2023 Off Season Thread

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the rest of the team is arriving for the start of summer workouts

 

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MJ Sherman's sister

 

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Dude has excellent body control and good hands. I can see him making a living in the NFL as a possession receiver

 

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Shatel: Remember Tommy Armstrong Jr.? He still loves the game, now with the Omaha Beef

Remember, Nebraska? Armstrong doesn’t look a day over 2016. That was his last year as the Huskers quarterback. In the fall, he’s offensive coordinator for Lincoln North Star football but

omaha.com

 

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Steven Sipple: Elite 11 coach says Daniel Kaelin “truly one of the top pocket passers in the nation”; Jeff Sims draws comparison to Anthony Richardson; and more magazine chatter​

Steven Sipple • about 11 hours

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule and quarterback Jeff Sims (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

Things I know, and things I think I know:

Strong-armed Bellevue West quarterback Daniel Kaelin, who recently committed to become part of Nebraska’s class of 2024, likely won’t be languishing by the pool very often in coming months, if at all.

He has a busy and important summer ahead of him.

He’ll play a vital role in Nebraska’s ongoing recruiting efforts. All the while, he’ll fine-tune his skill set, his summer work highlighted by being a finalist in the prestigious Elite 11 national competition next month.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Kaelin is one of 20 finalists selected from nearly 400 quarterbacks who competed in one of eight Elite 11 regionals. Kaelin worked out earlier this spring in Ohio.

As a finalist, Kaelin now gears for competition June 14-16 in Los Angeles.

“I think when you go back and look at his tape from the fall, he’s got good ability and feel in the pocket,” says Elite 11 guru Brian Stumpf, director of operations for Student Sports, the company that founded Elite 11.

In fact, Stumpf says, Kaelin “is truly one of the top pocket passers in the nation this year, and his film shows that.”

Daniel Kaelin makes “those subtle moves” in pocket​

Kaelin this past season threw for 3,186 yards and 36 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions — including five in the first three games.

“He’s not a statue,” Stumpf notes. “He can move around and make those subtle moves (in the pocket). He also can deliver the ball anywhere on the field.

Great arm, strong arm and accurate. We’re excited about his upside as a passer at the next level.

“We think he’s one of the tops in the class when it comes to being able to distribute the ball and find open receivers and put it on the receivers.”

The fact Kaelin soon will be going through drills in Los Angeles with other top quarterbacks — yes, Dylan Raiola will be there — can only help overall development.

“We’ll name an Elite 11 at the end of it,” Stumpf says. “But really all these guys are super talented. There’s a ceremony with naming an 11 and an MVP and things like that.

“But really the goal is to lean in and pass on as much as we can in the time we have with the quarterbacks with a great coaching staff and college counselors.

We want to give those guys the best chance they can to prepare and hopefully be successful at the next level.”

Daniel Kaelin could seek wisdom from Jeff Sims​

If he chooses, Kaelin could seek wisdom from Jeff Sims about what to expect in Los Angeles. Sims, Nebraska’s projected starter in 2023, was an Elite 11 finalist in 2019 in the same class as C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, and Anthony Richardson.

Sims, who has two seasons of college eligibility remaining, soaked in coaching. He’s a “sponge,” Stumpf says.

A transfer from Georgia Tech, Sims also possesses a high level of athleticism — elite athleticism, Stumpf says.

“I think the closest comparison in that class, honestly, was Anthony Richardson,” says the Elite 11 guru, referring to the former Florida star who was the fourth overall pick in the last month’s NFL Draft.

“They were both really twitchy, springy, athletic,” Stumpf says. “They didn’t have a lot of quarterback experience as it relates to going to a ton of events.

Jeff had a private coach that he started working with during his high school career in Florida, but not a ton of quarterback reps. He wasn’t all over the 7-on-7 tournament (circuit).”

Sims stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 220 (Richardson is 6-4 and 245).

“Jeff wants to learn, and he wants to be great,” Stumpf says. “That’s the impression we got from him in high school. He wasn’t quite as polished as some of the other guys, like Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, and guys like that. But he had all the tools.

“When you’re around guys like that, you see super-high ceilings. It’s going to be exciting to watch and see what they can do with him this year in Lincoln.”

Sims’ strong arm and excellent speed make him the most-exciting player on Nebraska’s offense. His coaches this spring asked him to cut down turnovers and increase his completion percentage.

In three seasons at Georgia Tech, he completed 57.5 percent of his 633 passes for 30 touchdowns, with 23 interceptions.

This marks the 25th year of the Elite 11 competition.

Nebraska’s most recent Elite 11 finalist had been Patrick O’Brien in 2015.

Teaching QBs to “embrace their power of influence”​

Stumpf teaches quarterbacks something that never should be overlooked in the grand scheme.

“One of the things we’re most passionate about is helping these young men embrace the power of their influence,” he says. “Whether they like it or not, they play a position that commands respect from a lot of people in their high school and community.”

If you’re an adult, ask yourself if you remember the starting quarterback of your high school team. Then, ask yourself if you remember the mayor of your town during that period. Chances are you’ll remember the QB more than the mayor if you remember the mayor at all, Stumpf says.

In my time covering Nebraska football — full time since 1995 — Eric Crouch remains the best example of a quarterback who embraced the power of his influence.

I was sometimes astounded by his level of patience with fans and media.

Incredibly kind dude, to this day.

Lindy’s is best bet among preview magazines​

In case you were wondering, I just returned from the Barnes & Noble at 51st and O streets in Lincoln.

A clerk there told me Lindy’s 2023 College Football Preview is the most popular magazine choice in the store in the last couple days. It was the only college football magazine on the store’s rack over the weekend. Athlon should be there soon, among others.

I favor Lindy’s over all preseason magazines because Tom Dienhart handles the Big Ten. You know you’re going to get accurate information from Dienhart, formerly of the Sporting News. He now covers Purdoodoo football for On3.

At any rate, Nebraska is picked fifth by Lindy’s in the Big Ten West ahead of only Purdoodoo (sixth) and Northwestern. The top four: Wisconsin, Cockeye, Minnesota, and Illinois.

Michigan is picked to win the East ahead of Ohio State.

In Dienhart’s overview of the Huskers, he writes, “Nebraska’s ball-control offense should help limit exposure to a defense that needs time to season.

With so many changes, the Huskers – and their eager fans – might have to wait a couple years for Rhule to realize his full vision of what Nebraska should be, but 2023 should at least point the way.”

That’s a fair assessment.

Ernest Hausmann mentioned prominently by Lindy’s​

Don’t kill the messenger on this.

Lindy’s selects Michigan linebacker Ernest Hausmann as its “newcomer of the year” even though Hausmann isn’t technically a Big Ten newcomer considering he recorded 54 tackles for Nebraska last season.

Michigan comes to Lincoln on Sept. 30.

Malachi Coleman raves about QB Sims​

Sims clearly has made a lasing impression on incoming Nebraska freshman receiver Malachi Coleman.

“I don’t think we’ve had a physical freak like that at quarterback for a long time,” Coleman says.

Coleman, though, likes more than just Sims’ physical attributes.

“He’s smart. I love talking with him,” says Coleman, who also points to transfer receiver Billy Kemp as a veteran who’s been especially helpful as a mentor.

 

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