Rank our top 5 OL

[Scoop123]

I used to spit out my top 5 OL....in order.... for 40 years of NU football. That was fun! Unfortunately I've faded in my knowledge and interest level. When Rhule kept Donnie as OL Coach, I lost a lot of interest in the OL (and for good reason).

Geep has given me some hope in the trenches. Who do you think are our top 5 OL this season? I know we got a few portal guys and I think I remember that 1-2 of them looked like potential starters.

1.
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4.
5.

 

[Kakdawg]

I used to spit out my top 5 OL....in order.... for 40 years of NU football. That was fun! Unfortunately I've faded in my knowledge and interest level. When Rhule kept Donnie as OL Coach, I lost a lot of interest in the OL (and for good reason).

Geep has given me some hope in the trenches. Who do you think are our top 5 OL this season? I know we got a few portal guys and I think I remember that 1-2 of them looked like potential starters.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Jeep has signed or got 7 OL (I think) in less than a year. That alone should tell you what he thought of Donnie's guys. Fwiw he's STILL trying to get at least another guy THIS year.

I think Pritchett and Justin are the only two likely returning starters. I think Mbenga, Black, and Tree from LSU, ISU and South Carolina are likely starters as well

Just a guess though...



Holla

 

[Pennsyhuskers]

I am just glad that many of our previous offensive tackles are gone. They were lacking in talent, and the ones that showed flashes of talent were constantly injured.

 

[Kakdawg]

I am just glad that many of our previous offensive tackles are gone. They were lacking in talent, and the ones that showed flashes of talent were constantly injured.

Yup this is true. Jeep seems to place a much higher value on athleticism and guys who can move . While Donnie seemed more concerned about size and measurables . I think they try and sign another OT this year also.

Tired of seeing edge guys just run around our OTs like turnstiles. Hopefully it looks better this year.



Holla

 

[redwine65]

hopefully they can block

 

[Nuts McClanahan]

I used to spit out my top 5 OL....in order.... for 40 years of NU football. That was fun! Unfortunately I've faded in my knowledge and interest level. When Rhule kept Donnie as OL Coach, I lost a lot of interest in the OL (and for good reason).

Geep has given me some hope in the trenches. Who do you think are our top 5 OL this season? I know we got a few portal guys and I think I remember that 1-2 of them looked like potential starters.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

I'm at a point right now where I don't really care who our top 5 linemen are. Just find five guys who can work together and be competitive against decent competition. I don't think we have a single guy who is a standout and they have to prove it on the field in Big 10 play before we should even learn their names and numbers. And I'm as guilty as most in that I've wasted time on here discussing guys, praising prospects and so on like it is the 80's or 90's where the Husker standard was what it was. If this was Iowa's board with last year's starting five likely to all have pro careers, it would be different.

 

[TDLaww2020]

I'm at a point right now where I don't really care who our top 5 linemen are. Just find five guys who can work together and be competitive against decent competition. I don't think we have a single guy who is a standout and they have to prove it on the field in Big 10 play before we should even learn their names and numbers. And I'm as guilty as most in that I've wasted time on here discussing guys, praising prospects and so on like it is the 80's or 90's where the Husker standard was what it was. If this was Iowa's board with last year's starting five likely to all have pro careers, it would be different.

Agreed, however Justin Evans has earned some considerable draft stock and did allow no sacks last season. IMO he's a standout player and has earned that recognition after last season.

Also learned he started his career here as a DT. The more ya know

 

[ADV88]

They have some guys that I was really excited to see develop and be contributors... Such as Brix, Sledge, Knutson, Gotulla, etc... Some of them guys they went in really hard for on recruiting... I'm NOT the expert here so correct me if I'm wrong but for OL it seemed like traditionally, lineman would come into their own somewhere in their So year and then really become good Jr/Sr year... Many of these guys are home grown dudes like we had in the past so I'm hoping Geep can restore the Pipeline with these fellas

 

[dinglefritz]

I am just glad that many of our previous offensive tackles are gone. They were lacking in talent, and the ones that showed flashes of talent were constantly injured.

We had one guy I won’t name who could barely make it to the huddle. Big sloppy gut. He may have been the best backup OT we had but he wasn’t very good. I don’t care if a O lineman carries some belly fat but damn you have to be able to move athletically.

 

[dinglefritz]

Yup this is true. Jeep seems to place a much higher value on athleticism and guys who can move . While Donnie seemed more concerned about size and measurables . I think they try and sign another OT this year also.

Tired of seeing edge guys just run around our OTs like turnstiles. Hopefully it looks better this year.



Holla

Preach brother.

 

[Kakdawg]

They have some guys that I was really excited to see develop and be contributors... Such as Brix, Sledge, Knutson, Gotulla, etc... Some of them guys they went in really hard for on recruiting... I'm NOT the expert here so correct me if I'm wrong but for OL it seemed like traditionally, lineman would come into their own somewhere in their So year and then really become good Jr/Sr year... Many of these guys are home grown dudes like we had in the past so I'm hoping Geep can restore the Pipeline with these fellas

I'm hoping Geep can play the best 5 no matter where they are from AND restore the pipeline as well. I'm not sure about any of these guys but Gotulla has played some and it's been a mixed bag. I think Donnie was high on Sledge. The others haven't heard much of anything at all about.

Again we haven't gotten 7 new OL in here in less than a year for no reason. Sometimes you gotta read between the lines.



Holla

 

[dinglefritz]

I'm hoping Geep can play the best 5 no matter where they are from AND restore the pipeline as well. I'm not sure about any of these guys but Gotulla has played some and it's been a mixed bag. I think Donnie was high on Sledge. The others haven't heard much of anything at all about.

Again we haven't gotten 7 new OL in here in less than a year for no reason. Sometimes you gotta read between the lines.



Holla

Gottula played through some injuries before they finally shut him down. I’m not giving up on him but I don’t think he’ll start out this fall as a starter. He can give us a very good depth piece at multiple spots if he’s not starting.

 

[PvilleHuskerTim]

I'm hoping Geep can play the best 5 no matter where they are from AND restore the pipeline as well. I'm not sure about any of these guys but Gotulla has played some and it's been a mixed bag. I think Donnie was high on Sledge. The others haven't heard much of anything at all about.

Again we haven't gotten 7 new OL in here in less than a year for no reason. Sometimes you gotta read between the lines.



Holla

Not disparaging anyone, or their opinions, but "the pipeline" is pretty much a pipe dream these days. At least the formula that produced The Pipeline in the 70s-80s-90s. Not to say we can’t have good to great OL.

The Pipeline was a system that was just as much about cohesiveness as it was athletic ability. What made our OL so darn good was that most of each recruiting class played and practiced as a complete unit. This created cohesion. Each lineman knew exactly what every other player was doing on every call that it became "natural". That took 2-3 years to develop. When a lineman had superior athletic talent and could grasp things quicker, they found the field as underclassmen (i.e. Will Shields). A cohesive unit could somewhat make up for pure athleticism. Having the best OL coaches in CFB pushed us over the top. Now, there is much more of a need for the athleticism. With the HS recruiting and transfer portal processes these days, it is more likely the better OLs have the best athletes. It won't be a surprise that this fall we will have some games where the cohesion "clicks" and the OL looks really good. And vice versa. There will be games where the OL doesn't mesh together as well. That is when Geep will earn his paycheck to be able to make in-game adjustments when necessary.

 

[inWV]

Jeep has signed or got 7 OL (I think) in less than a year. That alone should tell you what he thought of Donnie's guys. Fwiw he's STILL trying to get at least another guy THIS year.

I think Pritchett and Justin are the only two likely returning starters. I think Mbenga, Black, and Tree from LSU, ISU and South Carolina are likely starters as well

Just a guess though...



Holla

Very much looks like Evans will be the only non-portal guy in the starting five.

 

[TheRealPeliniTheCrutch]

Very much looks like Evans will be the only non-portal guy in the starting five.

Thanks again Don.

 

[Kakdawg]

Very much looks like Evans will be the only non-portal guy in the starting five.

Yup and after having an OL coach who has been here like 5 or 6 years that is sad...



Holla

 

[Scoop123]

They have some guys that I was really excited to see develop and be contributors... Such as Brix, Sledge, Knutson, Gotulla, etc... Some of them guys they went in really hard for on recruiting... I'm NOT the expert here so correct me if I'm wrong but for OL it seemed like traditionally, lineman would come into their own somewhere in their So year and then really become good Jr/Sr year... Many of these guys are home grown dudes like we had in the past so I'm hoping Geep can restore the Pipeline with these fellas

Good post. This is my #1 curiosity. For these quality recruits who haven't produced - is it too late? Can Geep turn some of these highly rated recruits around? It has driven ALL of us crazy watching so many 4-star OL who've been terrible or done very little here.

Like Kakdawg said, Geep brought in fresh blood for a reason. I just hope we aren't totally starting from scratch with transfers only. Shrug - maybe we are. But a guy like Brix and a few others.... Really? Great recruiting wins - I can only hope a few might spark with fresh leadership and direction.

 

[dinglefritz]

Yup and after having an OL coach who has been here like 5 or 6 years that is sad...



Holla

Rhule had preached competition. Geep is bringing it. Get your butt in gear or get passed over. It looked way too much to me like a seniority system these past few years on the O line. I still believe we recruited some talented kids the last couple of years but it’s time to prove it.

 

[Kakdawg]

Rhule had preached competition. Geep is bringing it. Get your butt in gear or get passed over. It looked way too much to me like a seniority system these past few years on the O line. I still believe we recruited some talented kids the last couple of years but it’s time to prove it.

I don't think they are near as talented as we thought they were/are. Or if they were the development wasn't even close to what it was needed to be. I'm one who actually defended Donnie so it's not hate. Imo we had waay too many highly rated guys coming outta HS that turned into JAG. I mean guys like Brix, Corcoran, Benhardt for example were all extremely highly rated guys. I guess we did finally get a average play from Bernhardt. But Corcoran was awful, Brix tbd but who knows. Teddy P(injuries I guess). What year is Taamu?

We either had the worse run of luck OR a lot of these guys weren't good OR our OL coach was a bad developer of talent.



Holla

 

[Nuts McClanahan]

Agreed, however Justin Evans has earned some considerable draft stock and did allow no sacks last season. IMO he's a standout player and has earned that recognition after last season.

Also learned he started his career here as a DT. The more ya know

You make a point. Now that I think about it, Justin Evans would be the closest thing we would have to having a guy worth talking about preseason.

 

[Nuts McClanahan]

Very much looks like Evans will be the only non-portal guy in the starting five.

And that is a sorry state of affairs. It's stupid for anyone to talk about the Nebraska brand and the tradition and high standard, and all of that rhetoric, and all the while we can't even develop our own offensive linemen.

 

[Nuts McClanahan]

Good post. This is my #1 curiosity. For these quality recruits who haven't produced - is it too late? Can Geep turn some of these highly rated recruits around? It has driven ALL of us crazy watching so many 4-star OL who've been terrible or done very little here.

Like Kakdawg said, Geep brought in fresh blood for a reason. I just hope we aren't totally starting from scratch with transfers only. Shrug - maybe we are. But a guy like Brix and a few others.... Really? Great recruiting wins - I can only hope a few might spark with fresh leadership and direction.

Those guys cannot be that terrible. Geep wants transfers to play, fine. But it's been this way for a while now at a lot of positions. Do very little effective talent development with them (apparently). Assume that the young talent you have is not worth a ****. Bring in transfers to actually play.

The thing that gets lost in all of this is that OUR PORTAL GUYS ARE AVERAGE AT BEST and they don't help us win. By and large, our portal kids with high pedigrees are in three categories- they are coming off a bad season, possibly losing a starting position at the school they are leaving or they were/are hurt and may no longer be as good as they used to be. Then they get all of the reps when they get here, play OK and don't get drafted. The studs who are the opposite of those things are going to Oregon, Ohio St, Ole Miss, etc. and getting drafted.

 

[ADV88]

We either had the worse run of luck OR a lot of these guys weren't good OR our OL coach was a bad developer of talent.

Sadly, All things can be true at the same time... Tells me once again just how good EJ really was and why the QBs are constantly running for their lives all the time... Remember all the talk about how last years OL with all the experience and seniority was going to be a strength of the team in 2025? yeah... I think all of us knew half way through game one they were in trouble...

 

[Truewooper]

I don't think they are near as talented as we thought they were/are. Or if they were the development wasn't even close to what it was needed to be. I'm one who actually defended Donnie so it's not hate. Imo we had waay too many highly rated guys coming outta HS that turned into JAG. I mean guys like Brix, Corcoran, Benhardt for example were all extremely highly rated guys. I guess we did finally get a average play from Bernhardt. But Corcoran was awful, Brix tbd but who knows. Teddy P(injuries I guess). What year is Taamu?

We either had the worse run of luck OR a lot of these guys weren't good OR our OL coach was a bad developer of talent.



Holla

I lean towards terrible coaching and development

 

[InMotion]

Sadly, All things can be true at the same time... Tells me once again just how good EJ really was and why the QBs are constantly running for their lives all the time... Remember all the talk about how last years OL with all the experience and seniority was going to be a strength of the team in 2025? yeah... I think all of us knew half way through game one they were in trouble...

Well, "they" are talking up the O-Line once again.. Best since Rhule has been here.. blah, blah, blah..
"Best O-Line" - That’s really not saying much. Slightly better than last year could be his best. I get it. But really? What are we supposed to believe?
To be honest. We are probably 2 injuries away from hearing excuses why the O-line did pan out again this year. You can't have back to back o-line coaches that sucked (Greg Austin and Uncle Donny) and think things will turn around in 1 year with a new coach.

 

[Kakdawg]

8

I lean towards terrible coaching and development

Very possible because some these guys were wanted by some really good teams. I think a lot of what we are seeing now is also scheme based with Geep. If you can't "move" your gonna have a hard time in his schemes. I truly think that's why he loves those 2 kids from Grayson. The center albeit not as highly ranked can really really get on the move and do damage. Same with the OT. Jenkins reminds me of the same type of guy.

Holla

 

[Truewooper]

8


Very possible because some these guys were wanted by some really good teams. I think a lot of what we are seeing now is also scheme based with Geep. If you can't "move" your gonna have a hard time in his schemes. I truly think that's why he loves those 2 kids from Grayson. The center albeit not as highly ranked can really really get on the move and do damage. Same with the OT. Jenkins reminds me of the same type of guy.

Holla

Wade is the first OL coach in awhile that I get why he was hired. GT was able to move LSU and Clemson around.

As we've learned from our history and Iowa's. You can develop that position nicely to be nasty.

 

[dinglefritz]

I don't think they are near as talented as we thought they were/are. Or if they were the development wasn't even close to what it was needed to be. I'm one who actually defended Donnie so it's not hate. Imo we had waay too many highly rated guys coming outta HS that turned into JAG. I mean guys like Brix, Corcoran, Benhardt for example were all extremely highly rated guys. I guess we did finally get a average play from Bernhardt. But Corcoran was awful, Brix tbd but who knows. Teddy P(injuries I guess). What year is Taamu?

We either had the worse run of luck OR a lot of these guys weren't good OR our OL coach was a bad developer of talent.



Holla

My view is that we can’t say Donnie was a bad coach and then in the same breath say that Geep can’t make guys better. I’m not sure the one transfer from SC? will be better than a guy like Gottula or Brix. Time will tell. We brought in some guys who have played a lot. Maybe not all of them are a talent upgrade over a couple of the guys Donnie had.