Offensive Line

What happened to Raridon? He is in uniform, but not sure he saw field. One of top OG coming out.  Known for his killer attitude....heard he was great scout team during RS.  He has to be as good as the guys we saw on field...anyone have insight here.

 
I'll say the same thing here that was said in another thread criticizing the strength training program: this fan base has a history of lauding a strength and conditioning coach early on and then criticizing the slow, un-athletic look of the team years later. Several factors determine how well a line performs and strength/size can sometimes be one of the least relevant. I don't think any one of us here can fully qualify whether strength was a significant issue or not. We just saw a poor overall product on the field.

Nebraska flat out couldn't call protections this year, putting them out of position and thus putting their bodies in poor positions to make plays. They also leveraged their bodies poorly at times and had bad footwork. Those are coachable elements that didn't get fixed.

I don't want to totally put down that S&C might have been an issue, but, it was not the first thing that came to my mind when they were getting destroyed this year. A tackle out of position trying to arm block a defensive end is not a strength issue, nor is a guard raising his shoulders too high and duck footing and then getting bulled over by a defensive tackle.
In today's world there is a lot of emphasis on strength and conditioning, but it is not the right kind.  

Football is a game of explosion, and dynamic multi-joint movements.  

What the Huskers learned is that if you train for explosiveness, you will add mass.  But 10 yd times and 40 yd times declined while vertical jump increased.

Plyometrics and powerlifting are important.  

All forms of intense training have their value, but not all forms of training optimize the attributes a football player must have.

Do not underestimate the value of proper strength training for football as it will make the difference between two equally coached teams.

 
Both of you are correct, however, an athletic and strong player put in the wrong position with bad technique that hasn’t practiced enough to have good muscle memory.....is going to look weak and unathletic. 

 
I'm interested to see if they can do with a player like Jalin Barnett. A four star,highly touted, O linemen out of high school currently buried on the depth chart because of weight and fitness problems? 


They won’t do much of anything with Barnett because Barnett’s problem is Barnett.  He was highly -rated early but the never developed which is why everyone else backed away from him until we grabbed him late.

 
They won’t do much of anything with Barnett because Barnett’s problem is Barnett.  He was highly -rated early but the never developed which is why everyone else backed away from him until we grabbed him late.


This coaching staff might be able to breathe new life into Barnett as well as some others who came in highly touted but haven't seen the field for one reason or another.    

 
no way anything can be done to motivate or cut him? Sucks to waste 4 years of scholarship on someone who cant/wont contribute.

 
With all the offers going out to juco OTs are they being brought in to play right tackle, challenge Gates or both.  It would be nice to see Gates pushed and return to his freshman form i miss his mean streak he used to play with.

 
BigRedBuster said:
Both of you are correct, however, an athletic and strong player put in the wrong position with bad technique that hasn’t practiced enough to have good muscle memory.....is going to look weak and unathletic. 
do you really think that is likely?

 
Big Red 40 said:
no way anything can be done to motivate or cut him? Sucks to waste 4 years of scholarship on someone who cant/wont contribute.


No, this is not the SEC. We honor our 4 year scholarships unless the player decides he wants to give it up. 

 
BigRedBuster said:
Both of you are correct, however, an athletic and strong player put in the wrong position with bad technique that hasn’t practiced enough to have good muscle memory.....is going to look weak and unathletic. 
Exactly. That was my point, more or less. Several factors impact a line's performance. They all need to be working with one another.

My only caveat is I believe S&C is often the low hanging fruit people latch onto because it's the easiest to rationalize or understand. If a guy gets pushed down then the simple nexus is 'well he's just not strong/athletic enough.' But, if that guy is out of position or works his feet poorly, his S&C might not be why he got tossed around.

 
Making Chimichangas said:
This coaching staff might be able to breathe new life into Barnett as well as some others who came in highly touted but haven't seen the field for one reason or another.    


I kind expect Barnett to be a transfer candidate as the word on the street is he has some lazy tendencies - which won't fly under the new regime. I expect the offensive line to have the biggest makeover in terms of conditioning and core strength after Duval gets done with them. To get there it will take hard work and foresee some players not able to handle the conditioning and dedication aspect and unfortunately I think Barnett is one of them but hope I am wrong. 

 
Big Red 40 said:
no way anything can be done to motivate or cut him? Sucks to waste 4 years of scholarship on someone who cant/wont contribute.
I think it is better not to take a chance on a recruit with questionable work ethic and leave the scholarship open for the following year then tie a scholarship up for four years.

 
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