O-line next year

cmblizz96

Redshirt
Jun 19, 2001
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With the loss of Foster and especially Farmer at Center, do we take a step back at least initially with line play? Hopefully the new guys can catch on fast.
 

BHeinDaHuskers

All-American
Oct 12, 2004
27,311
8,674
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great question. There will be some Juco's here to help but will they gel early in the season? Don't know. Many Husker fans think we will be great next year. I will be happy with 7-8 wins. We got lots of work to do. But in 2019, that will be a really good year. REAL GOOD
 
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Headcard

Heisman
Feb 2, 2005
192,508
20,877
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We will be fine. The three sophomores are playing great and Austin is a heck of a coach. The JUCO Bland will take one of the interior spots and we have options for the other. A guy currently at backup like Raridon. Benhart or a JUCO at OT and moving Farniok inside. We will be good.
 

o_Hit

Heisman
Oct 3, 2004
249,218
15,452
113
I think our OL will be even better next year. If Bland is as good as Nate says he is, he will be able to step right in to replace Foster or Farmer.
 
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Huskerwisdom

Senior
Jun 26, 2001
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We will be fine. The three sophomores are playing great and Austin is a heck of a coach. The JUCO Bland will take one of the interior spots and we have options for the other. A guy currently at backup like Raridon. Benhart or a JUCO at OT and moving Farniok inside. We will be good.

I actually think we will be better next year.

Farmer will be the hardest to replace, but I think we have some options on that.

Foster is a loss, but I don't think he's as well suited for this offense as in some other systems. His footspeed limits what we can do for pulling him and moving him around.

Wilson and Hixson both have played well, and Raridon (despite the extra weight he has was good in his time). I think the 3 will be guys who can step up and we'll have Bland to take one of the spots also

Sort of disagree on Farniok going inside. I don't know that his footspeed is quick enough to do what we want at OG. It can hide his limitations, but it doesn't allow us to pull as much from there, IMO. We'll see how he looks after another year of S&C and after having been in the system a year, though.

More than anything, though, Austin and Frost need a unit that has the time and coaching to play together as a unit. As we get more snaps to more people, we'll see more depth develop also.

I think we'll be better, and I think the spring competition will be incredibly tough on the OL. Maybe only Jaimes is assured of a job.
 

SPbObRT

Junior
Mar 7, 2008
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Foster is terrible he won't be missed at all. we are improving each week and I feel we will be ok up front, it's our D line that needs to step up to take some pressure off of the backers.
 

spinner4_rivals42045

All-Conference
Jan 29, 2003
6,139
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Foster is terrible he won't be missed at all. we are improving each week and I feel we will be ok up front, it's our D line that needs to step up to take some pressure off of the backers.

Foster’s leadership will be missed. Don’t underestimate that or fool yourself that he’s not going to be missed.

These seniors that are left, god love them. May be a disappointing year record wise but in 30 years someone will tell the story of how these seniors were the unsung hero’s of the program and how they were the ones to help right the ship back during this storm
 
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Headcard

Heisman
Feb 2, 2005
192,508
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Foster is terrible he won't be missed at all. we are improving each week and I feel we will be ok up front, it's our D line that needs to step up to take some pressure off of the backers.
The DL needs to get bigger and stronger. We have some athleticism, but we are woefully under matched physically. Carlos Davis at NT, for instance, is probably 30lbs smaller than ideal.
 
May 29, 2001
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We return 3 of 5. Bland for Foster. Chunky Raridon backing up on the interior. Center tbd (possibly Cam J). I think they’ll be better right out of the gate.
Replacing Foster will yield better results. Never saw a guard throw so many ole' blocks.
 

HUSKERFAN66

All-Conference
Dec 8, 2004
21,232
3,575
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Foster as a captain will be a loss. Seems like a good guy. But athletically he's not going to be that much of a loss. For a senior with substantial playing time, he gets beat as much if not more than any of the other linemen. Upper classmen are hard to replace but I'm confident we'll be fine
 

Huskerwisdom

Senior
Jun 26, 2001
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655
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The DL needs to get bigger and stronger. We have some athleticism, but we are woefully under matched physically. Carlos Davis at NT, for instance, is probably 30lbs smaller than ideal.

you can play there at that weight, but you need to be more athletic than he is. Daniels is the future there, though, I think.
 

Shimmer003

All-Conference
Feb 25, 2005
10,027
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The DL needs to get bigger and stronger. We have some athleticism, but we are woefully under matched physically. Carlos Davis at NT, for instance, is probably 30lbs smaller than ideal.

Another off season of required strength and conditioning will be huge. I think Damien Daniels could be a load next year. I’m not ready to give up on our interior linemen. We have guys with lots of potential that have never been required to work in the offseason and gotten consistent coaching in one scheme. Not saying we are going to trot out a top 3 unit in the big 10 but that can’t be the expectation at this point.
 

spinner4_rivals42045

All-Conference
Jan 29, 2003
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We return 3 of 5. Bland for Foster. Chunky Raridon backing up on the interior. Center tbd (possibly Cam J). I think they’ll be better right out of the gate.

Cam J is probably the guy the staff has pencilled in at center for 2019, as far as best case scenario goes. Austin’s a hell of a coach & when he talks about Cam @ Center, his face lights up more than you’ve ever seen. Yes Cam comes in a tad little & yes he is injury prone. But I believe ZD can do wonders with kids and 270 isn’t exactly skinny.

Cam is not as small as Wiskys David Edward was, who was also recruited as a TE but the badgers transformed him into a lineman after his RS FR year. He played as a RS freshman at tackle after coming in @ like 230.

And it should be easier to add good weight to Cam vs having Raridon to lose the bad weight. Maybe not. And as far as CJ being injuring prone, I don’t think you can plan for injuries. Again, best case scenario, most talented O-Line, Cam J is the starting center
 

o_Hit

Heisman
Oct 3, 2004
249,218
15,452
113
The DL needs to get bigger and stronger. We have some athleticism, but we are woefully under matched physically. Carlos Davis at NT, for instance, is probably 30lbs smaller than ideal.

We have a juco for that.
 
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SoFL Husker

All-Conference
Sep 16, 2017
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Yes, if Jurgens is the "real deal" at center and Bland can plug in quickly at the guard spot.

Leaves the 3 legacy guys plus 2 new pieces.

I have a lot of faith in Austin too. I think he's a real good coach, exhibited by the VAST improvement in play this year. We were pushing tOSU around at times yesterday, when the hell was the last time we did that to a Top 10 team???
 

SoFL Husker

All-Conference
Sep 16, 2017
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Yep. Hopefully between Daniels spending another year in S&C and bringing in Fair, we can address that spot.

Many of the Senior DL are pretty much tapped out athletically.

I hope Neal has another big off-season, and can nail down a DE spot. He's a big kid.

Daniels too, he has room to mature, but the Jrs. are about as good as they can be right now.