Nicks May Be Rare Juco O-lineman Success Story
For years, Husker fans criticized Kansas State for its heavy reliance on junior college players. Between the end of Prop-48 and otherwise mediocre recruiting, Nebraska found its program in need of some quick fixes and turned to the juco ranks. Without question, there are some very good players to be had from jucos. Mike Rozier, Demorrio Williams, and Terrell Farley come to mind. But finding an offensive lineman that pans out in a big way is pretty rare. USC did so in recent years with Deuce Latui, but Latui was an exception to the general rule.
I've been outspokenly down on two-star players, but I'd rather see Nebraska take a two-star high school lineman than a three-star juco lineman. Year one with juco lineman is nearly always a waste. Seldom can they hit the ground running in that first year. For many, that means maybe one good year. Even then, we haven't seen many juco lineman capable of that.
But Carl Nicks was a four star prospect from the juco ranks and apparently with good reason. The Huskers plan to make him their starting left tackle for 2007. That would likely not have been the case if incumbent starter Chris Patrick hadn't made a late decision to head to the NFL. So for those expecting huge things from Nicks, it's worth bearing in mind that he's mainly a Patrick replacement.
But given that Matt Slauson has been a starting tackle and that Lydon Murtha was a top high school prospect that has seen time for the Huskers on the left side, Nicks might not be chopped liver either. Regardless of the progress a year ago, Nebraska still seems a year or two away from having a dominant offensive line. A year from now, the four prep players from the class of 2006 might be ready to compete for starting spots (Jacob Hickman already has seen time and D.J. Jones is likely to in the coming year). But if Nicks and Murtha can live up to fan expectations, the future may come early. Not a moment too soon for most Husker fans.
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