OWH: Huskers Camp Countdown

[Mavric]

Camp starts today... not sure of the math behind their countdown.

This was brought up about a week ago. It's not a countdown. It's just a weirdly titled thing.

It is a countdown. It's just a countdown of players, not a countdown to a specific date.

 

[Mavric]

No. 12 Terrell Newby

5-10 | 200 | Jr. | I-back

Opportunity is knocking quite loudly for Newby, who previously saw limits to his work as Ameer Abdullah was piling up 545 combined carries over the last two seasons.

Newby, however, still has to prove he is ready to be an every-down Big Ten back and a good fit for the Mike Riley system. But he does have the physical tools at his disposal. If nobody plows their way to the front of the pack in preseason practices, it’s also possible that Newby, Imani Cross, Adam Taylor and Mikale Wilbon could share the I-back work in some fashion, with the chance that it also could change week-to-week depending on efficiency and productivity.

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[Mierin]

Camp starts today... not sure of the math behind their countdown.

This was brought up about a week ago. It's not a countdown. It's just a weirdly titled thing.

It is a countdown. It's just a countdown of players, not a countdown to a specific date.

Which is not a countdown. If it's not counting down to a date or a number of some kind, it's not a countdown. It's a list of players that is released 1 at at time.

 

[Mavric]

No. 11 Josh Banderas

6-2 | 235 | Jr. | Linebacker

It will need to translate to the field, but there has been a lot of chatter that the defensive changes to staff and scheme might benefit Banderas as much as anybody. The junior has been moved to middle linebacker, and he has the speed and athleticism to play sideline to sideline.

Banderas needs to find a comfort level and be more consistent, but things have happened pretty fast for him since coming into the program and playing right away. He already has played in 25 games (10 starts) and has 78 career tackles.

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[Mavric]

No. 10 Cethan Carter

6-4 | 240 | Jr. | Tight end

He looks the part. There’s no doubt about that. Of the many players Nebraska has recruited from New Orleans in recent years, Carter might have the most natural physical talents. Can anyone in Nebraska’s quarterback kingdom find him open in the middle of the field? That’s been, for whatever reason, a struggle for two years.

Carter has also had his struggles staying healthy, missing four games last year. If Carter’s feet are feeling better, Mike Riley’s new offense figures to devise more ways for Carter to get open. We’ll predict a big year for him. More than 25 catches, more than 300 receiving yards and several touchdown grabs.

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[Mavric]

No. 9 Greg McMullen

6-3 | 280 | Jr. | DE

With 13 starts already, there is a good chance he’s a 40-game starter by the time he leaves Nebraska. Even if he’s not a classic pass-rushing defensive end, McMullen will make some plays against the run that other ends can’t.

Quiet but thoughtful, McMullen is a savvy, take-care-of-your-business leader. He may not match his four sacks from last year, but he’s NU’s best end at a depth-starved position.

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[Mavric]

No. 8 Jordan Westerkamp

6-0 | 195 | Jr. | WR

All he does is catch the football. Elected a captain by his teammates, Westerkamp has 1,030 receiving yards and six touchdowns in two seasons. He’s also earned a reputation for having the best hands on the team.

Best friend of quarterback Tommy Armstrong, Westerkamp has developed a chemistry with Armstrong that no other receiver enjoys. As a result, even though Westerkamp works out of the slot, he’ll probably get some passes thrown his way.

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[Mavric]

No. 7 Daniel Davie

6-1 | 190 | Sr. | CB

One of 2014’s success stories, Davie rehabbed quickly from a torn ACL in 2013 to start every game for the Huskers last season. He finished with 41 tackles, five pass breakups and two interceptions.

Davie missed most of spring with an injury, but he should settle back into the starting corner role relatively quickly given he has the size and speed Nebraska’s new defensive staff wants at that position.

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[Mavric]

No. 6 Alex Lewis

6-6 | 308 | Senior | Left tackle

He wants diamonds on his fingers. That is, a conference title. Or maybe a national title. To get there — to even think about getting there — Nebraska’s offensive line has to improve. Lewis, a captain, will be the driving force behind that.

He’s the only offensive lineman who has truly locked down a starting job, and he’ll need to cut down on bad penalties he incurred last year. But Lewis has definite NFL potential and, when locked in, has shown himself to be a skilled pass blocker.

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[Mavric]

No. 5 Vincent Valentine

6-3 | 320 | Jr. | DT

He had 45 tackles and seven stops behind the line of scrimmage for the Huskers last year, proving that he could be a consistent force on the interior. The size, the strength, the skills — he’s basically a human barricade at the point of attack. But Valentine wants to do more.

He spoke this offseason about becoming more active on first and second downs, particularly when the opponent drops back to throw. He’s hobbled to begin camp, but he’ll be on a mission when healthy.

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[Mavric]

When two of the best five players on your team are defensive tackles, that's the makings of a pretty good defense.

 

[Mavric]

No. 4 Nate Gerry

6-2 | 205 | Jr. | S

Gerry, hesitant and uncertain, didn’t quite make the first impression he was hoping for as a true freshman. That changed when he moved from linebacker to safety just a few weeks after that debut season.

Gerry’s athleticism was featured throughout a breakout 2014 as he made countless momentum-changing plays. He was second on the team with 88 tackles and had five interceptions. Now in a new system, he’ll likely be isolated a bit more often at the safety spot. But Gerry welcomes the opportunity.

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[Mavric]

No. 3 De’Mornay Pierson-El

5-9 | 185 | So. | WR

Brandin Cooks. The 2013 Biletnikoff winner who caught 128 passes, averaged 6.8 yards per carry and returned 12 punts for Mike Riley and Oregon State. He’s the player that everyone, Pierson-El included, seems to reference when predicting the role for the Huskers’ new star.

Pierson-El earned most of his 2014 acclaim on special teams — his 596 punt return yards were the most by a single FBS player since 2008. But he forced his way into the receiver rotation by midseason and ended up third on the team with 23 catches. The future is bright.

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[Mavric]

No. 2 Tommy Armstrong

6-1 | 220 | Jr. | QB

The offense’s success depends on quarterback play. Armstrong knows it. Mental errors must be limited. In other words, Armstrong is seeking to improve his 53.3 completion percentage and 28.8 pass attempts per interception rate.

But he’s the type of leader and competitor you would want taking on that challenge. Plus, his running ability — he averaged 6.6 yards per carry last year (not counting sacks) — will take some of the pressure off his right arm.

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[Mavric]

As if you didn't know.....

No. 1 Maliek Collins

6-2 | 300 | Jr. | DT

Attend one session of a Husker practice and you’ll quickly realize which player is the most dominant. Whether he’s swallowing up running backs or knifing his way into the backfield, Collins tends to make a mess of the offensive play call. He had 14 tackles for loss and 41⁄2 sacks a season ago — and within a new attacking style of defense, those numbers are likely to increase. He’s settled into his role as a captain, too, and guys are starting to feed off his confident demeanor.

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