Corcoran/Benhart - injuries for Corcoran aside. And you gotta do something if your backup Guard who isn't all there in practice is a massive improvement on your starter. We've got the talent and the bodies, just gotta get them coached up. Can't count on the new Center being able to pull and handle the edge rushers to cover our Tackles if Jurgens moves on/ 

 

[AlaSker]

We need an O line that plays like #77.

Time to raid the portal for some D-3 guys then.

 

[GlobalHusker]

There would be like 30 yards worth of penalties if a Nebraska O-Lineman did that.

Yeah it did cost 15 yards against Michigan St by Cam Jurgens.

Wasn’t a penalty….

 

[Born N Bled Red]

There would be like 30 yards worth of penalties if a Nebraska O-Lineman did that.

Pretty sure Jurgens did get flagged for doing exactly that 

 

[Mavric]

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. 

That is what I have been unable to figure out all year.  We were actually making steady progress on the OL for Frost's first three years.  Yes, people loved to bash on Jurgens for snapping issues but other than that we were definitely headed in the right direction.  And we had three Top 100 OTs that were (more or less) ready to contribute, even if still young.

And then it completely fell apart this year.

And I have no idea why or how.

 

[Mavric]

The biggest problem Nebraska has had, in my view, is when we get a good recruit like Corcoran, our success is all dependent on them.  And, when they take longer to develop or don't quite get to the level of the hype, it''s a major problem. I'm sure Iowa, Wisconsin, OSU or Alabama all have high 4 star players that don't develop like they expect.....like us.  But, this is where developing the pipeline becomes so important.  OK....Corcoran didn't develop like expected.  There needs to be someone else that does.  That either gives Corcoran time to develop or proves he's not "the guy" without hurting the team on the field.  

Hopefully the new O line coach gets this done.  I still believe we have more talent on the line than what the play on the field indicates.  It needs developed and instilled with the right nasty attitude.

Yep.  That's what stringing together four straight terrible recruiting classes (on offense) will do to you.  It takes awhile to recover.

 

[admo]

That is what I have been unable to figure out all year.  We were actually making steady progress on the OL for Frost's first three years.  Yes, people loved to bash on Jurgens for snapping issues but other than that we were definitely headed in the right direction.  And we had three Top 100 OTs that were (more or less) ready to contribute, even if still young.

And then it completely fell apart this year.

And I have no idea why or how.

Time.  We knew going in they (OL) were a year or 2 away.  Not sure about the deets, but Corcharn, Benhart, Sictcherman, Nouili & Piper were relatively inexperienced and newcomers.  Jurgens was pretty good blocking in 2019, and then better in2020, and look how he became the man in 2021. 

Seems like the team didn't want the OL growing pains, but wanted them to play like JRs and SRs with all this experience and strength and knowledge behind them.  It doesn't work that way :hmmph

 

[BigRedBuster]

Yep.  That's what stringing together four straight terrible recruiting classes (on offense) will do to you.  It takes awhile to recover.

Yep. 

 

[Mavric]

Time.  We knew going in they (OL) were a year or 2 away.  Not sure about the deets, but Corcharn, Benhart, Sictcherman, Nouili & Piper were relatively inexperienced and newcomers.  Jurgens was pretty good blocking in 2019, and then better in2020, and look how he became the man in 2021. 

Seems like the team didn't want the OL growing pains, but wanted them to play like JRs and SRs with all this experience and strength and knowledge behind them.  It doesn't work that way :hmmph

Eh,  I can buy them not being a finished product yet.  But I don't get the significant regression.

 

[floridacorn]

Nash may be a more natural O-line prospect, but if the Jurgens experiment has taught us nothing, it's taught us not to count on position switch player immediately.  So, I'm gonna have to adamantly disagree with OP, and add I think Lutovsky is going to be a beast.  

 

[MyBloodIsRed16]

Nash may be a more natural O-line prospect, but if the Jurgens experiment has taught us nothing, it's taught us not to count on position switch player immediately.  So, I'm gonna have to adamantly disagree with OP, and add I think Lutovsky is going to be a beast.  

I'm pretty sure Nash played OL in HS.  Jurgens was a TE and yes he probably had to block some but that's not the same thing as playing center.  It was a completely new position.  I think he handled it pretty well.