2024 Winter Conditioning

[nja13]

Apparently, that was just the results of one heat.
Here are the final results:


Still Nebraska 1-2-3, but not all our football players.

 

[SoCal_Corn]

How ready is Dylan Raiola to lead Nebraska’s offense? QB1 is his job to lose

By Mitch Sherman
Feb 16, 2024


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LINCOLN, Neb. — The weekend ahead kicks off the busiest time on the Nebraska sports calendar.


The men’s and women’s basketball teams continue their bids to play in the NCAA Tournament. Coach Fred Hoiberg’s squad is at home Saturday against Penn State. The women play at Purdue after mixed results in the past week against top-five foes Cockeye (82-79 win) and Ohio State (80-47 loss).
The Nebraska baseball season begins Friday in Arlington, Texas. The Huskers will face old Big 12 rivals Baylor, Texas Tech and Oklahoma at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown. Nebraska softball heads to Las Cruces, N.M. for five games in the wake of massive disappointment as superstar pitcher Jordy Bahl announced she will miss the 2024 season because of a knee injury suffered in last week’s season opener.

And the Nebraska football mat drills continue.

The time has arrived for a mailbag. Thanks for all the questions.

Note: Submitted questions have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Someone needs to explain for all of us what NIL is if not a “recruiting inducement.” How can it work? Money is changing hands, but I don’t see enough promotion to show that the athletes are doing something to earn it. It’s my opinion that we need college football, not minor-league NFL. Please help. — Michael E.

Michael, I feel your disillusionment. The NIL landscape has not unfolded as the creators of the concept envisioned. It is mayhem, often unregulated until the NCAA steps in and declares that it wants to regulate a case, as we’ve seen the organization attempt to launch investigations at Florida State, Florida and Tennessee.
Court battles loom. The Tennessee situation grew particularly contentious after athletic director Danny White said the quiet part out loud — that “100 percent of the major programs in college athletics have (committed) significant violations” if the NCAA intends to enforce outdated bylaws.
Much of the conversation that occurs between donor-funded collectives and prospects could be classified as recruiting inducements. Some school-collective operations are more savvy than others about making the process appear within the guidelines. But the college programs and their partners aren’t in control of information amid the rogue world of agents and player representatives.
Unless the NCAA comes after every program that steps over the arbitrary line, its cases against a few appear to discriminate. The solution involves a new set of rules or perhaps a reshaped system with an independent governing agency that oversees athletes as employees.
Regardless, the system in place is not sustainable.


Matt Rhule said he would have preferred to get another QB from the portal. Obviously, the job is Dylan Raiola’s to lose. But do you know why Casey Thompson came back to campus in January, only to take a backup job at Oklahoma? Seems like he would have been the perfect fit here as well. — Grant G.

Rhule did not say he would have preferred to get another quarterback from the transfer portal this winter. He said he’d prefer to enter next season with four who give the Huskers a chance to win. Maybe the fourth is Luke Longval, a sophomore walk-on who did not play in 2023. Maybe it’s an addition from the portal after spring practice.
The second-year coach also said he’s OK with three QBs splitting the majority of reps in practice this spring. Raiola, fellow true freshman Daniel Kaelin and junior Heinrich Haarberg need reps. They deserve a chance to show who’s best positioned to start in the fall.
Here’s what I can say before spring about the likelihood of Raiola as the starter in Week 1: if he’s not, something went wrong. The same can’t be said for Haarberg and Kaelin.
His ranking as a recruit and accolades in high school don’t matter in the QB competition. Raiola’s talent does, though. I expect it will provide him with an undeniable edge by the end of April. But nothing is obvious today.
As for Thompson, if he was a perfect fit at Nebraska to return, he’d have come back. The Huskers could have pursued him. They had the benefit of knowing Thompson from his 2022-23 stint at Nebraska. Something didn’t fit.


Raiola seems to be the guy. That being said, what are the odds Daniel Kaelin leaves with a better career? He seems to possess the intangibles needed, and he did win the accuracy challenge at the Elite 11 finals. — Thomas K.

Successful quarterbacks transfer during their college careers at a rate higher than players at any other position.
So it’s ill-conceived to dismiss the possibility that Kaelin could emerge as more impactful in Lincoln. Injuries also factor in. Kaelin’s skill set is strong. The prospect he beat to win the accuracy challenge in June was Julian Sayin, the five-star Alabama signee-turned-Ohio State QB. Sure, Kaelin could develop under QBs coach Glenn Thomas and out-perform Raiola.
But I’m not placing favorable odds on that scenario. Raiola understands Nebraska is a work in progress. Patience is required. And still, he’ll receive an opportunity to achieve success right away. The Huskers are working to put pieces around him, like wide receiver transfers Jahmal Banks and Isaiah Neyor, to showcase Raiola’s strength: his cannon of a right arm.


What are the chances Nebraska lets Raiola develop over the first two to three weeks of the season? — Hunter D.

Ease him in against UTEP and Colorado (and maybe Northern Cockeye) before Nebraska opens Big Ten play against Illinois? I don’t see it. But I’m saying this in February before the quarterbacks work through 15 practices in the spring and before Rhule makes a call on peering into the transfer portal ahead of the summer.
The time for Raiola to get acclimated is now. This is the benefit of graduating high school in December. All of the new student experiences are handled long before the countdown to Aug. 31 gets underway. Thomas said this week the extra five months on campus for early enrollees provides a “huge advantage” over the freshmen who arrive in May.
I won’t completely discard the idea, though. NFL rookies have had success in a similar format, learning from veteran QBs who know their time is short and that their jobs are to mentor.
The difference at Nebraska? That veteran isn’t on the roster. Haarberg has goals for the rest of his career. If he’s not the quarterback of the future, asking him to serve as a stand-in to ease the Raiola transition seems like a lot.


Tony White might be in his last season as the Huskers’ defensive coordinator. Is there anybody on the current staff who’s a candidate to elevate? Rhule seems tied to the 3-3-5, so might that limit who he would pursue? Is it worth keeping an eye on Phil Snow? — Brian J.

White was up for several jobs during this coaching cycle. Rhule stumped for him when the Syracuse and San Diego State spots opened in December, and the head coach said he talked with UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond on White’s behalf this month. UCLA selected another ex-Bruin, DeShaun Foster, this week over White and other candidates.
If this second year is the last for White in Lincoln, that’s great for Nebraska. It will mean the Huskers who played for him helped land White a head-coaching job and that Rhule’s unabashed advocacy paid off.
Nebraska would be better for it in the long run and well-positioned to attract coaching candidates. And Rhule still might make an internal hire. When a coach or staffer leaves Nebraska, Rhule first looks inside the building for a replacement.
I do believe Rhule would like to stick with the 3-3-5. It heightens the challenge for opponents in preparation and creates havoc with interchangeable personnel.
Rob Dvoracek, the 29-year-old linebackers coach, looks like a rising commodity in the business. Expect him to coordinate a defense before he’s 35. D-line coach Terrance Knighton and secondary coach Evan Cooper, both 37, are worthy of looks, too. Knighton did the best work in 2023 of any coach on staff. Cooper is a renowned talent evaluator.
Rhule’s history here shows that he likes young coaches. Nine of the 10 on his staff are under 50. Snow, 68, coached with Rhule for 10 years at four stops but took a job last year with the Chicago Bears as a senior defensive analyst. A reunion looks unlikely.


Let’s finish with a lightning round…
What are the three biggest hurdles the Huskers face in getting to eight or nine wins? — Stuart F.

1. Quarterback growth and preparedness
2. Replacement of defensive leadership
3. The mental game of believing they will do what’s needed to win the fourth quarter in close games


Which Nebraska opponent is the most likely victim in 2024 of a major upset? — Thomas T.

I’m limited to four possibilities: Ohio State, at USC, Wisconsin and at Cockeye. And the former Big Ten West foes probably rate as a stretch. The Huskers have rarely defeated the Badgers and Cockeyes in recent seasons, but I’m not ready to classify a win over either in 2024 as a major upset.
By default, it’s USC.


Thoughts on the pending Big Ten-SEC collaboration? — David B.

This is another step in the inevitable takeover of college football by the most powerful of the power programs. The two leagues already control the flow of revenue in college sports. Their advantage will grow more exaggerated when they gobble up most of the at-large spots available in the 12-team CFP.


If Rhule relies on post-spring attrition to manage the roster size, what position groups do you see most impacted by departures? — Gregory P B.

The secondary, from which safety Corey Collier most recently departed, along with the offensive line and running backs.


Which freshmen, other than Raiola, might get reps with the top groups during spring ball? — Skyler S.
Safety Mario Buford, wide receiver Keelan Smith, offensive linemen Grant Brix and Gibson Pyle and Jack linebacker Willis McGahee IV.


Sounds like Micah Mazzccua, the guard transfer from Florida, is massively talented but not off to the best start, based on Rhule’s comments. Do you have any insight? — John A.

Give it time. Mazzccua had not been on campus for more than two weeks when Rhule called him out this month. If something is still amiss in April, then it will raise the level of concern.


I don’t know why I’m looking to do this to myself, but what decommitment from the 2024 class for Nebraska will sting the most? — John H.

Defensive lineman Carlon Jones, who signed with USC.


How would you evaluate Rhule and his staff in their first season? — Chris F.

I’ll let Rhule’s words carry my answer: “I think we made some real steps last year. I think we fixed some things. But we’re still 5-7. We’re 5-7 until we kick it off against UTEP.”


What are the possibilities of a 7-0 start to the season? — Bryan B.
Nebraska has lost its past three games against Colorado, three of four against Illinois and four of six against Purdue.
It must win each of those and beat UTEP, Northern Cockeye, Rutgers and Indiana. It’s not a murderer’s row, but the chances are about 15-to-1.


What is the next ascending sport for Nebraska athletics? — Ben K.
I’ll go with football.

 

[SoCal_Corn]

Meet the coach Matt Rhule is trusting to fix Nebraska’s QB situation: ‘We talk the same language’​

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LINCOLN, Neb. — Glenn Thomas arrived after the tip Saturday night to watch the Nebraska men’s basketball team face Michigan. From the concourse, Thomas heard roars inside as the Huskers raced to a big, early lead.
The atmosphere wowed him. “This place is unbelievable,” he said, a sentiment that overcame Thomas again on Sunday when he returned to see the Nebraska women upset No. 2 Cockeye.
“Shoot, I was rocking, let’s go,” said Thomas, the new quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator for Matt Rhule.
In both visits to Pinnacle Bank Arena, Thomas made his way in and out without attracting attention. Soon, in part because of introductions like the one he received Monday with gathered members of the media, Thomas will not so easily escape the spotlight.
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Rhule hired Thomas to fix the most important position on a football team that’s aiming to make a leap in 2024. Inefficient play at quarterback loomed large in Nebraska’s seventh consecutive losing season last fall.
Early enrollees Dylan Raiola and Daniel Kaelin and returning eight-game starter Heinrich Haarberg rate among the most high-profile athletes on campus, although the two freshmen have yet to participate in a practice session. Attention and scrutiny come fast for the quarterbacks — and for their position coach.
“Pressure is a privilege,” Thomas said. “That’s just what it is, playing that position. So I don’t necessarily think you address it. We just try to be the best we can possibly be, trying to put them in a position to be as successful as we possibly can. All that other stuff is just a part of being at that position.”

Dylan Raiola is the No. 3 quarterback in the 2024 class, according to the 247 Sports Composite. (Steven Branscombe / Getty Images)
Rhule said he wanted a quarterbacks coach, separate from the offensive coordinator, whose focus remains on the players in his position group.
Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield shifts from quarterbacks to coach the tight ends. Satterfield will call the plays and run the offense, with input from Thomas, the other offensive assistants and Rhule.
The head coach made it clear in November and again last week that Satterfield would not lose his power. That distinction rates as a notable storyline in the winter reshaping of the Nebraska offensive staff.
But my chief observation about Thomas, from listening to him and Rhule discuss their plan as the push toward spring starts this week, is this: The new assistant coach fits as Rhule’s kind of guy.
Thomas is a culture hire. There’s nothing flashy about him, just as Rhule likes it best.

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The Huskers have tried and failed to make splash hires for big jobs in recent years. Bob Diaco and Mark Whipple were bad fits.
Thomas, while not a full-fledged coordinator, will be paid $800,000 annually, per the terms of his two-year contract. He slots on the salary scale at Nebraska behind $1.6 million defensive coordinator Tony White and Satterfield, who earns $1.4 million, and above Evan Cooper, the secondary coach and de facto recruiting coordinator, and special teams coordinator Ed Foley.


It’s safe to say, Thomas fills a high-leverage role.

In the Big Ten and at top programs nationally, splash hires at the coordinator spots have grown more common. In this cycle, Ohio State hired two former NFL head coaches to coordinate its offense — most recently Chip Kelly, who left a tenuous position at UCLA to work for Ryan Day.

Maryland hired Kevin Sumlin, and Notre Dame tabbed Al Golden in recent years as coordinators. Last week, new Michigan coach Sherrone Moore snagged longtime NFL defensive guru Wink Martindale to run the Wolverines’ defense.
Nebraska could have afforded to travel a similar route with its quarterbacks coach. Rhule had discussions about a role in Lincoln for Dana Holgorsen, the former Houston and West Virginia coach. He remains out of work.
Here’s a rule of thumb for the second-year Nebraska coach: When a coordinator or assistant coach gains notice in this regime, it will come as a result of the work done in Lincoln, not necessarily the resume with which he arrived.
White, the Huskers’ 43-year-old defensive coordinator, found himself as a candidate for several head coaching jobs during the past two months. His defense in 2023 ranked seventh nationally in yards allowed per play and surrendered 18.3 points per game.
Rhule stumped for White to land at Syracuse or UCLA, his alma mater. Ten months from now, expect White to get an opportunity.
Perhaps linebackers coach Rob Dvoracek, 29, or wide receivers coach Garret McGuire, 25, will experience the next rise to coaching prominence at Nebraska.
Maybe it’ll be the 46-year-old Thomas, who came to Nebraska from the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has split time in the NFL and at college programs during the past 15 years, working with Rhule and Satterfield for three seasons at Temple and Baylor.
“We talk the same language,” Thomas said of the coaching reunion
https://theathletic.com/5153303/2023/12/21/dylan-raiola-nebraska-recruitment-flip/
And he has Raiola, the top quarterback prospect in 30 years to join the Huskers, as a presumptive frontman. So the opportunity appears available for Thomas to capitalize.

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Rhule’s methodology in building a staff translates directly to the expectations he has set for the Huskers as they create a leadership structure within this team.
“None of those guys in the locker room care about how highly ranked you were in recruiting,” Rhule said. “And they certainly don’t care about how many touchdowns you threw in high school. They don’t care about how well you played last year.


“They care about what you’re doing right now. They’re very much in the moment.”
The culture built in Rhule’s 14 months at Nebraska, he said, dictates in this period of offseason training that “what was really good last year is now just OK.”
The Huskers know what to expect from winter workouts. Last year, they did not. Knowledge removes the anxiety, Rhule said, which translates to improved performance.
Despite a winless November that ruined Nebraska’s plans for a postseason return, positive energy abounds under Rhule in Lincoln. But the coach wants to ensure that the Huskers returning and new to the program know they’ve not reached a milestone.
“I think we made some real steps last year,” he said. “I think we fixed some things. But we were still 5-7. We’re 5-7 until we kick it off against UTEP.”
Thomas feels the excitement, too. And not just as he makes his way through a basketball venue.


Nebraska going 'all in' on 3 QBs under new position coach Glenn Thomas

During his limited time in Lincoln, since the Steelers’ season ended in Buffalo last month, Thomas observed a 6:30 a.m. workout on a Monday. He immediately saw an urgency to improve among the Huskers.
“That’s an indication of where the arrow is headed here,” he said. “It’s definitely trending up.”
Recruiting work on the 2024 class is essentially done. Thomas plans to invest time during the weeks ahead in getting to know the Nebraska quarterbacks. In spring practice, set to run from late March until April 27, he said he’ll prioritize the delivery of “as many reps as we can” to each quarterback.
“You’ve got to find that line where they are at and meet them at that line,” Thomas said. “And then raise the ceiling from there.”
Thomas gathered Monday with the rest of Rhule’s staff. In collaborating with Satterfield, Thomas said he draws on their experience from 2015 when Satterfield, as the offensive coordinator at Temple, moved from coaching quarterbacks to running backs and Thomas joined the program from the Atlanta Falcons to coach quarterbacks.
Temple jumped from 6-6 in 2014 to 10-4. Quarterback P.J. Walker threw for nearly 3,000 yards.
A similar surge at Nebraska would wreck Thomas’ relative anonymity.

 

[vailhusker]

 

[vailhusker]

 

[BIG TONE SOPRANO]

The Fidone boy looks sad

 

[Frogsker30]

The Fidone boy looks sad

Fidone is all alonie

 

[tman87]

Looks like Fidone is on his phone.

So yes, he's probably sad.

 

[vailhusker]

 

[vailhusker]

 

[vailhusker]

 

[nja13]

Will Compton: "I'm going to leave you with this quote: 'If we die, we fuckin' die!"

Love it! 🤣

 

[vailhusker]

 

[BluesBucksNHuskers]

Anyone else feel like a moron after zooming into the silhouette on the wall, wondering who the fuck is jumping that high in sand?

 

[vailhusker]

 

[Fargo Husker]

 

[vailhusker]

 

[Poor_and_Stupid]

What 3 are we chasing? If Scrote was still the coach I’d assume we were chasing 3 wins.

 

[nja13]

What 3 are we chasing? If Scrote was still the coach I’d assume we were chasing 3 wins.

We lost four games by 3 points last year. That's the 3 they are chasing, saying they are that close to being a 9 win team.

 

[Sous Chef]

What 3 are we chasing? If Scrote was still the coach I’d assume we were chasing 3 wins.

3 point losses