classof2024
Nebraska likes to cross-train its defensive backs to see where they might fit best in defensive coordinator Tony White's system. I like their philosophy of mixing and matching players in the secondary to see how the puzzle looks. While some of the 10 defensive back additions for 2024 will ultimately move down a level, there are some who just seem tailor-made for a specific secondary spot. For me, that's the situation with Omaha Westside's do-it-all playmaker Caleb Benning, who is hands-down the best two-way player in the state. While he's also a productive receiver on offense, Benning fits in ...
HuskerMax
There are a few guys in each recruiting cycle who are relative unknowns who come onto the scene late in their high school careers and take off as players. In modern day recruiting, where sources like Hudl, Dartfish, Coach's Eye and countless other resources are available to help identify players, some might dismiss the benefit of June football camps. That'd be a mistake. Look no further than Omaha North defensive back Donovan Jones, who had to earn his Husker offer the way some in-state recruits always used to. Jones lost his freshman campaign when Omaha Public Schools administrators canceled ...
HuskerMax
Only in the fishbowl that is Nebraska football would the 85-man scholarship limit be an offseason topic for fans. I chuckled watching Matt Rhule's traditional signing day press conference when he addressed the topic. “People have stopped me on the street like, ‘Coach, how are we going to do this, scholarship-wise,’” Rhule said. “(I’m like) It’ll happen, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” Welcome to Nebraska, coach. With Corey Collier no longer listed on the roster, by my math, Nebraska is at 103 scholarships just in case anyone reading is "that guy." I personally love Rhule's approach. If th...
HuskerMax
Nebraska came into this recruiting cycle wanting to address the defensive secondary, obviously, but particularly the cornerback position. Mario Buford had been one of Nebraska’s top 2024 targets - regardless of position - dating back to when he was wrapping up his freshman season at powerhouse DeSoto (Texas) High School. He was offered by Scott Frost and the previous staff on Jan. 23, 2021, less than a week after his older brother, Marques, had enrolled early as part of the 2021 class. His brother's status as a Husker and the timing of a coaching staff overhaul led to a unique recruitment for ...
HuskerMax
With the largest secondary class in modern program history for Nebraska football, it was fascinating to watch the board fluctuate throughout the recruiting cycle. Some longtime priority targets like Caleb Benning were given carte blanche to go through their recruitments knowing their spot would be there for them. Some, like Donovan Jones, were camp finds that had expiration dates on their offers, depending on other players on their board. Some, like one-time commit Callen Barta, were essentially processed when others became available. One player who had long been considered a strong Husker lea...
HuskerMax
Nebraska football coaches came into the 2024 recruiting cycle knowing they would be losing their top cornerback - 35-game starter Quinton Newsome - after the 2023 season. They also knew their starters for the ensuing season would be upperclassmen. Tommi Hill will exhaust his eligibility after this season and Malcolm Hartzog is already entering his third year in the program having already logged 18 starts during his first two years on campus. The defensive coaches need to start getting that second wave of guys ready to take over in 2025. The staff likes youngsters Ethan Nation and Dwight Bootle...
HuskerMax
Nebraska loves to recruit multi-sport athletes and two-way players. You may have noticed every skill position player in this class played on both sides of the ball in high school. This staff will trust their eyes and their development and let the chips fall where they may. Some of these additions in the defensive secondary will play safety, some corner. Some could end up on offense. We've already seen the staff shuffle some pieces from their 2023 class, with Jeremiah Charles and Brice Turner - recruited to play receiver - now giving defense a try. If there was someone in this group who I could...
HuskerMax
Football has always been a copycat sport and a game of chess between offenses and defenses. The west coast offense, Tampa-2 defense, if a system gives a team fits, rest assured it'll be adopted by most everyone else. With the advent of the no-huddle RPO spread offenses that have been prevalent in college football for the last 15-plus years, defenses have had to adjust. With offenses trying to exploit numbers and play in space, back-end defenders need to be as positionless as their offensive counterparts. Players on the second level of the defense need to be able to fill gaps in the run game, b...
HuskerMax
Matt Rhule's recruiting approach is akin to an NFL scouting operation. There's a heavy reliance on analytics regarding athletic traits and verified testing numbers. The strategy is forward-thinking, and it requires coaches to be adept at determining where a kid might end up playing his best football, even if it's a position he doesn't currently play. Luckily, that's right in the Rhule's wheelhouse. The Nebraska football head coach has a knack for projecting a player's best position based on his body type and skill set. I think that strategy is going to lead him to moving Pearland (Texas) Shado...
HuskerMax
Nebraska signed a whopping 10 players in this recruiting class who carry the label of defensive back by recruiting services. Oh, and just for good measure, the staff also brought in a guy from the transfer portal too. In its first two recruiting classes, this staff has made a concerted effort to give the back end of this defense a substantial facelift. It's not just the secondary. Defenders with these physical and athletic traits are in the sweet spot of what these coaches want at linebacker as well. There will be a few of these guys who move down to the second level to play in defensive coord...
HuskerMax
閲覧を続けるには、ノアドット株式会社が「プライバシーポリシー」に定める「アクセスデータ」を取得することを含む「nor.利用規約」に同意する必要があります。
「これは何?」という方はこちら