Fall Camp

[vailhusker]

 

[Pipe Line]

#50 makes Nash look like a child.....holy fuck

 

[vailhusker]

The Huskers had their first day off from camp on Tuesday.

There's always some worry how a team will snap back the next time out there. But it was an upbeat Nebraska offensive coaching staff that met the media on Wednesday. "We were happy. Far from perfect, as practices usually are, but the intent was there and the mindset was there," said Husker offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Matt Lubick.

There's a lot of material which we'll get to from Lubick, O-line coach Greg Austin, tight ends coach Sean Beckton, as well as players like Zavier Betts, Ethan Piper and Levi Falck.

Here are some Quick Hits to get it going:

– Lubick highlighted Markese Stepp as looking "100 percent and ready to roll," which is obviously large for the running back position. Sevion Morrison has also been repping with the 1s and 2s, according to Lubick, and done some good things.


"Gabe Ervin has made some steps, which we expected, because you're a freshman and the biggest steps you make is from spring to fall. He's doing really good things. And so is Marvin." For that matter, Rahmir Johnson is having probably his best spring since he's been here, according to the OC.

– You can tell Sean Beckton isn't surprised by Ervin's success, having helped recruit him out of Georgia. But he said you won't get a bunch of hype from him about Ervin right now, knowing the young guy has to prove it.

– Scott Frost mentioned a "pitch count" on Stepp at Big Ten Media Days. "Coming into this fall, we kind of thought limited reps, let's see what he can do. We don't want to rush him back too soon. And see how he progresses as far as his health. I don't know. That's kind of a practice by practice. I think he's ready to roll. If we had to play tomorrow, he'd be ready to roll."

– Lubick said injury has been Morrison's biggest hang-up, with things not always his fault. "I'll give him a lot of credit. He did a good job of getting his body healthy in the offseason."

– No timetable on picking the depth chart out, but Lubick said they want a definite 1 and 2 at running back, to give out more reps once the Illinois game-planning beginning. "The 1s need a lot of reps, so we're working on that. Sooner is always better than later, but again, we're very early in the camp."

– Lubick hasn't been shy to play first-year freshmen in the past. He acknowledges it's going to be tougher this year because the Huskers are so deep at receiver, with last year's additions starting to figure it out too. "It's really unfair to give those (new) guys an evaluation, other than their attitude has been awesome and our new guys have bought into the system and they're fun to be around."

– The red zone offense has been emphasized the heck out of, according to Lubick. Beckton said he and the OC spent a lot of times watching NFL offenses. But really, Lubick found the Huskers beat themselves in the red zone a lot last year by lack of execution and protecting the football. Beckton has challenged his guys to win balls in traffic down there.

"Part of it is just a mindset saying, 'Hey, I'm not going to have as much room. I'm going to have to win my one-on-one battle no matter what position I am," Lubick said.

– Nebraska pushed up red zone installation earlier in camp so they could work on it more this year.

– Beckton is fired up about his veteran tight ends. "The leadership of Austin Allen and Travis Vokolek, and now Chris Hickman has followed those guys' lead. Those guys are performing at a high level right now."

Beckton added ,"We have the leadership on our team that we haven't had in a while, since really we've been here as a staff. Those guys are demanding to go out there and play hard. If you do something wrong, do it 100 mph. And it's resonating to the rest of the team ... and it's fueled by Austin Allen and Travis Vokolek. Those guys have stepped up, and Cam Jurgens, on the offensive end.

– Hickman is back home as a tight end, as Beckton reminds he was the one in his living room recruiting him. He's still trying to put on weight, but he's "been a very pleasant surprise for us and he's gained the confidence of everybody on the team." Hickman got loose for a 70-yard touchdown in the seam the other day.

– Beckton keeps a drop chart, but said the Huskers have never had this many catches this early in a camp.

– Adrian Martinez is "night and day" as far as his mechanics and leadership, according to Beckton. It's the highest level the coach has seen from him, and said it's another level even from spring. "I told him yesterday, 'I love where he is. Keep his head where it is.' He's demanding a lot out of himself and demanding a lot out of his teammates ... That's the Adrian Martinez we've wanted to see. ... Everybody across the team knows it and they're following him."

– What Beckton likes the most perhaps is, "When we walked out the first day coming off the field, and that was Day 1, it looked like practice 7. When that happens, that means your guys put in the word over the summer." That'll come off as a cold glass of Kool-Aid, but Beckton has always been a call-it-like-he-sees-it coach after practices, so his enthusiasm is noteworthy.

– Right now Cam Taylor-Britt is the lead punt returner, but Beckton also trusts Oliver Martin as an option, and Brody Belt as another. Kamonte Grimes is a true freshman who has shown Beckton he can be a punt return guy down the road.

A lot of guys want to be involved with kick return. Jury is still out. Taylor-Britt and Martin will be back there some, but Omar Manning and Zavier Betts jumped back for some reps there too. Manning surprised Beckton with his smoothness back there, so something to keep an eye on. Lot of dudes want to do it. Even Markese Stepp and some running backs wanted their crack at it. I'll have more on that.

 

[vailhusker]

 

[vailhusker]

 

[Huskerzz9457]

Jesus, he did that on Johnson while stumbling

 

[Drue629]

I feel like I'm stranded in the hot Sahara desert and I come across a nice, big, ice-cold cup of Cool Aide... It looks so good. I can't help myself.
We're winning the big ten, we can't be bad again...how can we not win 8 games this year...

 

[Baron Winnebago]

15-0

 

[vailhusker]

 

[vailhusker]

 

[NeAz]

I feel like I'm stranded in the hot Sahara desert and I come across a nice, big, ice-cold cup of Cool Aide... It looks so good. I can't help myself.
We're winning the big ten, we can't be bad again...how can we not win 8 games this year...

I’m drinking it too. But the following are reasons why we most likely win 6:
- Frost gets out coached more often times than not
- Frost doesn’t attack other teams weaknesses and fails to make the needed in game adjustments
- Frost loves to run Martinez. A guy that has never been healthy for a full season.
- No backup QB

 

[Pipe Line]

I’m drinking it too. But the following are reasons why we most likely win 6:
- Frost gets out coached more often times than not
- Frost doesn’t attack other teams weaknesses and fails to make the needed in game adjustments
- Frost loves to run Martinez. A guy that has never been healthy for a full season.
- No backup QB

I'm probably thinking into this way too much but what is exactly is the criteria for being "out coached'? Very common phrase

 

[vailhusker]

In Deans photos Kpai has his right arm in a sling.
@thE kErnEl

 

[Baron Winnebago]

I'm probably thinking into this way too much but what is exactly is the criteria for being "out coached'? Very common phrase

It's like obscenity, you know it when you see it

 

[vailhusker]

The Huskers had their first day off from camp on Tuesday.

There's always some worry how a team will snap back the next time out there. But it was an upbeat Nebraska offensive coaching staff that met the media on Wednesday. "We were happy. Far from perfect, as practices usually are, but the intent was there and the mindset was there," said Husker offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Matt Lubick.

There's a lot of material which we'll get to from Lubick, O-line coach Greg Austin, tight ends coach Sean Beckton, as well as players like Zavier Betts, Ethan Piper and Levi Falck.

Here are some Quick Hits to get it going:

– Lubick highlighted Markese Stepp as looking "100 percent and ready to roll," which is obviously large for the running back position. Sevion Morrison has also been repping with the 1s and 2s, according to Lubick, and done some good things.


"Gabe Ervin has made some steps, which we expected, because you're a freshman and the biggest steps you make is from spring to fall. He's doing really good things. And so is Marvin." For that matter, Rahmir Johnson is having probably his best spring since he's been here, according to the OC.

– You can tell Sean Beckton isn't surprised by Ervin's success, having helped recruit him out of Georgia. But he said you won't get a bunch of hype from him about Ervin right now, knowing the young guy has to prove it.

– Scott Frost mentioned a "pitch count" on Stepp at Big Ten Media Days. "Coming into this fall, we kind of thought limited reps, let's see what he can do. We don't want to rush him back too soon. And see how he progresses as far as his health. I don't know. That's kind of a practice by practice. I think he's ready to roll. If we had to play tomorrow, he'd be ready to roll."

– Lubick said injury has been Morrison's biggest hang-up, with things not always his fault. "I'll give him a lot of credit. He did a good job of getting his body healthy in the offseason."

– No timetable on picking the depth chart out, but Lubick said they want a definite 1 and 2 at running back, to give out more reps once the Illinois game-planning beginning. "The 1s need a lot of reps, so we're working on that. Sooner is always better than later, but again, we're very early in the camp."

– Lubick hasn't been shy to play first-year freshmen in the past. He acknowledges it's going to be tougher this year because the Huskers are so deep at receiver, with last year's additions starting to figure it out too. "It's really unfair to give those (new) guys an evaluation, other than their attitude has been awesome and our new guys have bought into the system and they're fun to be around."

– The red zone offense has been emphasized the heck out of, according to Lubick. Beckton said he and the OC spent a lot of times watching NFL offenses. But really, Lubick found the Huskers beat themselves in the red zone a lot last year by lack of execution and protecting the football. Beckton has challenged his guys to win balls in traffic down there.

"Part of it is just a mindset saying, 'Hey, I'm not going to have as much room. I'm going to have to win my one-on-one battle no matter what position I am," Lubick said.

– Nebraska pushed up red zone installation earlier in camp so they could work on it more this year.

– Beckton is fired up about his veteran tight ends. "The leadership of Austin Allen and Travis Vokolek, and now Chris Hickman has followed those guys' lead. Those guys are performing at a high level right now."

Beckton added ,"We have the leadership on our team that we haven't had in a while, since really we've been here as a staff. Those guys are demanding to go out there and play hard. If you do something wrong, do it 100 mph. And it's resonating to the rest of the team ... and it's fueled by Austin Allen and Travis Vokolek. Those guys have stepped up, and Cam Jurgens, on the offensive end.

– Hickman is back home as a tight end, as Beckton reminds he was the one in his living room recruiting him. He's still trying to put on weight, but he's "been a very pleasant surprise for us and he's gained the confidence of everybody on the team." Hickman got loose for a 70-yard touchdown in the seam the other day.

– Beckton keeps a drop chart, but said the Huskers have never had this many catches this early in a camp.

– Adrian Martinez is "night and day" as far as his mechanics and leadership, according to Beckton. It's the highest level the coach has seen from him, and said it's another level even from spring. "I told him yesterday, 'I love where he is. Keep his head where it is.' He's demanding a lot out of himself and demanding a lot out of his teammates ... That's the Adrian Martinez we've wanted to see. ... Everybody across the team knows it and they're following him."

– What Beckton likes the most perhaps is, "When we walked out the first day coming off the field, and that was Day 1, it looked like practice 7. When that happens, that means your guys put in the word over the summer." That'll come off as a cold glass of Kool-Aid, but Beckton has always been a call-it-like-he-sees-it coach after practices, so his enthusiasm is noteworthy.

– Right now Cam Taylor-Britt is the lead punt returner, but Beckton also trusts Oliver Martin as an option, and Brody Belt as another. Kamonte Grimes is a true freshman who has shown Beckton he can be a punt return guy down the road.

A lot of guys want to be involved with kick return. Jury is still out. Taylor-Britt and Martin will be back there some, but Omar Manning and Zavier Betts jumped back for some reps there too. Manning surprised Beckton with his smoothness back there, so something to keep an eye on. Lot of dudes want to do it. Even Markese Stepp and some running backs wanted their crack at it. I'll have more on that.

More added

– Zavier Betts said he wasn't limited in the spring physically so much. "I didn't get as many reps as I possibly wanted to, but that was under my control. I didn't do as well in the spring as I should have, so that was on me." He's been encouraged by teammates building him up – like Adrian Martinez and Deontai Williams – and some talks with his father helped too. He feels like he knows his stuff and is going full speed on routes.

"We're definitely going to surprise a ton of people," Betts said.

Personally?

"My desire to get better has grown a lot more since the spring. In the spring it was there but it wasn't as big and deep as it should have been."

– Betts praised Levi Falck, Oliver Martin and Wyatt Liewer because they never take a rep off. "It raises our standard, and makes us play better."

– Lubick said Allen and Vokolek are "the best two (tight ends) that I've ever been around from consistency, leadership, just the way they practice." Some NFL scouts were on hand Wednesday and were definitely watching those two.

– Omar Manning has been consistent. "He's playing with confidence. Another player who has been in the system a year who actually knows what he's doing (now). So all that talent that we knew that he had is starting to rise to the top."


Lubick said he wants at least a two-deep that they can trust, but said right now they are mixing and matching different lineups. "If we can play more guys, we'll play more guys. If we can only play four or five guys, we'll play four or five guys." The coach thinks he has at least six that can ball. "I think we have more than that. Our depth at receiver this year compared to last year is night and day. ... We actually feel like we have a good three-deep that can go in there and function and play and compete in football games and have success."

He named off Manning, Oliver Martin, Samori Toure, Wyatt Liewer, Alante Brown, Betts, Will Nixon and Brody Belt, and he didn't want to get too specific about the new freshmen just yet. "But all three of those guys ... they're all doing a good job." He was trying to remember them all on the fly. Safe guess Falck is on that list too.

 

[vailhusker]

In Deans photos Kpai has his right arm in a sling.
@thE kErnEl

Blaise Gunnerson also set out, Tate Wildeman with OLBs now, Jamin Graham missing from the 110.

 

[vailhusker]

 

[vailhusker]

 

[vailhusker]

 

[huskermack]

I feel like I'm stranded in the hot Sahara desert and I come across a nice, big, ice-cold cup of Cool Aide... It looks so good. I can't help myself.
We're winning the big ten, we can't be bad again...how can we not win 8 games this year...

I see Cockeye as Nellie fo sho.