Recruiting to Fill in the Gaps
5 comments so far
January 27, 2010 by
When Nebraska's 4-3 defense faces a running play, our linebackers have to be aware of whose job it is to step up and fill in any gap opened by the opponent's offensive line. Fortunately for players, they usually only have to think about the gaps one play at a time, they're not having to worry about where the gap will be in three or four plays. In recruiting, coaches don't have that same luxury and need to anticipate where the gaps are going to be not just this year, but in the years following. In the next couple of weeks, you'll see plenty about the recruits coming in, so let's take a look at where the gaps appear to be over the next few years.
The clear gaps next year involve Seniors out the door. The impact players that NU won't have next year are
safety Larry Asante, offensive lineman Andy Christensen, linebacker Phillip Dillard, center Jacob Hickman, safety Matt O'Hanlon, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, and defensive end Barry Turner. The rest of these seniors, will probably only affect the depth at their positions: wide receiver Menelik Holt, wide receiver Chris Brooks, wide receiver Wes Cammack, defensive end David Harvey, linebacker Colton Koehler, and offensive lineman Derek Meyer.
It would first appear that Nebraska is losing a lot in the trenches with four total starters gone from the lines. Of course Suh will be greatly missed by fans and teammates and you would think there will be a huge drop off, but the roster tells a different story. There are 4 juniors and 2 sophomores on the D Line ready to step in, and a boat load of freshmen and redshirt freshman. Guys like Pierre Allen, Jared Crick, and Cameron Meredith all saw extensive playing time this past year. Any depth added here will be gravy.
For the offensive line, the loss of Hickman and Christensen will be missed for certain. You can see guys like Ricky Henry, D.J. Jones, and Marcel Jones developing this year and guys like Mike Caputo, Mike Smith, and Keith Williams leading a squad that has seen plenty of playing time already. The depth of this unit will be a problem in a couple of years if and when the inevitable injuries, academics, transfers, etc. start to happen. If the Huskers don't get someone who looks ready to push his way onto a depth chart this year, next year Coach Bo Pelini should be shaking hands with every big guy he can find in 2011.
Linebackers were a major concern this past year because of the lack of experienced depth. Assuming the current linebackers got enough playing time with Dillard being a force of nature, we will be returning a young squad but with questionable depth needed to compete with these quick and complicated offenses in the Big 12. What is needed here would be immediate impact - players that could see the field right away, like a JuCo player or monster blue chip prospect. It was a concern when the young players didn't step up and you didn't necessarily see improvement enough in them to indicate it won't be a problem next season.
Part of the reason you didn't see as many linebackers were because of the reliance on sets with 5, 6, and 7 defensive backs. While losing an underrated player in O'Hanlon, NU may not mourn the loss of Asante who had problems with wrapping up tackles and amassing penalties. A more than competent group is waiting in the wings, and you saw a lot from these guys to be impressed. There's a few guys on the squad who will be contributing for two or three years at a high level, so good luck to any DB's who come in thinking they're going to take a starting spot anytime soon.
The depth at the skill positions (QB, RB, WR, TE) seems too good to be true at first glance. The concern will be if a starter goes down, will a backup be able to grasp the offense that's made starters look confused and inept at times in 2009? We've clearly seen plenty of these players overthink what they're doing on the field to the point that mistakes overwhelm them. A quarterback in it for the long haul (5 years) is clearly needed to prepare for this complex system (unless it's pared down). Right now, getting the skill position players doesn't seem to be as great a concern, but it seems best to recruit at least one or two quarterbacks every year no matter what.
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Matt Jan 27 10
In Asante's defense, some of those penalties were of the 'smart' variety, where he was giving up the 15 to prevent a bigger score. Of course, in saying that, that means he or another teammate was burned at some point, so take that as you will.
Mind you, I'm not saying Asante was perfect, or that he didn't have more than his fair share of 'stupid' penalties. Just that he did seem to have a good head on his shoulders...when he would use it.
HuskerGBR Jan 27 10
Yeah I agree Matt. Asante made some plays though and he was a pretty good player. We are going to have some growing pains at the safety position next season. But after a few games, I bet PJ Smith really turns it on and could be better then Asante.
huskerdj Jan 27 10
Asante was named/honored as all big 12 and I believe that we will see him on Sunday's. One of Bo's defensive requirements is the play of the Safety Position(s) so I do agree that that will be a position to watch and hopefully marvel at.
GBR
tom Jan 27 10
I disagree with any growing pains at safety. The roster has more total talent and even had Marvin Sanders saying that there could possibly be no drop off in the 2009 season. No doubt Asante was a bruiser, but his athleticism in the open field is not what it should be for a safety, which he made up for in excessive force at times. Recruiting is not just about one player being gone, and I don't want to make this about Asante, so I will gladly agree to disagree.
The fact is, the safety position is young and talented and it's not likely that Bo can recruit someone in this class to make an immediate impact, but possibly compete next year or the year after.
stew Jan 29 10
"A quarterback in it for the long haul (5 years) is clearly needed to prepare for this complex system." That was one of the most important statements of the entire article. We've seen what happens when a QB gets only 2 years with Watson's system. With the exception of Ganz, the QB just doesn't quite perform with the capacity the offense needs. Lee looks like he's starting to get it, so hopefully he can perform consistently at a high level next season. But, this is basically year 2 for him. Why not give Green the reigns for 3-5 games? Maybe he's the QB we've been waiting for all along?