What will the 2011 Huskers look like on defense and special teams?

by Cheeseandcorn on Jan 7, 2011 8:33 AM CST

Everybody's trying to get the taste of the 2010 season out of their mouths, and the easiest way to do that (since not thinking about football at all is obviously out of the question) is to start looking ahead to 2011. I thought I'd take a stab at breaking down what Nebraska's two-deep might look like next year, so we have a starting point when we talk about how Nebraska might stack up in their first season in the Big Televenelve.

So here's the defense and special teams, and I'll put together the offense sometime later, when I get my lazy butt around to it. The years are next year's classes, but the stats are this year's, and the awards are cumulative.

Defensive line:
Left DE: Cameron Meredith, Jr., 14 Games, 14 Games Started, 64 tackles, 8 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 pass defended, 2nd Team All-Big 12
Jason Ankrah, So., 10 G, 0 GS, 2 tackles

DT: Baker Steinkuhler, Jr., 13 G, 13 GS, 46 tackles, 4 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 2 PD, Honorable Mention All-Big 12
Terrence Moore, Sr., 13 G, 1 GS, 16 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 PD

DT: Jared Crick, Sr., 14 G, 14 GS, 70 tackles, 17 TFL, 9.5 sacks, 2 PD, 1 forced fumble, 2nd Team All-American, two-time 1st Team All-Big 12
Thaddeus Randle, So., 12 G, 0 GS, 7 tackles

Right DE: Josh Williams, Jr., 13 G, 0 GS, 12 tackles, 1 FF
Eric Martin, Jr., 13 G, 2 GS, 26 tackles

Also in the mix: Walker Ashburn, DE, RFr., Tobi Okuyemi, DE, RFr., Donovan Vestal, DE, RFr., Jay Guy, DT, RFr., Chase Rome, DT, RFr.

Gone: Pierre Allen

Comments: If Crick comes back, this unit should be a real strength of the defense. Martin could very well start on the right side once he learns the position. Of the redshirt freshmen, I expect Rome to have the best chance of playing, as he's the only one I've heard coaches talk about.

Linebackers:
WILL: Lavonte David, Sr., 14 G, 14 GS, 152 tackles, 15 TFL, 6 sacks, 10 PD, 2nd Team All-American, 1st Team All-Big 12, Big 12 Newcomer of the Year
Sean Fisher, So., injured 2010

MIKE: Will Compton, Jr., 9 G, 4 GS, 15 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack
Alonzo Whaley, Jr., 9 G, 1 GS, 9 tackles, 1 TFL

Also in the mix: Mathew May, Sr., Trevor Roach, RFr.

Comments: I'm not really sure what the heck to do with Fisher. (I assume 2010 was his redshirt year, so he'll still be a sophomore.) His position, SAM linebacker, kind of got eliminated this year, and his backup at WILL turned into an All-American. I assume he'll get his snaps giving David and Compton breathers. Look for Roach to see the field next year - Ekeler loved the guy. (Also: Weren't David's stats insane this year?)

Secondary:
Nickel: P.J. Smith, Jr., 14 G, 3 GS, 38 tackles, 3 INT, 1 PD
Andrew Green, So.

Left CB: Ciante Evans, So., 8 G, 1 GS, 9 tackles, 2 PD
Dijon Washington, So.

Right CB: Alfonzo Dennard, Sr., 13 G, 13 GS, 30 tackles, 4 INT, 7 PD, 1 FF, 2nd Team All-Big 12
Antonio Bell, Jr.

Strong Safety: Courtney Osborne, Jr., 14 G, 4 GS, 41 tackles, 5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 INT
Corey Cooper, RFr.

Free Safety: Austin Cassidy, Sr., 14 G, 7 GS, 48 tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF
Lance Thorell, Sr.

Also in the mix: Anthony Blue, CB, Sr., Lazarri Middleton, CB, So., Josh Mitchell, CB, RFr., Charles Jackson, CB, Fr., Harvey Jackson, S, RFr.

Gone: Eric Hagg, Dejon Gomes, Rickey Thenarse, Anthony West

Comments: I'm really just throwing crap up against the wall in slotting the backups for all these positions - there's so many young guys who we've heard might be really talented but have never actually seen on the field. I'm not exactly sure who will fill Gomes and Hagg's strong safety and nickel/peso spots, but I threw Osborne and Smith up there because they seem to round out the five best DBs we have right now. I'm almost positive Cooper will get on the field - he was a highly touted recruit, the coaches have raved about him as a scout-teamer, and we seem a bit thin at safety.

This unit will be losing a lot - Hagg and Gomes really were a big part of what made the defense so good this year. I suspect next year for the secondary will go a lot like 2010 did for the D-line: They'll be solid, but after being so otherworldly the year before, it'll still seem like a disappointment.

Special teams:
Kicker: Jason Dann, RFr.

Punter: Brett Maher, Jr.
Jon Damkroger, Sr.

Kickoff Returner: Tim Marlowe, Jr., 13 KR, 285 yds.
Brandon Kinnie, Sr., 6 KR, 142 yds.

Punt Returner: Rex Burkhead, Jr., 5 PR, 26 yds.
Tim Marlowe, Jr., 3 PR, 16 yds.

Gone: Alex Henery, Adi Kunalic, Niles Paul

Comments: Um, crap. With Niklas Sade decommitting, Nebraska is left with a walk-on redshirt freshman at kicker. Well, good luck, Jason. Punter seems a bit less shaky, as Maher averaged 41.2 yards per kick his senior year at Kearney High, and has 2 years' experience as Henery's holder, so I guess that counts for something. The return game will miss Paul's explosiveness, but gain a bit more surehandedness with him gone.

So what do you make of this? Encouraged? Discouraged? Where do you see holes and strengths? Who do you expect to break through with a big year?

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Comments

In regards to linebackers

I don’t really think we’ll see as much of the “peso” scheme next season because that was developed with the intent of stopping spread offenses (as far as I understand), and the Big 10 has more power running teams. That means we might need more linebackers out on the field to plug the gaps. Pelini seems to be really good at utilizing his strengths on defense, and Sean Fisher, Will Compton, and Lavonte David are all “strengths” so I’d be very surprised to see two of those three on the sidelines at any point. Maybe he’ll move one of them into a hybrid safety/linebacker position to help fill Eric Haag’s role.

by Billgrip on Jan 7, 2011 9:22 AM CST reply actions

I agree, Bill.

I thought about doing the depth chart based on a more standard 4-3 scheme because I think that’s closer to what we’ll be running next year, but I thought it’d be simplest to just base it on our depth chart from this year.

The move away from the peso seems to make sense not only from a scheme standpoint, but also from a talent standpoint: If Fisher, Compton, and David all come in healthy, that’s three linebackers with a year of starting experience, while whoever would be the peso back (Smith, Osborne, maybe Cassidy) would have half a year starting at most. On defense at least, I trust Bo to make the personnel/scheme move that makes the most sense, and that seems to be getting more LBs on the field next year.

by Cheeseandcorn on Jan 7, 2011 9:41 AM CST up reply actions

Just my opinion

But I believe we can run the Peso just fine the Big 10. Of course, we couldn’t have a Dejon Gomes-like player playing Linebacker, but having Compton and David at backer and Smith or Cassidy at the Nickel position would have the best players on the field in my opinion. Sorry, but Fisher hasn’t really impressed me yet. And none of the three (David, Compton, Fisher) could cover slot receivers half as good as Hagg, or near as good as Smith or Cassidy. Of course, this does not mean that for certain teams (Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan St.) we couldn’t use a quick personnel change and put in Fisher or Whaley for a power run defense.

I would like to point out that Ohio State does use a defense (personnel wise) to ours. Next year you’ll all see Tyler Moeller in the “Peso” position, and I believe Jermale Hines played it this year. Just thought I’d mention this to for the case of the Peso being effective in the Big 10.

by kylesibert on Jan 19, 2011 8:33 AM CST up reply actions

Also in regards to linebackers

David, specifically. While he was the surprise of the season, and arguably the most dominant player on the defensive unit, he may be undersized for linebacker going into the B1G. I am curious to see if Bo plans on having him bulk up to continue is dominance as a linebacker, or if he will move him to safety in order to utilize his current size and speed.

Any thoughts?

by GBR918 on Jan 7, 2011 10:56 AM CST reply actions

I like David as a linebacker

Yeah he’s a little bit undersized, but that didn’t seem to effect him this season….I mean look at the game against Kansas State. Daniel Thomas is a big powerful RB, and David was all over him and had a couple of pretty vicious hits on him. All I’m saying is that Lavonte David doesn’t care if you’re 7 foot 5, 400 pounds, if you’ve got the ball in your hands he’s coming after you and he’s gonna pop you. We saw it all season long. He plays bigger than he is, and I think he’ll be fine in the Big 10.

by Billgrip on Jan 7, 2011 11:01 AM CST up reply actions

Yeah, I think he'll be fine.

But I could see him taking over a peso-esque role next year, kind of like Bill mentioned earlier. I’m probably more of the “Why mess with a good thing” philosophy, though.

by Cheeseandcorn on Jan 7, 2011 11:03 AM CST up reply actions

I tend to agree with that philosophy.

by GBR918 on Jan 7, 2011 11:29 AM CST up reply actions

I would

like to see a lights out returner on punts and kickoffs. Burkhead is good but doesn’t seem to ever get loose. Paul was great at times and at other times not so great (fumblidous). We need a home run hitter at those positions to help get some short fields for an offense that frankly can’t move the ball against a good defense. I think our offense will struggle again in conference play. The year will be different but our offensive make up is the same and expecting a different result with the same parts is unreasonalbe and not likely to happen. As for the the defense I am concerned with our run defense. Even with Crick and Steinkuler in there last season at times we got run over, plain and simple. Now with us in the Big Ten we are going to see teams truly commited to the run, like Wisconsin. If the d-line doesn’t get pushed around we will be alright but if they do get pushed around, like they did at times this year, we will struggle mightly against the run. And the wildcard is the kicker, you just never know what to expect with a new one.

by Huzkerfan on Jan 7, 2011 10:56 AM CST reply actions

Is he fast enough for safety?

by Huzkerfan on Jan 7, 2011 10:58 AM CST reply actions

Assuming David?

I don’t think he could play a true safety but if we were to scheme a 1 deep safety with David playing a hybrid role that could be nice.

by Conspiracy* on Jan 8, 2011 3:34 PM CST up reply actions

I'm excited about the D-line

I think next season the Steinkuhler/Crick combination is going to be similar to the Suh/Crick combination. One of them is going to have a nice year and will draw all the double teams, and the other will benefit because of that. Also, Cameron Meridith is pretty beastly.

by Billgrip on Jan 7, 2011 11:04 AM CST reply actions

Fisher; Still a SO?

Did he get a medical redshirt last year? Didn’t compton, may, and fisher all come in as freshmen together?

by Conspiracy* on Jan 8, 2011 3:39 PM CST reply actions

I put as a sophomore

Because I’m assuming he got his medical redshirt this year. Shouldn’t be hard to qualify – he didn’t play a single snap in 2010 after starting all of 2009.

by Cheeseandcorn on Jan 9, 2011 2:40 PM CST up reply actions