Starting LB corps

C

CowboyBob

Four-Star Recruit
This is if nobody gets shuffled around:

WILL

Bo Ruud

Steve Octavien

Nick Covey

MIKE

Corey McKeon

Phillip Dillard

Lance Brandenburgh

SAM

Lance Brandenburgh

Clayton Sievers

This is if all the rumors are true:

WILL

Corey McKeon

Steve Octavien

Nick Covey

MIKE

Phillip Dillard

Lance Brandenburgh

SAM

Bo Ruud

Lance Brandenburgh

Clayton Sievers

 
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I can't help but wonder that Dillard will play at MIKE next year. It may just be Steve Octavien syndrome, but he looked so good in that opener last year against La Tech. Wow. Assuming his rehab goes swimmingly (get it? rehab, swimming...) I think he's a better LB than McKeon. Although, McKeon is no Carlos Polk, I think he's still too good to keep off the field. But he's not big enough to play SAM, so by default he goes to WILL. Same thing for Bo Ruud. Can't take him off the field, thus moved to SAM. But what about Brandenburgh and Octavien? These guys are good enough to start, aren't they?

This is a position that I think will be a lot more fun to watch in Spring ball than most are anticipating.

 
The one thing I think that gets lost about McKeon is his size for even a MIKE linebacker. At around 220-225lbs., you should not be trying to fend off guards and centers on every single play.

The beauty about him is his ability to play in space, and he can be an effective blitzer. Thus why I think a move to WILL would almost be too perfect for him. Remember, it was discussed last year a bit by Cos.

With Octo, I just wish that guy would let the light turn on for him. All the ability in the world, but never plays up to standard. We saw last year what he can do against Texas when that switch comes on, but otherwise, he's been a 2nd stringer at best.

But like you Bob, I'm going to love this battle. These boys better be ready to go from day 1, otherwise, someone just as talented will be waiting to take their job.

 
This just doesnt make any sense to me at all. If Mceon was going to move to WILL why wouldnt he have done it last year? They still had all the people they are going to have this year. If that was going to happen the season would have started with Mceon and Octavian at WILL and Dillard and Brandenburgh at MIKE and Bradley and Rudd at SAM. I really dont think they will move someone who has started at a position for two years and done a good job. IMO the only shifting will be done by Dillard and he will move to SAM. On here the only rumors I have heard are that Mceon will move to SAM and Dillard will stay at MIKE. Now we get to hear California Huskers professional opinion about the size of linebackers again. IMO the lineup should and probably will be:

WILL: Rudd/Ocativain

MIKE: Mceon/Brandenburgh

SAM: Dillard/Brandenburgh

This backups all depend on if Stafford, Covey, or Lawrence step up and get into the rotation. Letting Brandenburgh concentrate on one position would be a lot better along with giving the team some more depth and needed rest.

 
Would it be too difficult to ask these guys to learn more than one linebacker position? I image they all know the plays for each position but could they physically play mulitple positions? That would provide for a pretty deadly linebacking core when we could put three guys out there and they all lined up at a different spot three plays in a row. I say this because Octo seems to be very good at playing in space and rushing the quarterback or chasing down backs and Rudd seems to excel at coverage. If we could put them both on the field, we could call a whole bunch of different defenses and not just a weakside blitz, but any blitz and have Octo line up at the blitzing linebackers position while Rudd took one of the other two spots.

 
Dillard is too good to keep off the field, and he is a prototype MLB. Octavien is definitely a WLB...when he is healthy enough to play. Brandenburgh is a jack of all trades, and I think Ruud could play WLB or SLB. McKeon moving to WLB is a fit too. I think this all depends on whether or not Octavien can stay healthy and if Dillard is ready to take over the full time duties. With that said, I think it will shake out like this.

WLB

Octavien/McKeon

MLB

McKeon/Dillard

SLB

Ruud

Brandenburgh

Covey/Sievers

Just one guy's opinion. I don't care who plays where, just as long as they rip off heads.

 
I don't care where you put them on the field...just as long as Octavian, Mckeon, and Ruud are playing. They are all to badass to keep on the sideline. Mckeon had a great sophmore year, leading us in tackles. Octavian has a big games WHEN he plays, he is one of the quickest guys to the ball. And Ruud makes tackles all over the fiend

 
no matter who starts I think they all will get a decent amount of playing time, I think we might have a top 5 linebacking corp in the whole nation

 
i agree i dont care where they play. i differ in the who, as long as (assuming everyone is healthy) Dillard Octo Mckeon are on the field i am good.

If rumors are true that our Defensive coaches were in Auburn talking about Defense then i dont see how Octo (if Healthy) is off the field. Auburn uses undersized LB with speed, and if they let him Octo is the best playmaker we have.

Ruud is a fan favorite and will still get time but in all honesty, you must admit that if everyone is healthy then ruud isnt one of the best 3.

I think it will look like this honestly

Will - Octo

Sam - McKeon

Mike - Dillard

 
landonhusker said:
i agree i dont care where they play. i differ in the who, as long as (assuming everyone is healthy) Dillard Octo Mckeon are on the field i am good.

If rumors are true that our Defensive coaches were in Auburn talking about Defense then i dont see how Octo (if Healthy) is off the field. Auburn uses undersized LB with speed, and if they let him Octo is the best playmaker we have.

Ruud is a fan favorite and will still get time but in all honesty, you must admit that if everyone is healthy then ruud isnt one of the best 3.

I think it will look like this honestly

Will - Octo

Sam - McKeon

Mike - Dillard
Click to expand...
rudd is better than Octo and Dillard, and it wasn't a rumor the coaches of auburn and nebraska have talked about strategy since after the game

 
Right now you might be able to say that Rudd has had a better career then Dillard or Octavian, but there is no way that he is better than either one of them. They both are three times as athletic, and when healthy Octavian is head and shoulders above Rudd. Dillard is bigger, stronger and faster than Rudd. However the only problem is he has only played sparingly thanks to him being injured all of last year.

 
huskers1 said:
Right now you might be able to say that Rudd has had a better career then Dillard or Octavian, but there is no way that he is better than either one of them. They both are three times as athletic, and when healthy Octavian is head and shoulders above Rudd. Dillard is bigger, stronger and faster than Rudd. However the only problem is he has only played sparingly thanks to him being injured all of last year.
Click to expand...
I think Ruud is definitely better than Octavian at the moment. Don't get me wrong, as far as athleticism Octavian is way above Ruud, I don't question that at all. The thing is, though, that Ruud has been a much smarter player than Octavian thus far. Octavian makes great plays because of his athleticism, but also gets out of position quicker because of it. Ruud might not make bone crushing hits like Octavian, but he rarely is out of position for a play.

My view probably comes alot from my experiences in sports. I've never been the most athletic person on a team, far from it, but I'm athletic enough to play and I've usually been considered a smart player. Given, I was rarely a starter (my playing time is probably comparable to Suh this past year, I didn't start but I played almost as much as a starter).

When it comes down to it, I think we have way too good of linebackers for any of them to sit the bench most of the time. I think there will be alot of rotation and keeping fresh guys out there.

 
Just like the old saying, "if, if's and but's were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas."

I'm almost sick to death of hearing what Octo CAN do. I'm waiting to see the on-field results. So far, he has played one game and a quarter where he has truly shown he deserves to be on the field, moreso start games as a Husker.

I don't wanna hear about athleticism, speed, and al this stuff. None of that makes a football player. If I had the choice, I would take one Bo Ruud over three Steve Octavien's.

 
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