2017 Nebraska Cornhuskers Preview

  

OFFENSE


DeMornay Pierson-El
WR Nebraska
Photo/NFL.com

Nebraska seemed in a lull offensively in 2016, failing to establish an identity. Once conference play got going, the offense bogged down lacking any consistency. Part of that fell on the shoulders of Tommy Armstrong, who had his ups and downs. Additionally, the offensive line failed to live up to expectations. While Armstrong was a talented player, and great leader, he was not well equipped to run the offense Mike Riley and Danny Langsdorf seek to employ. Enter Tanner Lee, a transfer from Tulane who sat out last fall and won the starting quarterback job going away. Lee, an experienced and intelligent player, fits the scheme perfectly and seems primed for a breakout season. Patrick O'Brien is the backup. Tristian Gebbia, who is a future star, needs some weight but I sure do like what I see in him. Lee has some weapons to work with to be sure. Two returning starters return who should see dramatic increases in their production. Stanley Morgan, Jr is ready to challenge for All B1G honors, while Demornay Pierson-El, who appears back 100% healthy, is a game breaking talent. Coming off an redshirt is slot receiver JD Speilman, a perfect compliment to the control passing game Lee will be directing.  Additionally, Keyan Williams, Bryan Reimers and the speedy Connor Young will figure in. Freshman Tyjon Lindsey will figure prominently, and could be an impact player Nebraska has not had in some time.  Tyler Hoopes may net 35 catches at TE, a spot which figures to increase involvement in the offense in 2017. SO Matt Snyder may get time as well.  The running back position seems ripe for a committee, as for whatever reason, nobody has separated themselves. Each have distinctive talents, so this may not be a detriment. Devine Ozigbo is a tough runner between the tackles who catches the ball well out of the backfield. Tre Bryant is the closest to the Nebraska tailbacks of old, and Mikale Wilbon is a combination of both.  Each will play, until someone loses the opportunity. True freshman back Jaylin Bradley has flashed skills which may make in impossible to leave him off the field. Traditionally a pillar of strength, the offensive line at Nebraska has fallen off in recent seasons, and for the Big Red to get back to national prominence, the unit simply has to play better. The good news is the majority of the line returns in tact. Tackle Nick Gates, who played hurt much of 2016 but got abused in the Music City Bowl, must step things up. Gates was a top recruit, and he should be challenging for All B1G. Guards Tanner Farmer and Jerald Foster will be counted on to raise their game, both capable of conference mentions. Cole Conrad appears to have edged out Michael Decker at center, but both are worthy.  T David Knevel had a poor season in '16, and needs to pick it up. He could be pushed, perhaps by Branden Jaimis, a true freshman excelling on fall camp. Lee figures to release the ball quickly, so the line will have an opportunity to gain from that. Many of the skill components are new and unproven, but the foundation appears solid and there is a palpable level of excitement. We look for dramatic improvement offensively from Nebraska, with the 'Huskers showing effective balance. The line should improve, and the running game gaining from that and the effectiveness of the passing game. We expect Nebraska to far exceed the embarrassing 26.5 points per game average from 2016, rising up to 34 points per game.

DEFENSE

Joshua Kalu
DB Nebraska
Photo/Omaha.com

Under defensive coordinator Mark Banker, the Nebraska defense improved statistically from 2015, allowing 24 points per game. It should be noted 2014 was a defensive nightmare, but even with the statistical improvement, there was no fire within the unit. A unacceptable thrashing at Columbus has Ohio State at 62 (could have been 84) led to disasters at Iowa and in the bowl versus Tennessee. Riley, who had employed Banker for decades, let his personal friend go prior to the bowl. For Nebraska to reach the goals Riley and Husker Nation have for he Big Red, it had to happen. Bob Diaco, who was terminated as head man at UConn, come to Lincoln to take over as DC, a job he held at Notre Dame prior to heading to UConn. Diaco brings fire and intensity, and a highly regarded level of teaching, to the Blackshirts.  Most everyone who has a stake in the program has already come to place a high value on Diaco and his abilities. With Riley's blessing, Nebraska will switch to a 3-4. This move seems the right one, particularly looking at the personnel currently on the team. Attacking offenses with a solid line, fleet footed linebackers and a swarming secondary appears the correct defensive mindset. As always, it starts up front. Mick Stoltenberg has beefed up and will assume the nose tackle spot. Freshman Deontre Thomas has dazzled in fall camp and looks to get time.  Carlos Davis, who showed promise last fall, looks better in 2017 and will be at tackle, backed by brother Khalil Davis. Freedom Akinmoladun returns at DE, and his primary job will be to get to the quarterback, but he must improve on the paltry 4 sacks picked up in 2016. Daishon Neal and Peyton Newell will back up, along with Guy Thomas. Marcus Newby will take an outside linebacker spot, while Luke Gifford and Alex Davis will battle to the end for the other spot. Sedrick King will back up. Inside Dedrick Young will have a spot, while Chris Weber, who played well in '15 but got limited time (?) in '16, will anchor the middle. Mohammed Barry, Tyrin Ferguson and perhaps Avery Roberts will also see time. Chris Davis is an honors candidate at corner, but he tore a meniscus and will be out till at least October. Eric Lee will take over, while Lamar Jackson is at opposite corner with Jeremiah Stovall backing. Joshua Kalu, a very good player, will patrol at free safety with Aaron Williams taking strong safety. Keiron Williams and Antonio Reed are quality backups, with emerging DiCaprio Bootle playing nickel and Marquel Dismuke looking for time. This unit has potential to really be fun, and it would seem there would be significant improvement almost by default. We expect to get around 20 points per game, but down a FG from a year ago, which could be the difference in a few games, The unit appears to have room to grow, and could be down right salty as the year concludes.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Drew Brown
PK Nebraska
Photo/AP

Coming off an injury in '15, DeMornay Pierson-El was unable to capture the magic in 2016. However, he appears healthy and will start out returning punts. If healthy, Pierson-El could be among the tops in the nation, offering opportunities to flip fields and score big wins in hidden yardage. Tyjon Lindsey and Stanley Morgan appear set to handle kickoffs, with Tre Bryant perhaps joining in. Caleb Lightbourn was thrust into the starting job last year after the tragic death of Sam Foltz, having a fair to midland season averaging 39.7 per punt. Not great. But, we think with the year under his belt, improvement will follow. Drew Brown is very solid at placekicker, and could challenge for national if not conference honors.

INTANGIBLES

With a new DC and shifting schemes, there is the expected learning curve. However, the 3-4 seems to accentuate Nebraska's personnel. Same thing on offense, as Tanner Lee is the type of signal caller Riley and Langsdorf have sought after.  Both units figure to be more cohesive and improvement is expected from both. The question is how rapidly the team not only comes together around the new philosophy, but how quickly they can take it a new level. We expect the team to really get clicking as the season progresses, and a springboard for a potential strong 2018 can be set.

HONORS CANDIDATES

OT Nick Gates

Overall, this is a young football team, so there are not many players on the national radar for honors. CB Chris Jones was an All B1G player, but, if not redshirting, he is out about half the year with a knee injury. A healthy Nick Gates at OT has a chance of conference recognition. K Drew Brown and FS Joshua Kalu certainly should draw some national recognition. Demornay Pierson-El could get return honors, and Tyjon Lindsey may make some all freshman teams. Chris Weber is another that may get some all conference consideration.Of course, if the hype is real, Tanner Lee kay get some national love.

NEW ARRIVALS

Although Nebraska is probably a year away from really benefiting from a step up in recruiting efforts, the Big Red will find a lot of new faces securing plenty of playing time. This list starts with junior quarterback Tanner Lee, a Tulane transfer who firmly entrenched himself as signal caller, a perfect fit for the type of offense Mike Riley and Danny Langsdorf are aiming for. Redshirted players from 2016 who figure to make significant impacts are WR JD Speilman, OL Boe Wilson, LB Greg Simmons, S Dicaprio Bootle and CB Tony Butler. Incoming freshman are getting opportunities. LB Avery Roberts may will play a lot. DT Deontre Thomas is having a whale of fall camp. DE Guy Thomas may play, and RB Jaylin Bradley will likely play. Tyjon Lindsey will play a bunch, and could be a game breaking player for the Big Red. OT Brenden Jamis is looking to contribute on the line. Ben Miles may also play and has special team warrior skills.

FINAL ANALYSIS

There are so many variables coming into the season, thoughts about Nebraska's won loss record have been all over the map, from an 11-1 season all the way to a 4-8 year. One thing seems solid; given the numerous changes, from schemes to personnel, there is very little room for error, and certainly, injuries. On the negative side, the offensive line must improve, as they were ineffective on way too many occasion in 2016. The coaches can champion the running back committee theme, and that can be successful, but it sure would be good to have somebody step up and become a player that can challenge for conference honors. The defense is going to have to gel quickly, and limit the missed tackles that have plagued the unit in previous seasons. Additionally, a winning culture must be re-established. On occasions, it seemed members on the team in recent seasons were not all that bothered by losing, which is not how we do things in Nebraska. However, there is reason for optimism. At quarterback, Tanner Lee looks the part, and did nothing in the spring to curb the enthusiasm regarding his talents and the potential type of season he may have. The offensive line returns basically intact, so one would certainly improvement. The receiving core is talented, and might just light fire to the field.  A balanced offensive attack should keep opposing stop troops off balance. The 3-4 gives the 'Huskers a chance to better utilize their personnel. There are quality players at each level, and the opportunity to create more turnovers exists, which has been poor, particularly in conference, for the unit. The game at Oregon is big. The Ducks had all sorts of issues defensively in 2016, but now have Jim Leavitt as DC. Leavitt can flat coach, but can the unit get it in gear by game two? Doubtful. So, the game is winnable, and somehow we think Red gets it done. Nebraska would then be 5-0 when Wisconsin visits, another winnable game if the mental game is won.  Ohio State appears to have way too much going on for Nebraska, even in Lincoln. The Huskers finish with Northwestern at home, at Minnesota and Penn State, then home to Iowa. The Big Red should be getting better each week as a young team gain experience and familiarity of the new schemes advance. Nebraska could beat Oregon, lose to Ohio State, and win the rest of them. The 'Huskers could beat both Oregon and Wisconsin, but not likely. A loss to Ohio State, and more than likely at Penn State, seems probable. Although 8-4 is probably conventional wisdom, we will go with 9-3. If Nebraska beats Oregon and Wisconsin, then the West is in their control.

GAMEDAY GALLERY