Jack Burton
Four-Star Recruit
I think the kid is a fine player. The fact that he's our best player rather than a depth player that those other programs wanted him for is telling. He was named captain after being here for 5 minutes.
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Danimal
All-Conference
Even if they do have upside watching Cam and AM screw-up repeatedly and be left out there to do it more is maddening.
VectorVictor
Heisman Trophy Winner
If we’re gonna talk D-Line...we’re honestly in much better shape there than we are on the O-line. The D-Line, mostly, is doing their job well—now if you want to talk about the poor OLB play or the offense doing the defense zero favors in multiple games, that’s getting to the crux of the matter.
As for the O-line...we need to be stacking them like wood going forward—start recruiting more O-line kids at the expense of a skill position or two until this gets fixed. Run more second string kids out there/sub kids during the game and quit with running a single O-line of starters the entire game...especially since the starters aren’t getting the job done.
Also, bench Jurgens or move him back to TE. The kid is a bust at center and is harming the team with snapping issues he can’t get under control.
As for the O-line...we need to be stacking them like wood going forward—start recruiting more O-line kids at the expense of a skill position or two until this gets fixed. Run more second string kids out there/sub kids during the game and quit with running a single O-line of starters the entire game...especially since the starters aren’t getting the job done.
Also, bench Jurgens or move him back to TE. The kid is a bust at center and is harming the team with snapping issues he can’t get under control.
Stumpy1
All-American
Calling my shot for next year. This is who I think will be on the starting Oline in 2020.
LT - Corcoran
LG - Farniok
C - Jurgens
RG - Jaimes
RT - Benhart
I think Turner is good enough to come in and start at LT as a Tr. Freshman. He will be our most athletic OT in the room and is a devastating run blocker. The only downfall will be his weight and strength but with him being here early, he should be able to get close enough to start. This would give us a chance to try Jaimes at RG as he is to slow as a LT. I think he would make a pretty decent G as he does have fast enough feet for it but his lack of strength and weight might cause issues. The center position is probably locked up with Jurgens. The RT spot will be interesting with my nod going to Benhart over Gaylord because of the future. This will allow us to put Farniok at LG. I think both G positions could be interchanged with Farniok and Jaimes.
This is pure speculation on my part but I would be okay with this line-up. We would be young at the tackle spots but we would be more athletic which should help after a few games.
LT - Corcoran
LG - Farniok
C - Jurgens
RG - Jaimes
RT - Benhart
I think Turner is good enough to come in and start at LT as a Tr. Freshman. He will be our most athletic OT in the room and is a devastating run blocker. The only downfall will be his weight and strength but with him being here early, he should be able to get close enough to start. This would give us a chance to try Jaimes at RG as he is to slow as a LT. I think he would make a pretty decent G as he does have fast enough feet for it but his lack of strength and weight might cause issues. The center position is probably locked up with Jurgens. The RT spot will be interesting with my nod going to Benhart over Gaylord because of the future. This will allow us to put Farniok at LG. I think both G positions could be interchanged with Farniok and Jaimes.
This is pure speculation on my part but I would be okay with this line-up. We would be young at the tackle spots but we would be more athletic which should help after a few games.
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runningblind
All-American
Two RT huh? Bold call indeed.
I am with you on the tackles and center. I lean toward Jaimes sticking at guard, but I am at the point of no return on Farniok. Please let them find/develop/purchase/bribe/grow/kidnap or build a replacement from stiff styrofoam for him.
Eh ... I'm not seeing that. For starters, Jaimes is probably our best OLinemen (not that that's saying a lot). I don't see a true Freshman unseating a three-year starter. Especially when he's a long ways from being used to playing B1G-level defensive linemen. Benhart was nearly as highly-rated out of high school and hasn't even been able to unseat our (much) weaker RT this year.
I do think Farniok is out of position and will be moved inside in favor of Benhart. So probably more like Jaimes-Bando-Jurgens-Farniok-Benhart with Piper, Sichterman and Corcoran pushing them (and Gaylord in the mix if he's healthy).
Stumpy1
All-American
He wouldn't be unseating a three-year starter. Jaimes would move to guard allowing Turner to play LT. Jaimes got moved to LT out of necessity and isn't a good one at that. He is serviceable at it but should be a guard or back at RT.
Benhart was a lot closer to starting then some would realize. Farniok was going to be a guard until Gaylord got hurt and put a damper on it. Benhart ran some with the 1s in fall camp and they had Farniok at guard to see how it would go. Frost went with the safe route because he thought we would be okay on the line and could preserve Benhart's RS.
Benhart wasn't even close to being rated like Corcoran. Benhart was a top 15 OT ranked outside the 150 while Turner is a top 5 OT that is in the top 50 and on the verge of being a 5*.
If we have learned anything this year, it is that it's difficult to win the battle up front in the B1G with a group of underclassmen. We need a pipeline of juniors and seniors that have been in the S&C program for 3+ years. Until the most recent decade it was unheard of for a Freshmen (Redshirt or otherwise) to crack the starting line up on the Huskers O-Line. An occasional sophomore, the caliber of Dave Remmington might do it, but that was the exception to the rule. Don't fool yourself into believing that Benhart, Piper and/or Corcoran will be our salvation in 2020. This is a project that's going to take not only great recruiting, but years of hard work and mental fortitude.
HuskermanMike
Starter
I think the loss of Gaylord was much bigger than people would have thought at the beginning of the year. He could play the tackle position with Farniok allowed to move inside if needed. Hixon, for whatever reason, is just not getting it done so far this year. Also, don't forget we get Wilson back next year and no one has shown they will unseat him.
Next year
LT-RT Jaimes-Wilson-Jurgens-Farniok-Gaylord(if he comes back)
Rotate- Sichterman, Bando, Benhart, Piper(might need another year)
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LumberJackSker
All-American
We have 3 juniors and a rs sophomore its not like everyone on the line is in their first year.
Eh ... you're trying to semantic your way to a stronger argument.
You're saying a true freshman would be starting in the spot currently occupied by a multi-year starter. That's saying he's better for that spot and, thus, unseating him. I don't see that happening. Especially considering the level of competition he's used to playing against.
You're second paragraph isn't how it happened. Gaylord was definitely pushing but he was hurt less than two weeks before the start of the season and wasn't the starter yet. And someone else ahead of Benhart on the depth chart getting hurt and Benhart still not starting is not proof that he was close to starting. All that means is Gaylord would have been starting and Benhart would have been backing him up. Now Benhart is still backing up Farniok. Gaylord getting hurt should have been more reason to play Benhart, not less.
Per the 247 Composite, Corcoran is the #3 OT in the nation and Benhart is #13. That's 10 spots different out of all the offensive tackles in the entire nation. People like to exaggerate the differences in rankings when they are really much closer than most realize or admit.
Husker in WI
All-Conference
I think the plan was always to have Jaimes at LT, I don't think he's going anywhere. He played RT as a freshman because that's where the opening was. He's a tackle, and while this year he's been inconsistent he's usually fine.
I know there was talk about Gaylord being the RT and Farniok moving inside but I don't buy it. Gaylord wasn't starting in practice according to the people there iirc. And if the only reason Farniok was starting over Benhart was to play it safe because he thought the line would be ok, Frost would've made the switch midseason when it clearly wasn't ok.