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The 3-2-1: Nebraska still has plenty of key roster questions that need to be addressed
Sean Callahan 13 hours ago
(Photo credit: Ken Juszyk/HuskerOnline)
Nebraska still has plenty of key roster questions that need to be addressed as the calendar turns to the month of January.
We hit on that and more in this week’s 3-2-1 column with three things we learned, ask two questions, and make one prediction.
THREE THINGS WE LEARNED THIS WEEK
1 – Nebraska still has more roster questions after Nelson and Feist
Garrett Nelson announcing that he was forgoing his fifth season at Nebraska to declare for the NFL Draft was a blow, as was defensive lineman
Colton Feist opting not to return
for a sixth season.
Neither development was necessarily surprising, but it was a blow no matter how you spun it.
Nelson had been very quiet since the hiring of Matt Rhule, and really since the final moments of the game at Cockeye on Nov. 25.
With Feist, you did not know where it was heading since he was still a walk-on covered by NIL. He had a career year in 2022, starting all 12 games, but was he interested in returning for a sixth season?
That leads me to my next question. Are there more situations like Nelson and Feist on the roster we aren’t even thinking about? We at least learned freshman running back
Ajay Allen plans to return. That too was an unknown since all his ties were to Bryan Applewhite and the previous staff. He announced on Wednesday his plans to return.
Several other players face key decisions on their future. We really won’t know one way or another until the team reports back to Lincoln the week of Jan. 16 – the same day the portal closes. Classes start Jan. 23.
With Nelson,
Ochaun Mathis and
Caleb Tannor now gone, there are huge questions at pass rusher. Will the Huskers look for another player from the portal to fill this need? Or will they just stick with what they have?
Back in November, I’m not sure many expected Nelson to turn pro. His strong finish to the season and the fact he turns 23 in March all played a factor.
Does Feist’s departure trigger anything? My guess is no.
Rhule doesn’t feel the pressure right now to have to react to losing a player or two like Feist and Nelson. Frost was under pressure, and NU had to go heavy with NIL to land players like
Devin Drew and Stephon Wynn Jr. just to get quality depth in the two-deep. Rhule doesn’t necessarily have to scramble to backfill, knowing he’s in year one of an eight-year contract. He’s going to build things his way over time.
2 – Ben Scott fills one of Donovan Raiola’s biggest holes
A year ago, Donovan Raiola took the job as Nebraska’s offensive line coach, but he was given no time to add any of his own pieces.
Hunter Anthony’s commitment was taken by Erik Chinander.
Kevin Williams Jr. was added from a connection to Mickey Joseph. Raiola was forced to work with the hand he was given, and then he lost
Nouredin Nouili(suspension) and
Teddy Prochazka (injury) for the season.
That’s why the addition of Arizona State offensive lineman
Ben Scott is so big, along with the other five high school offensive linemen the Huskers signed.
Raiola has been able to add his pieces to the roster, led by Scott. You can argue Scott is the most significant player the Huskers have added, other than maybe Georgia Tech quarterback
Jeff Sims.
3 – Rhule’s staff continues to take form
Rhule made it official this week by listing
nine more members to his coaching staff.
We now know 17 of Rhule’s hires between assistant coaches, strength and support staff.
We still don’t know who three of Rhule’s other full-time coaches are, along with any of the salary numbers. None of that information will be released until at least Jan. 3, when the University opens back for business after the holiday break. We also could be waiting on the NFL regular season to end on Jan. 8 before the final assistant coach hires are announced.
We also don’t know what members of the previous regime will be kept on by Rhule, but a good indicator is who’s been involved during the recruiting weekends.
Vince Guinta, Ryan Callaghan, Andrew Sims and Keith Williams are all guys that had an involvement during the recruiting weekends with Rhlue and the new staff members. It will be interesting to see how everything shakes out a week from now.
TWO QUESTIONS THIS WEEK
1 – Is Jeff Sims a better transfer get than Hudson Card?
Purdoodoo’s addition of
Hudson Card received far more headlines than Nebraska adding Georgia Tech quarterback
Jeff Sims. My question is why?
Card is a very talented quarterback, but when you compare his body of work to Sims, Nebraska got the better of the two.
At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Sims will be a load for Big Ten defenses with his arm talent and running ability. I also think having
Casey Thompson here complicates the discussion quite a bit.
Until we see how the QB race truly shakes out, nobody will have a clear read on Nebraska.
2 – What player is the most important now for Matt Rhule to keep?
Nebraska already lost Nelson, who’s the next guy they cannot afford to lose? For me, the answer is at inside linebacker with both
Luke Reimer and
Nick Henrich.
Ernest Hausmann going to Michigan was a huge blow, along with losing 2023 recruit
Hayden Moore to the Wolverines.
NU cannot afford to lose either Reimer or Henrich at this point. The drop-off after them in terms of ability and experience is pretty sizable.
ONE PREDICTION: Michigan handles TCU in Phoenix
Most people expect the Fiesta Bowl between Michigan and TCU to be a tight game. I like the Wolverines in this game.
I think the physicality of Michigan will be too much. Just seeing Wisconsin play Oklahoma State in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl reminded me just how much more physical the Big Ten is than the Big 12. The players in the Big Ten are built differently.
TCU is a very physical team in terms of Big 12 standards, but I still don’t see them going 12 rounds with Michigan on Saturday.
Sean Callahan can be reached at sean@huskeronline.com and he can be heard each day at 6:45 am and 5:05 pm on Big Red Radio 1110 KFAB in Omaha during the football season. He can also be seen on KETV Channel 7 in Omaha during the fall and each week he appears on Nebraska Public Media’s Big Red Wrap-Tuesday’s at 7 pm.