What the Huskers Need on Signing Day

Soon, the Nebraska staff will be introducing a list of players who have signed their Letter of Intent to play for the Huskers next year. During the weeks after Bo Pelini was hired, he evaluated the needs at each position for next year. The best Seniors invited to NFL combines include Carl Nicks, Zack Bowman, Sam Keller, Mo Purify, and Steve Octavien. These guys were seen as the leaders of the team. In addition to filling spots up with bodies, new leadership must be found.

 

 

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Looking at defense, a few gaps pop up. Seven Defensive Backfield players with extensive on-field time are gone. Not only is Bowman gone, but so is Grixby, Jones, Wilson, and Green. We have four potentially solid DB starters, but we may have to wait for a younger player to fill out the lineup as well as nickel and dime package players. With injuries always a concern, you can never be too deep.

At Linebacker, I can’t wait to see what this squad will do. I thought we had plenty of experience last year to put our LB’s at the top of the Big 12 list, but we disappointed. If we have passionate “run through a brick wall” type guys, I don’t expect the same disappointment. We don’t guys with as much on field time, but we have some young men who were highly touted recruits.

I’m not concerned about our front four this year. They could be a major strength for our run-stopping. Plenty of returning players who had flashes of athleticism seen in Vanden Bosch, Chris Kelsay, Jay Moore, or Adam Carriker.

On Offense, we lose three wide receivers who were a major part of our production last year. Petersen, Paul, and Swift are still on the roster, so we hope that they step into the roles left by Purify, Nunn, and Hardy. Beyond that, WR is one of those positions that you can never have enough players. We seem to have the same thing going on in the running back area, but after next year, we will lose three experienced players. 2008 should be fine in the backfield; Proven quarterback and proven running backs lead to plentiful offensive numbers.

Two areas of concern for me are the specialized guys on the offensive line. We only have one center listed right now, but that could be taken care of by moving a long snapper into a backup role. Our tight end with the funny name, Hunter Teafatiller, should see significant playing time. He showed some excellent abilities last year, but is the only “household name” TE.

Answers to our biggest areas of need are coming soon. Walk ons and scholarship players will be filling the gaps that Pelini has found. As for leadership, I envision the following players taking obvious leadership roles: Joe Ganz, Marlon Lucky, and Lyndon Murtha (at 6′7″, he fills pretty big shoes). Ty Steinkuhler is the only name that really jumps out at me on Defense, so someone will have to step up to the plate. We should know by the Spring Game who the players will rally around.