For those of you not familiar with my writing, sometimes in lieu of an actual column, I'll contribute what I call Hot Routes, just snippets of things I'm thinking about pertaining to the Huskers or other areas of college football. I'm still working on my next real column, but I thought this would be a good time to dust off the Hot Routes just to get the rust off my writing.
- Kody Spano tearing the same ACL he hurt earlier this year is a huge blow for the Huskers. It seemed like he had been playing really well in camp and had the confidence of his teammates, and then to see this happen to him, you can't help but feel for the kid. Now it comes down to Cody Green or LaTravis Washington for the backup job, and putting a redshirt on Green seems like a no-go after this news. That said, as we saw last year, this staff is not above keeping a redshirt on guys when they believe it will help them in the long run (Will Compton). Furthermore, does this force Pelini and Watson to leave Taylor Martinez at quarterback when it still wasn't 100% he'd stay there? This injury changes a lot of things for this team and makes protecting Zac Lee all the more important. I mean, with no proven backup behind him, can you even attempt to run the option? That seems like you're inviting fans to have heart attacks every time he carries the ball.
- Darren Evans, the beastly running back and reigning Orange Bowl MVP for Virginia Tech, is out for the year after tearing his ACL. Obviously by now, unless you're living under a rock or aren't a huge college football fan, you've heard about this. I do feel bad not only for Evans but for the Hokie fans, because they had a legitimate shot to make a run at the national title. Va Tech must now choose between Ryan Williams or Josh Olson, both highly regarded freshmen (albeit Williams is a redshirt frosh), or Josh Oglesby, a redshirt sophomore who is the only one of the three to have a college carry. This will make it easier for the Huskers to focus on Tyrod Taylor, but you still hate to see a guy's season end that way. Just a reminder of what Evans was capable of:
Given our shoddy-at-times tackling last year, that would have made me nervous.
-The nation's #2 defensive end in the country (and #19 overall player according to Rivals) Owamagbe Odighizuwa has confirmed that the Huskers will be one of his five official visits. This is a coup for the Huskers staff and a testament to the kind of work John Papuchis is doing recruiting. I'm not one to get all that wound up about recruits who have never played a snap in college, that has a way of not panning out sometimes. That said, it's key that Nebraska is starting to get kids of this caliber to travel to Lincoln, especially when his other schools include Oregon, USC, and Florida. Do we land him? Tough call, especially when it's no sure thing that he'll make it to an actual game. The appeal of Nebraska can only truly be seen in Memorial Stadium on autumn Saturdays, not on a tour of an empty complex on finals week. Still, progress is being made in recruiting, and I think this staff knows how to relate to kids really well. Plus, any defensive lineman should salivate at the thought of being coached by the Pelinis.
- Just stumbled across this article and was excited to see that former Husker cornerback Zach Bowman, finally free from injury long enough to recover, is making some headlines at Bears camp. This is awesome for me on two levels. The first is that few people deserve success like Bowman does. His injuries at NU, his fall in the draft because of them, the limitless potential that hadn't been realized, he's making up for lost time now. This is welcome good news after Stew Bradley injured his knee and is out for the year, stopping him from joining Barrett Ruud as one of the best 'backers in the game. The other reason Bowman's ascension is fun for me? It's nice to have one more guy to cheer for against the Vikings.
-Really liked Stew Mandel's opinion here on Notre Dame. Every year, we're subjected to the Irish getting an asininely high (and unwarranted) ranking. Luckily, they've been atrocious enough that they are quickly forgotten about. However, coming off of last year's bowl win in which Jimmy "I should change my name to Jim to be taken seriously" Clausen threw for 400+ yards and 5 touchdowns, everyone seems to be penciling in this year as a potential 10-win season. Obviously, this would be a nightmare, because once again a potentially more deserving (and higher ranked) team would be left out of the BCS. The thing is, when you've been as irrelevant as Notre Dame the past couple of years, people are usually hesitant to chalk up wins before you've played the games. And as Nebraska fans know, that can be an extremely bad decision (remember 2007?). So I'm going to hold off my criticism of the Golden Domers for now, because if I were to bitch and moan about it, it would only give them more undeserved attention. Let them gain relevancy the way we have to: win games.
Showing posts with label Hot Routes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hot Routes. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Hot Routes
Due to a rare busy week at work, I didn't really have time (or, to be honest, feel the need) to write a recap of the spring game. We didn't see much that would lead us to believe there has been a huge transformation in the defense, and nobody really stood out and had monster days. Even the guys that made several good plays (like Curenski Gilleylen, who hauled in a 77 yard bomb from Ganz but also dropped a couple balls) balanced them out by having a few gaffes. I'm still confident that the team will continue to improve over the summer through workouts and diligent film study, and that after fall camp, they'll be ready to go out and surprise some people. But let's not kid ourselves, they aren't going to come out and pitch shutouts right away. It's going to take work, patience, and time.
Some thoughts from the spring game:
- If someone had told you two months ago that our starting outside backers going into fall camp would be Cody Glenn and Tyler Wortman, what would your reaction have been? It's a shock that a former running back and a 5th year walk-on are our starters right now, but it's shocking in a good way. I was skeptical that Glenn would contribute much after playing running back exclusively the past few years, but it just goes to show that I'm a complete idiot (though, to be honest, we already knew that, didn't we?). And Wortman is a testament to the value of the walk-on program. A guy busts his ass for 5 years, and his diligence is rewarded by the new staff, who gave him his shot, one he took and ran with. Will they be our starters on open day? Who knows. Blake Lawrence and a group of talented youngsters will have ample opportunity to grab the spots in fall camp. For now though, my hat is off to the two seniors who were the big stories of camp (Glenn) and the spring game (Wortman).
- Does anybody else wonder just how many carries that Lucky is going to get with the other studs behind him? If Castille can learn how to hang on to the ball, he and Helu will be breathing down Marlon's back. It's not a bad thing (competition never is), but it's going to be an interesting scenario to watch next season, especiallly considering Helu seems to improve with each passing day. We are going to have a very dangerous running game, and that'll open up some things for Ganz, whose interceptions last year were often due to the fact he had to throw 45 times a game to keep us in the shootouts. I really hope that Watson gets creative with these three, I'm talking having Ganz in the shotgun with Lucky and Castille on each side of him with Helu in the slot, stuff like that. If you're a defense, who do you key on? I've advocated for SOME elements of the zone-read from the shotgun in past posts, and it's something that Terry Bowden agrees with me on. I can't decide if that's a good thing or not.........
- With 'Bama having 92,000 last year and the Huskers having 80,000-plus this year, the fascination with spring games will continue to grow, as everybody now knows that it is a huge recruiting tool. Almost everybody already knew this, but with increased interest in college football and the coverage of it growing, even impartial people are taking notice of these events. It's going to be a competition every year now to get the headlines and banner recruits for these glorified practices. Not that it's a bad thing, the more college football coverage, the better.
Some NFL thoughts, with the Draft Marathon coming this weekend:
- Why did the NFL move the draft start time back to 2:00? This crap takes forever, the last thing we need is a delayed start. Plus, that means if I start drinking at 10:00 AM (which was the standard operating procedure when the draft started then), I am now classified as a drunk instead of just being your average football fan.
- While I don't plan on keeping a running diary of the draft like I did last year (where it took 4 damn hours for the 1st round, causing my laptop battery to die), I do plan on keeping an informal journal throughout the day (which will include my golf round in the morning with my buddies), then posting it on here Monday. I'm not sure how it will work out, but it's worth a shot, even if most of the stuff that my buddies and I talk about will probably not be postable due to inappropriate comments about pretty much every single race, sex, orientation,......you know what, it's not going to matter. Just imagine watching a Judd Apatow movie for 12 hours, fueled by heavy drinking. It's going to be a bunch of guys ripping on each other, so you know it's going to get pretty bad (in a fun way though).
While I'm on this topic, I gotta say, has anyone done more to take the male art of ripping on each other to a whole new level than Apatow and his cast of buddies? Movies like 40-year-old virgin, Knocked Up, and Superbad have taken sh*t-talking to a whole new level, to the point that women can't even be around when men interact with each other, it just gets too graphic. This may be a phenomenon reserved for those of us 25-and-under, but what happens as we get older? Will we still be ripping on each other like this when we're 50? I certainly hope so.
- Living in Minnesota, I have to comment on the Jared Allen trade. First off, let me say that I am a big fan of Allen. He's a hell of a player who plays the game the right way, and he's an absolute beast. But I still think the Vikings overpaid for him. Giving up a 1st and a 3rd would be fine, but to give up a 1st, two 3rds, and swapping 5th round picks, in addition to giving him one of the richest contracts in NFL history in terms of guaranteed money is a big investment for one guy. I realize that they need an edge pass rusher, but damn, he better get them at leas 12 to 15 sacks every year the next 4 years, or you have to say that it wasn't worth it. A lot of this depends on what KC does with the bevy of picks they acquired, and with Carl Peterson in charge, they'll probably do pretty well (though picking Brody Croyle a couple years ago is still a head scratcher, and in my opinion was a terrible choice from the get-go). Either way, it's fun to watch all the Vikings fans talk themselves into the trade, saying that a good pass rusher was all they needed. Apparently they've all forgotten that their QB is Tavaris Jackson. Then again, with some guy named Adrian Peterson in the backfield, they might be good despite that.
-Kudos to Marvin Lewis and the Bengals, who despite getting some good trade offers, are moving forward with their collective F-you to Chad Johnson's bitching and moaning. This guy has always played the happy-go-lucky version of T.O., but you had to know that deep down, the guy would eventually turn into a cancer, and sure enough, his douchebaggery has risen to the top. I hope they keep him the whole year and just let the asshole sit out like he is threatening to.
Some thoughts from the spring game:
- If someone had told you two months ago that our starting outside backers going into fall camp would be Cody Glenn and Tyler Wortman, what would your reaction have been? It's a shock that a former running back and a 5th year walk-on are our starters right now, but it's shocking in a good way. I was skeptical that Glenn would contribute much after playing running back exclusively the past few years, but it just goes to show that I'm a complete idiot (though, to be honest, we already knew that, didn't we?). And Wortman is a testament to the value of the walk-on program. A guy busts his ass for 5 years, and his diligence is rewarded by the new staff, who gave him his shot, one he took and ran with. Will they be our starters on open day? Who knows. Blake Lawrence and a group of talented youngsters will have ample opportunity to grab the spots in fall camp. For now though, my hat is off to the two seniors who were the big stories of camp (Glenn) and the spring game (Wortman).
- Does anybody else wonder just how many carries that Lucky is going to get with the other studs behind him? If Castille can learn how to hang on to the ball, he and Helu will be breathing down Marlon's back. It's not a bad thing (competition never is), but it's going to be an interesting scenario to watch next season, especiallly considering Helu seems to improve with each passing day. We are going to have a very dangerous running game, and that'll open up some things for Ganz, whose interceptions last year were often due to the fact he had to throw 45 times a game to keep us in the shootouts. I really hope that Watson gets creative with these three, I'm talking having Ganz in the shotgun with Lucky and Castille on each side of him with Helu in the slot, stuff like that. If you're a defense, who do you key on? I've advocated for SOME elements of the zone-read from the shotgun in past posts, and it's something that Terry Bowden agrees with me on. I can't decide if that's a good thing or not.........
- With 'Bama having 92,000 last year and the Huskers having 80,000-plus this year, the fascination with spring games will continue to grow, as everybody now knows that it is a huge recruiting tool. Almost everybody already knew this, but with increased interest in college football and the coverage of it growing, even impartial people are taking notice of these events. It's going to be a competition every year now to get the headlines and banner recruits for these glorified practices. Not that it's a bad thing, the more college football coverage, the better.
Some NFL thoughts, with the Draft Marathon coming this weekend:
- Why did the NFL move the draft start time back to 2:00? This crap takes forever, the last thing we need is a delayed start. Plus, that means if I start drinking at 10:00 AM (which was the standard operating procedure when the draft started then), I am now classified as a drunk instead of just being your average football fan.
- While I don't plan on keeping a running diary of the draft like I did last year (where it took 4 damn hours for the 1st round, causing my laptop battery to die), I do plan on keeping an informal journal throughout the day (which will include my golf round in the morning with my buddies), then posting it on here Monday. I'm not sure how it will work out, but it's worth a shot, even if most of the stuff that my buddies and I talk about will probably not be postable due to inappropriate comments about pretty much every single race, sex, orientation,......you know what, it's not going to matter. Just imagine watching a Judd Apatow movie for 12 hours, fueled by heavy drinking. It's going to be a bunch of guys ripping on each other, so you know it's going to get pretty bad (in a fun way though).
While I'm on this topic, I gotta say, has anyone done more to take the male art of ripping on each other to a whole new level than Apatow and his cast of buddies? Movies like 40-year-old virgin, Knocked Up, and Superbad have taken sh*t-talking to a whole new level, to the point that women can't even be around when men interact with each other, it just gets too graphic. This may be a phenomenon reserved for those of us 25-and-under, but what happens as we get older? Will we still be ripping on each other like this when we're 50? I certainly hope so.
- Living in Minnesota, I have to comment on the Jared Allen trade. First off, let me say that I am a big fan of Allen. He's a hell of a player who plays the game the right way, and he's an absolute beast. But I still think the Vikings overpaid for him. Giving up a 1st and a 3rd would be fine, but to give up a 1st, two 3rds, and swapping 5th round picks, in addition to giving him one of the richest contracts in NFL history in terms of guaranteed money is a big investment for one guy. I realize that they need an edge pass rusher, but damn, he better get them at leas 12 to 15 sacks every year the next 4 years, or you have to say that it wasn't worth it. A lot of this depends on what KC does with the bevy of picks they acquired, and with Carl Peterson in charge, they'll probably do pretty well (though picking Brody Croyle a couple years ago is still a head scratcher, and in my opinion was a terrible choice from the get-go). Either way, it's fun to watch all the Vikings fans talk themselves into the trade, saying that a good pass rusher was all they needed. Apparently they've all forgotten that their QB is Tavaris Jackson. Then again, with some guy named Adrian Peterson in the backfield, they might be good despite that.
-Kudos to Marvin Lewis and the Bengals, who despite getting some good trade offers, are moving forward with their collective F-you to Chad Johnson's bitching and moaning. This guy has always played the happy-go-lucky version of T.O., but you had to know that deep down, the guy would eventually turn into a cancer, and sure enough, his douchebaggery has risen to the top. I hope they keep him the whole year and just let the asshole sit out like he is threatening to.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Hot Routes
Originally I planned on breaking down the recruiting class at great lengths in this post, but when I realized that every other single Husker blogger had already done that, I quickly soured on that idea. Speaking of those breakdowns, I wanted to quickly give some props to Double Extra Point on their well-done analysis. By the way, does anyone know what that means? I've always given "props" to friends/people who have done a good job at something, but I'm not sure what it stand for, or if it is just another phrase white people stole from hip-hop culture....if anyone knows, fill me in. It's evident that the guys over at DXP have studied the film of all the recruits (something I am currently working hard on while I'm supposed to be doing actual work), and their capsules on all the guys are great.
Anyways, instead of breaking down every guy, I just wanted to pass along my thoughts on a half-dozen or so of the players, the ones I am most excited about or who I think have, in the words of ESPN's Bill Simmons, "Tremendous Upside Potential" (TUP from here on out). Also, I'll pass along some assorted college football links that I thought were worthy of a read. Not that my opinion validates these articles, but still, if I like, them, they must be pretty f-in sweet, right? No? Damn. You'd think my status as a 3rd-string Husker blogger would get me some clout.
Annnnyways, on the recruits.
Most Likely Immediate Impact
Baker Steinkuhler, DT
Ok, I know that this guy is a bookend offensive tackle, our #1 recruit, and a bona-fide stud. But let's not forget that our defensive tackle position is about as deep as a kiddie pool. Add to that the fact that Pelini is a defensive-minded coach who has done some special things with tackles before (Glenn Dorsey, anyone?) and you have to think that they'll give the kid an early look on the d-line just out of necessity. If we weren't in such dire need, he probably would be slated for offense (and still might be), but I can't help but fantasize about having Steinkuhler and Suh completely negating opponent's inside running games.
Ricky Henry, OL
With two years of CC football under his belt, he has the seasoning to step in and bolster the Huskers' interior line (at least if he can keep his grades up, something he's struggled with in the past). That said, his 6'4", 300-lb frame is impressive and tailor-made for the G position.
Tyson Hetzer, TE
A good pass-catching JUCO tight end who should fit into Watson's offense well and can work the seams really well down the middle of the field. With the loss of both J.B. Phillips and Josh Mueller, this is a position that is relatively up for grabs with relative unknowns Mike McNeill (injured last year), Ryan Hill (true frosh), and Hunter Teafatiller (9 career catches) in the fold.
Will Compton, LB/Mason Wald, S
We don't yet know who will be redshirted, so this is a tough call, but I can see both of these guys getting on kickoff coverage this year (with Compton seeing some PT at backer). Pelini will play the best guys, regardless of age, so I wouldn't put it past him throwing these guys into the fire and hoping for some explosions.
Tremendous Upside Potential (TUP) Recruits
This is for the guys who have the potential to make a big impact down the road depending on how things pan out and them getting in the weight room. I borrowed the phrase from ESPN's Bill Simmons, who stole it from Jay Bilas. During the NBA draft, guys who don't have solid body of work to analyze (like 6'10" foreign small forwards nobody knows about) are often described as having "Tremendous Upside Potential", meaning they could completely suck, or be the next Dirk Nowitzki. So here are my nominees from this year's Husker signees.
Sean Fisher, LB
The 6'5", 210-lb linebacker out of Millard North has the kind of length and size that recruitnicks and coaches drool over. This is the type of kid you immediately recruit on your NCAA dynasty, knowing he will turn into a beast. With that height, he has the potential (there's that word again) to get up to the 250 range and be an absolute monster. Can you imagine in two years a linebacking crew composed of him, Compton, and a beefed-up Blake Lawrence? How much fun would that be? And how would any QB find a throwing lane with a couple 6'4"/6'5" guys on the outside? It's a tough call on how it will all pan out, because Pelini often uses shorter, quicker guys on the outside because of his constant blitz calls, but still, it's fun to daydream about the possibilities. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with Fisher, a home-state kid who turned down OU (among others) to stay with the Big Red.
Kyler Reed, ATH
While it's tempting to see the 6'3", 205-pound Reed at linebacker, the signing of four other players at that position makes the Overland Park, Kansas product (a tight end as well in HS) a likely candidate for Watson's H-back position. Reed's blend of size and speed (plus the frame to easily add an additional 20 pounds) could make him a dangerous weapon in an offense that would constantly have him shifting before the snap.
Justin Rogers, CB
A stud prep tailback in Alabama's largest class of high schools, Rogers knows his potential lies on the defensive side of the ball. With great closing speed and very quick feet, he could develop into a good cover corner a couple of years down the road. Also, CB recruit David Whitmore is an intriguing prospect with great height (6'2") for the position, though after watching his film I think the 4-star rating was more based off of long term potential (which is why I'm making him a TUP recruit). I could see Whitmore getting some nickel-back opportunities in light of the fact we graduated a decent-sized group of secondary players (Grix, Jones, Bowman) this year.
Mason Wald, S
The dozen of you who regularly read my blog know that I'm already a big fan of this kid (a high school teammate of the aforementioned Rogers), so his addition to the TUP list probably comes as no surprise. Yes, I do have him as an immediate impact candidate as well, but I thought he should be a TUP guy because of the the fact he could get up to 220 and become a monster two or three years down the road.
Steven Osborne, WR
The lanky Texas wideout has the height but lacks one thing that makes him an elite prospect: that final breakaway gear. But that's something that the strength and conditioning guys at NU can help with, and aside from that, he looks like a good all-around player on film. He has sure hands, sets up his blocks well, has good vision, and is committed to good run-blocking (an absolute must). Could be a pretty good player a year from now.
Some other thoughts on the 2008 recruiting season.....
Blaine Gabbert has been mentioned in the same sentence as Josh Freeman quite a bit the past couple months, but there is a distinct difference between the two's reneged commitments to the Huskers. First off, let me say that I don't have any problem with either of them switching. They are kids, bound to change their minds about things. But when Freeman headed to K-State, he didn't start calling up other Husker commits and asking them to come with him. It has been said that Gabbert, on the other hand, didn't have any problem calling up guys like Compton and Dan Hoch to try and sway them to Mizzou. I understand that he's trying to help his future team, but dammit man, let them make their own decisions after talking with the coaches. His influence was said to have a big impact on the 4-star Hoch, a Harlan, Iowa product who many thought would stick with the Big Red. One recruiting-site contributor said that Gabbert should have gotten an award for the damage he did (and no, I can't link to anything or comment on it because it's a subscriber matter on one of the recruiting sites). And yes, part of this rant is because I really didn't want him to go to a team we have to play every damn year.
When it comes to Trevor Robinson's going to Notre Dame, I still can't understand it. He's going to play for a guy who is one losing season away from serious job insecurity, in addition to having to worry about super-douche Jimmy Clausen hitting on him all the time. I still don't understand the obsession with Notre Dame, an institution that hasn't been truly relevant in 20 years (I know, I know, we haven't been tearing it up lately either, but at least NU played in a title game just seven years ago). The only thing that would be an enticement is the degree you'd get. It certainly wouldn't be the junior high squad masquerading as the Fighting Irish.
Congrats to Alabama on getting the #1-rated class. It did wonders for our program three years ago!
A couple links before I sign off of here....
- Cool article over on ESPN.com about ISU's Jack Trice, who is still the only African American to have a D-I stadium named after him. I had no idea who Jack Trice was (and I went to ISU for a year), so this was an eye-opener for me.
-Reggie "3 yards-a-carry" Bush is scheduled to give a desposition regarding the alleged improper benefits he took during his career at USC. Finally, after years of denying any wrongdoing and continuously refusing to meet with investigators, Bush will finally have to answer for the benefits his family received during his Trojan tenure. I know it's wrong to assume guilt before it is a sure thing, but anybody who has read "Tarnished Heisman" or any of the Yahoo! sports reports that broke the story a couple of years ago knows that Bush will be hard pressed to prove his innocence.
Finally, I never really commented about the Super Bowl, but am I the only one who is really pissed off that the '72 Dolphins are still the only undefeated team? I can't stand these guys, and I was hoping that the Patriots would put an end to their reign as the only unblemished team. But noooo, instead we still will be talking about them any time a team gets to 7 or 8-0.
Anyways, instead of breaking down every guy, I just wanted to pass along my thoughts on a half-dozen or so of the players, the ones I am most excited about or who I think have, in the words of ESPN's Bill Simmons, "Tremendous Upside Potential" (TUP from here on out). Also, I'll pass along some assorted college football links that I thought were worthy of a read. Not that my opinion validates these articles, but still, if I like, them, they must be pretty f-in sweet, right? No? Damn. You'd think my status as a 3rd-string Husker blogger would get me some clout.
Annnnyways, on the recruits.
Most Likely Immediate Impact
Baker Steinkuhler, DT
Ok, I know that this guy is a bookend offensive tackle, our #1 recruit, and a bona-fide stud. But let's not forget that our defensive tackle position is about as deep as a kiddie pool. Add to that the fact that Pelini is a defensive-minded coach who has done some special things with tackles before (Glenn Dorsey, anyone?) and you have to think that they'll give the kid an early look on the d-line just out of necessity. If we weren't in such dire need, he probably would be slated for offense (and still might be), but I can't help but fantasize about having Steinkuhler and Suh completely negating opponent's inside running games.
Ricky Henry, OL
With two years of CC football under his belt, he has the seasoning to step in and bolster the Huskers' interior line (at least if he can keep his grades up, something he's struggled with in the past). That said, his 6'4", 300-lb frame is impressive and tailor-made for the G position.
Tyson Hetzer, TE
A good pass-catching JUCO tight end who should fit into Watson's offense well and can work the seams really well down the middle of the field. With the loss of both J.B. Phillips and Josh Mueller, this is a position that is relatively up for grabs with relative unknowns Mike McNeill (injured last year), Ryan Hill (true frosh), and Hunter Teafatiller (9 career catches) in the fold.
Will Compton, LB/Mason Wald, S
We don't yet know who will be redshirted, so this is a tough call, but I can see both of these guys getting on kickoff coverage this year (with Compton seeing some PT at backer). Pelini will play the best guys, regardless of age, so I wouldn't put it past him throwing these guys into the fire and hoping for some explosions.
Tremendous Upside Potential (TUP) Recruits
This is for the guys who have the potential to make a big impact down the road depending on how things pan out and them getting in the weight room. I borrowed the phrase from ESPN's Bill Simmons, who stole it from Jay Bilas. During the NBA draft, guys who don't have solid body of work to analyze (like 6'10" foreign small forwards nobody knows about) are often described as having "Tremendous Upside Potential", meaning they could completely suck, or be the next Dirk Nowitzki. So here are my nominees from this year's Husker signees.
Sean Fisher, LB
The 6'5", 210-lb linebacker out of Millard North has the kind of length and size that recruitnicks and coaches drool over. This is the type of kid you immediately recruit on your NCAA dynasty, knowing he will turn into a beast. With that height, he has the potential (there's that word again) to get up to the 250 range and be an absolute monster. Can you imagine in two years a linebacking crew composed of him, Compton, and a beefed-up Blake Lawrence? How much fun would that be? And how would any QB find a throwing lane with a couple 6'4"/6'5" guys on the outside? It's a tough call on how it will all pan out, because Pelini often uses shorter, quicker guys on the outside because of his constant blitz calls, but still, it's fun to daydream about the possibilities. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with Fisher, a home-state kid who turned down OU (among others) to stay with the Big Red.
Kyler Reed, ATH
While it's tempting to see the 6'3", 205-pound Reed at linebacker, the signing of four other players at that position makes the Overland Park, Kansas product (a tight end as well in HS) a likely candidate for Watson's H-back position. Reed's blend of size and speed (plus the frame to easily add an additional 20 pounds) could make him a dangerous weapon in an offense that would constantly have him shifting before the snap.
Justin Rogers, CB
A stud prep tailback in Alabama's largest class of high schools, Rogers knows his potential lies on the defensive side of the ball. With great closing speed and very quick feet, he could develop into a good cover corner a couple of years down the road. Also, CB recruit David Whitmore is an intriguing prospect with great height (6'2") for the position, though after watching his film I think the 4-star rating was more based off of long term potential (which is why I'm making him a TUP recruit). I could see Whitmore getting some nickel-back opportunities in light of the fact we graduated a decent-sized group of secondary players (Grix, Jones, Bowman) this year.
Mason Wald, S
The dozen of you who regularly read my blog know that I'm already a big fan of this kid (a high school teammate of the aforementioned Rogers), so his addition to the TUP list probably comes as no surprise. Yes, I do have him as an immediate impact candidate as well, but I thought he should be a TUP guy because of the the fact he could get up to 220 and become a monster two or three years down the road.
Steven Osborne, WR
The lanky Texas wideout has the height but lacks one thing that makes him an elite prospect: that final breakaway gear. But that's something that the strength and conditioning guys at NU can help with, and aside from that, he looks like a good all-around player on film. He has sure hands, sets up his blocks well, has good vision, and is committed to good run-blocking (an absolute must). Could be a pretty good player a year from now.
Some other thoughts on the 2008 recruiting season.....
Blaine Gabbert has been mentioned in the same sentence as Josh Freeman quite a bit the past couple months, but there is a distinct difference between the two's reneged commitments to the Huskers. First off, let me say that I don't have any problem with either of them switching. They are kids, bound to change their minds about things. But when Freeman headed to K-State, he didn't start calling up other Husker commits and asking them to come with him. It has been said that Gabbert, on the other hand, didn't have any problem calling up guys like Compton and Dan Hoch to try and sway them to Mizzou. I understand that he's trying to help his future team, but dammit man, let them make their own decisions after talking with the coaches. His influence was said to have a big impact on the 4-star Hoch, a Harlan, Iowa product who many thought would stick with the Big Red. One recruiting-site contributor said that Gabbert should have gotten an award for the damage he did (and no, I can't link to anything or comment on it because it's a subscriber matter on one of the recruiting sites). And yes, part of this rant is because I really didn't want him to go to a team we have to play every damn year.
When it comes to Trevor Robinson's going to Notre Dame, I still can't understand it. He's going to play for a guy who is one losing season away from serious job insecurity, in addition to having to worry about super-douche Jimmy Clausen hitting on him all the time. I still don't understand the obsession with Notre Dame, an institution that hasn't been truly relevant in 20 years (I know, I know, we haven't been tearing it up lately either, but at least NU played in a title game just seven years ago). The only thing that would be an enticement is the degree you'd get. It certainly wouldn't be the junior high squad masquerading as the Fighting Irish.
Congrats to Alabama on getting the #1-rated class. It did wonders for our program three years ago!
A couple links before I sign off of here....
- Cool article over on ESPN.com about ISU's Jack Trice, who is still the only African American to have a D-I stadium named after him. I had no idea who Jack Trice was (and I went to ISU for a year), so this was an eye-opener for me.
-Reggie "3 yards-a-carry" Bush is scheduled to give a desposition regarding the alleged improper benefits he took during his career at USC. Finally, after years of denying any wrongdoing and continuously refusing to meet with investigators, Bush will finally have to answer for the benefits his family received during his Trojan tenure. I know it's wrong to assume guilt before it is a sure thing, but anybody who has read "Tarnished Heisman" or any of the Yahoo! sports reports that broke the story a couple of years ago knows that Bush will be hard pressed to prove his innocence.
Finally, I never really commented about the Super Bowl, but am I the only one who is really pissed off that the '72 Dolphins are still the only undefeated team? I can't stand these guys, and I was hoping that the Patriots would put an end to their reign as the only unblemished team. But noooo, instead we still will be talking about them any time a team gets to 7 or 8-0.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
A Somber Hot Routes
At times like this, words seem so hallow, so pointless. Yesterday's tragic events at Virginia Tech have been well covered by all forms of media, so I'm not going to go into the specifics of the shootings. When something as shocking and horrifying as this occurs, the search for answers is ultimately pointless. I've always thought the search for answers is focused on too much, that instead of immediately asking questions, we should pause and remember the victims. 33 people who went to class yesterday never made it back to their dorm rooms. 33 families received a phone call that no parent should ever have to get. Already, debates are springing up about gun control laws, the influence of an increasingly violent society on it's youth, and other issues. The time spent engaged in these stupid arguments that solve nothing is time better spent praying for the victim's families and the Virginia Tech community. May the Lord be with them in this time of great loss and sorrow.A little article over by the OWH on freshmen QB Patrick Witt. I was watching the spring game, and while he didnt have a great stat line (in his defense, he was playing against the blackshirts), but he threw some very nice balls and seemed to have a good grasp of the offense already. This kid and Zac Lee will be giving Ganz a great competition for the starting job next year.
Steve Spurrier decided to make a little bit of a political statement by saying that the Confederate flag had no place at the South Carolina state house. This doesnt have much to do with football, but I'm glad to see that the Ol' Ballcoach is flapping his gums about something worthwhile for a change. Good for Spurrier, and good for the state. While I respect the pride that the South takes in those who lost their lives in the Civil War, it has to be recognized as a war that was fought in large part (not entirely, but in large part) to preserve the bonds of slavery. I'm a history major, so I could write about this at length. I'm not going to do that, but I thought the article was an interesting little blurb worth mentioning.
Tim Tebow opens his campaign as Florida's full-time starter with a great spring game. Much like their National Title game counterpart OSU, I think that Florida will be hard pressed to repeat last year's success after losing 15 starters. Obviously they have a stable full of playmakers down there ready to step in, but that's going to be a tough go in the rugged SEC.
If you have some spare time, I suggest you shoot over to Double Extra Point to see a nice statistical breakdown of the Blackshirts. I agree with the thought that our defense will be improved this year, and I could see us holding teams under the 300 yds/game threshold, with the exception of UT and USC, who hopefully we'll hold to 400 or less.
I failed to mention anything about the Kansas spring game in the Monday Morning Linebacker yesterday, but I thought the good game from Marcus Henry warranted mentioning. Even if it is against backup defensive backs, six catches for 150 and 3 TDs is good no matter what. That said, it won't matter if they don't get good quarterback play, which is an issue that, like the Huskers' situation, will be worked out in the fall. Currently Kerry Meier and Todd Reesing are locked in a competition for the starting job.
Before I sign off on today's hot routes, I wanted to ask anyone who reads this and has knowledge of Lincoln what they think are the best Husker bars in town. I'm planning on attending the USC game and possibly the Texas A&M game this year, and last time I came to Lincoln I wasn't 21 yet. So if you have any thoughts, feel free to let me know.
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