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Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at practice -
Official Fall Practice Thread
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Official Fall Practice Thread
Nebraska observations: Scott Frost's new approach to offense, Mickey Joseph's iron fist
New offensive coordinator Mark Whipple weighs in on the QBs, plus sights and sounds from an open practice.
theathletic.com
Nebraska Observations: Scott Frost's collaboration, Mickey Joseph's iron fist
by Mitch Sherman, The Athletic
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska coach Scott Frost last week spelled out the expected changes in his daily routine during this fifth season of his in charge of the Huskers.
Observers might not notice much difference from a year ago, Frost said, as he hands off responsibility to first-year offensive coordinator Mark Whipple in order to focus more on running the team as a whole.
“It’s going to be a collaboration,” Frost said of the approach to running the Nebraska offense. “I’m not divorcing myself from it.”
The new method of organization was on display Monday at the Hawks Championship Center. Nebraska opened a 30-minute portion of its fifth practice of the preseason to members of the media — the first such availability since last August.
Frost took a notably new role, mingling on the sidelines at times. When on the practice field, he spent time with the tight ends, who were catching passes from the quarterbacks, and hovered mainly near the offensive drills. Never in the period open for viewing did he work directly with the quarterbacks, the area Frost formerly had the most involvement.
It appeared in line with his description of the arrangement.
“I trust that I don’t have to run every offensive unit meeting now,” he said at Big Ten media days. “I don’t have to do all the game planning. I can spend some time with the defense for a few days if I need to and know that (the offense) is going to keep on the track and keep going in the right direction.
“Whip’s as experienced as anybody you’re going to find in football. We’re going to collaborate, and I’m going to let him take it.”
Though Frost plans to remain “hands on” and said that the subtle changes make him “a little sad,” he believes it’s for the best.
On Monday, Whipple reported progress out of the QB drills. He’s got six quarterbacks in camp, all healthy, led by fifth-year junior Casey Thompson, the Texas transfer, and Florida State transfer Chubba Purdy, a third-year freshman. Both arrived in Lincoln before the spring and have spent time recovering from 2021 injuries.
Sophomore Logan Smothers stood next in line after the newcomers, followed by redshirt freshman Heinrich Haarberg, true freshman Richard Torres and junior walk-on Matt Masker.
From the spring, Whipple said, “you can see a difference now.”
“They’re not looking around when they make a mistake,” he said. “That’s kind of when you can see you’re making progress.”
Thompson, in particular, has advanced since the spring, according to Whipple. He’s completely healthy this month after dealing with some lingering trouble that stemmed from a thumb injury suffered last October, the coordinator said.
“He can understand what the defense is doing,” Whipple said. “That’s where he has a leg up over the other guys.”
The offense worked Monday on red zone situations, practicing the drill, per Whipple’s instruction, like it was playing the first quarter against Northwestern four weeks from now in the season opener.
“We were all right,” he said. “We didn’t turn it over. … Yeah, I want a touchdown all the time. But if it’s not there, be smart. We’ve got a good kicker, and I want to get points on the board.”
Whipple noted that first games of the season “are lost more often (by quarterbacks) than they’re won.”
Among the Huskers players sidelined Monday was tight end Thomas Fidone II, in attendance but not counting as part of the 110-man camp roster. He continues to recover from a March knee injury, his second in two spring seasons.
Freshman tight end Brodie Tagaloa, redshirt freshman tight end AJ Rollins, defensive backs Omar Brown, Jalil Martin, Kaine Williams and linebacker Seth Malcom were also held out.
Despite the absences, Nebraska’s situation at tight end remains much better than four months ago, when walk-on freshman Nate Boerkircher earned a Red-White game start. Back are seniors Travis Vokolek and Chancellor Brewington and fourth-year sophomore Chris Hickman.
Redshirt freshman James Carnie, Rollins, Boerkircher, Hickman and Brewington are battling for the No. 2 tight end spot.
“The only person I’ve really anointed has been Travis,” tight ends coach Sean Beckton said.
Brewington checked into camp at 225 pounds, he said, after playing at about 210 last year.
“There’s a difference, for sure,” he said. “I can feel it.”
As for Fidone, the former four-star signee out of Council Bluffs, Cockeye, has worked at a pace in rehab “ahead of where he should be right now,” Beckton said.
But the Huskers won’t rush him.
“Whenever his doctors say he’s clear, he’s going to be ready to go,” Beckton said. “I want long term with him. If there’s any inkling he could reinjure himself, I’m not going to put him out there.”
Observations from the morning session:
• Turner Corcoran, Trent Hixson and Ethan Piper led the pace in drills for the offensive line. Corcoran has returned from injury, lining up Monday at left guard next to left tackle Teddy Prochazka — also back in contact work after a 2021 knee injury kept him out of spring practice. Hixson played center for the top unit, with Broc Bando at right guard and Bryce Benhart at right tackle.
First-year offensive line coach Donovan Raiola has raised the standard, Bando said. “He’s always pushing us to be better. It’s not just him holding us to it. Everyone knows what to do.”
Bando, in his sixth season at Nebraska, entered camp at 310 pounds. He lost some 30 pounds early last year after missing more than a month in the first half of the season because of a bout with mononucleosis.
• Junior edge rusher Garrett Nelson and sophomore defensive tackle Ty Robinson, both multi-year starters, directed the dynamic warm-up in the first minutes of practice. Nelson was especially loud, validating the words of Frost, who described Nelson as the Huskers’ best leader in several seasons.
• Newcomer Ochaun Mathis received encouragement after a pass-rush drill from Nelson and returning starter Caleb Tannor.
Together, they look in line to form one of the strongest position groupings on the roster. Mathis is a 6-foot-5, 260-pound TCU transfer who started 34 games at the Big 12 school and collected 15.5 sacks.
• Kicker Timmy Bleekrode and punter Brian Buschini showed strong legs in the morning heat. Bleekrode also displayed his punting skills. On returns, Beckton said the competition will be fierce among receivers Oliver Martin, Trey Palmer and Alante Brown, plus defensive back Tommi Hill and all of the running backs.
“It’s a dogfight in every drill that we’re doing,” Beckton said of the special teams, “guys fighting each other, working extremely hard.”
• On the subject of running backs, new assistant coach Bryan Applewhite appears blessed with a skilled, deep group. Rahmir Johnson leads the returnees after rushing for 495 yards and four touchdowns in seven starts last year. But he’s far from in control of the position. Gabe Ervin Jr. is back from injury; Jaquez Yant looks big and fast; juco transfer Anthony Grant brings perhaps the most diverse set of skills; and true freshmen Ajay Allen and Emmett Johnson fared well Monday in pass-catching work.
Allen turns the corner especially well on the wheel route. He made a jumping catch in the end zone that showed excellent body control and the moves that allowed him to gain 2,200 yards and score 34 touchdowns as a high school senior last year in Monroe, La.
• Whipple hinted, though, that none of the freshmen on offense look in position to make an early impact because of the Huskers’ experience at the skill spots.
First-year receivers coach and associate head coach Mickey Joseph won’t be available to answer questions regularly during the season. Nebraska, in a policy change, is limiting media access to position coaches.
So Joseph, the former Nebraska QB, made sure to get his point across Monday.
He was not happy with the receivers’ work, saying they got their “butts whooped” in the two-hour practice.
“Nobody stepped up and did anything,” Joseph said. “I told them if I’ve got to lead the room, I’ll lead the room. They know one thing. I’m going to be hard on them. I’m not going to look away and act like I don’t see it.
“My thing is, I rule with an iron fist. They understand that. They accept that. I’m never going to cater to them. I’m never going to tell them what they want to hear. I’m always going to tell the truth. And I’m going to demand that they play with excellence. That’s how you win.”
Joseph said he expects the chemistry to take hold among the receiving corps when he settles on a top group of six receivers and Nebraska’s starting QB is entrenched.
Brown and Palmer took turns Monday in front of the media, seeming to understand Joseph’s disappointment.
“If you see sloppiness, it needs to be corrected,” Brown said. “We want to be able to stop it before it gets worse and Mick gets on us or Coach Whip gets on us. Coach Mick holds us to a higher standard. We don’t just want to meet it. We want more.”
Said Palmer, subdued Monday after his more lively spring media session: “No days off.”
Joseph identified Omar Manning, Martin, Palmer, Brown and transfers Marcus Washington and Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda as top performers early in camp.
“They all know they’re playing for spots,” he said. “We’ve got 16 (receivers) in camp right now. I’m going to take the best.”
by Mitch Sherman, The Athletic
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska coach Scott Frost last week spelled out the expected changes in his daily routine during this fifth season of his in charge of the Huskers.
Observers might not notice much difference from a year ago, Frost said, as he hands off responsibility to first-year offensive coordinator Mark Whipple in order to focus more on running the team as a whole.
“It’s going to be a collaboration,” Frost said of the approach to running the Nebraska offense. “I’m not divorcing myself from it.”
The new method of organization was on display Monday at the Hawks Championship Center. Nebraska opened a 30-minute portion of its fifth practice of the preseason to members of the media — the first such availability since last August.
Frost took a notably new role, mingling on the sidelines at times. When on the practice field, he spent time with the tight ends, who were catching passes from the quarterbacks, and hovered mainly near the offensive drills. Never in the period open for viewing did he work directly with the quarterbacks, the area Frost formerly had the most involvement.
It appeared in line with his description of the arrangement.
“I trust that I don’t have to run every offensive unit meeting now,” he said at Big Ten media days. “I don’t have to do all the game planning. I can spend some time with the defense for a few days if I need to and know that (the offense) is going to keep on the track and keep going in the right direction.
“Whip’s as experienced as anybody you’re going to find in football. We’re going to collaborate, and I’m going to let him take it.”
Though Frost plans to remain “hands on” and said that the subtle changes make him “a little sad,” he believes it’s for the best.
On Monday, Whipple reported progress out of the QB drills. He’s got six quarterbacks in camp, all healthy, led by fifth-year junior Casey Thompson, the Texas transfer, and Florida State transfer Chubba Purdy, a third-year freshman. Both arrived in Lincoln before the spring and have spent time recovering from 2021 injuries.
Sophomore Logan Smothers stood next in line after the newcomers, followed by redshirt freshman Heinrich Haarberg, true freshman Richard Torres and junior walk-on Matt Masker.
From the spring, Whipple said, “you can see a difference now.”
“They’re not looking around when they make a mistake,” he said. “That’s kind of when you can see you’re making progress.”
Thompson, in particular, has advanced since the spring, according to Whipple. He’s completely healthy this month after dealing with some lingering trouble that stemmed from a thumb injury suffered last October, the coordinator said.
“He can understand what the defense is doing,” Whipple said. “That’s where he has a leg up over the other guys.”
The offense worked Monday on red zone situations, practicing the drill, per Whipple’s instruction, like it was playing the first quarter against Northwestern four weeks from now in the season opener.
“We were all right,” he said. “We didn’t turn it over. … Yeah, I want a touchdown all the time. But if it’s not there, be smart. We’ve got a good kicker, and I want to get points on the board.”
Whipple noted that first games of the season “are lost more often (by quarterbacks) than they’re won.”
Among the Huskers players sidelined Monday was tight end Thomas Fidone II, in attendance but not counting as part of the 110-man camp roster. He continues to recover from a March knee injury, his second in two spring seasons.
Freshman tight end Brodie Tagaloa, redshirt freshman tight end AJ Rollins, defensive backs Omar Brown, Jalil Martin, Kaine Williams and linebacker Seth Malcom were also held out.
Despite the absences, Nebraska’s situation at tight end remains much better than four months ago, when walk-on freshman Nate Boerkircher earned a Red-White game start. Back are seniors Travis Vokolek and Chancellor Brewington and fourth-year sophomore Chris Hickman.
Redshirt freshman James Carnie, Rollins, Boerkircher, Hickman and Brewington are battling for the No. 2 tight end spot.
“The only person I’ve really anointed has been Travis,” tight ends coach Sean Beckton said.
Brewington checked into camp at 225 pounds, he said, after playing at about 210 last year.
“There’s a difference, for sure,” he said. “I can feel it.”
As for Fidone, the former four-star signee out of Council Bluffs, Cockeye, has worked at a pace in rehab “ahead of where he should be right now,” Beckton said.
But the Huskers won’t rush him.
“Whenever his doctors say he’s clear, he’s going to be ready to go,” Beckton said. “I want long term with him. If there’s any inkling he could reinjure himself, I’m not going to put him out there.”
Observations from the morning session:
• Turner Corcoran, Trent Hixson and Ethan Piper led the pace in drills for the offensive line. Corcoran has returned from injury, lining up Monday at left guard next to left tackle Teddy Prochazka — also back in contact work after a 2021 knee injury kept him out of spring practice. Hixson played center for the top unit, with Broc Bando at right guard and Bryce Benhart at right tackle.
First-year offensive line coach Donovan Raiola has raised the standard, Bando said. “He’s always pushing us to be better. It’s not just him holding us to it. Everyone knows what to do.”
Bando, in his sixth season at Nebraska, entered camp at 310 pounds. He lost some 30 pounds early last year after missing more than a month in the first half of the season because of a bout with mononucleosis.
• Junior edge rusher Garrett Nelson and sophomore defensive tackle Ty Robinson, both multi-year starters, directed the dynamic warm-up in the first minutes of practice. Nelson was especially loud, validating the words of Frost, who described Nelson as the Huskers’ best leader in several seasons.
• Newcomer Ochaun Mathis received encouragement after a pass-rush drill from Nelson and returning starter Caleb Tannor.
Together, they look in line to form one of the strongest position groupings on the roster. Mathis is a 6-foot-5, 260-pound TCU transfer who started 34 games at the Big 12 school and collected 15.5 sacks.
• Kicker Timmy Bleekrode and punter Brian Buschini showed strong legs in the morning heat. Bleekrode also displayed his punting skills. On returns, Beckton said the competition will be fierce among receivers Oliver Martin, Trey Palmer and Alante Brown, plus defensive back Tommi Hill and all of the running backs.
“It’s a dogfight in every drill that we’re doing,” Beckton said of the special teams, “guys fighting each other, working extremely hard.”
• On the subject of running backs, new assistant coach Bryan Applewhite appears blessed with a skilled, deep group. Rahmir Johnson leads the returnees after rushing for 495 yards and four touchdowns in seven starts last year. But he’s far from in control of the position. Gabe Ervin Jr. is back from injury; Jaquez Yant looks big and fast; juco transfer Anthony Grant brings perhaps the most diverse set of skills; and true freshmen Ajay Allen and Emmett Johnson fared well Monday in pass-catching work.
Allen turns the corner especially well on the wheel route. He made a jumping catch in the end zone that showed excellent body control and the moves that allowed him to gain 2,200 yards and score 34 touchdowns as a high school senior last year in Monroe, La.
• Whipple hinted, though, that none of the freshmen on offense look in position to make an early impact because of the Huskers’ experience at the skill spots.
First-year receivers coach and associate head coach Mickey Joseph won’t be available to answer questions regularly during the season. Nebraska, in a policy change, is limiting media access to position coaches.
So Joseph, the former Nebraska QB, made sure to get his point across Monday.
He was not happy with the receivers’ work, saying they got their “butts whooped” in the two-hour practice.
“Nobody stepped up and did anything,” Joseph said. “I told them if I’ve got to lead the room, I’ll lead the room. They know one thing. I’m going to be hard on them. I’m not going to look away and act like I don’t see it.
“My thing is, I rule with an iron fist. They understand that. They accept that. I’m never going to cater to them. I’m never going to tell them what they want to hear. I’m always going to tell the truth. And I’m going to demand that they play with excellence. That’s how you win.”
Joseph said he expects the chemistry to take hold among the receiving corps when he settles on a top group of six receivers and Nebraska’s starting QB is entrenched.
Brown and Palmer took turns Monday in front of the media, seeming to understand Joseph’s disappointment.
“If you see sloppiness, it needs to be corrected,” Brown said. “We want to be able to stop it before it gets worse and Mick gets on us or Coach Whip gets on us. Coach Mick holds us to a higher standard. We don’t just want to meet it. We want more.”
Said Palmer, subdued Monday after his more lively spring media session: “No days off.”
Joseph identified Omar Manning, Martin, Palmer, Brown and transfers Marcus Washington and Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda as top performers early in camp.
“They all know they’re playing for spots,” he said. “We’ve got 16 (receivers) in camp right now. I’m going to take the best.”
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He sucks that's why you don't hear much about him. If he's getting snaps at Nickel while the game is on the line we are fucked.
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Mauga and Vokolek
Mickey and Isiah-Castaneda
Mickey and Isiah-Castaneda
Last edited:
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Yant and Ajay Allen
DuckSker
RedSeaFarts=Sandalwood
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I disagree with Mickey for this one… The bolded is a complete oxymoron for this sport. I don’t like this way of thinking or coaching. If you don’t want to be sat on your ass then try harder. Injuries are more likely to happen when pulling up or only going 80%
This team has been soft as fuck for 4 years and they had shells on it wasn’t just helmets only. I say the more pancakes the better. We need fucking bloodbath practices.
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On3 Nugs -
With the players, Busch said they’d embodied the adage of rather having to tell guys “whoa than go.” With the coaches, he said everyone on the staff were “all kicking ass, and it’s much appreciated.”
***Busch said because of that support from the other coaches, no player on the roster was off-limits for special teams.
***Busch said an example of that buy-in was that NU always started every day with a 7:30 a.m. special teams meeting. He said by 7:10 the room was already about 70% full.
***Busch said the kicking, punting, and snapping had all been going well in camp, but insisted no decisions had been made yet on starting jobs.
***Busch couldn’t give enough praise for running back Rahmir Johnson’s work on special teams, calling him a leader and “a core of everything we do.” He said Johnson did every special teams rep at full speed and set the standard for everyone else.
***Busch said Johnson was working as a gunner on punt team, covering kicks on kickoff, and was on the front line of the kickoff return team. For a guy who was a kickoff returner last year, Busch said Johnson’s willingness to take on another role was a credit to his character.
***Busch said there was a plan for NU’s specialists for all 24 periods of every practice, so there was no standing around while the rest of the team worked. He said he’d been careful to keep his kickers and punters on a “pitch count” to not burn out their legs, but they were still getting in a lot of reps each day.
***Busch said all of the top linebackers would be starting on special teams this season.
***At kickoff returner, Busch said Anthony Grant, Trey Palmer, Tommi Hill, Cooper Jewett, Zach Weinmaster, and Emmett Johnson were all competing for the job. But, as of right now, Grant was in the lead.
Busch said he’d always gravitated toward running backs at kick returner since their were physical, used to getting hit, and could protect the football.
***At punt returner, Palmer, Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda, Hill, Brody Belt, and Oliver Martin are in the mix.
***At gunner, Johnson, Palmer, Garcia-Castaneda, Belt, Wyatt Liewer were the top guys right now. Busch said he looked receivers in that role because they were natural and releasing down field through contact.
***Busch said NU had three veteran guys competing at long snapper in Cade Mueller, Cameron Pieper, and Brady Weas. Busch added that punter Brian Buschini had been working a lot at holder.
***Ruud continued the praise for freshman Ernest Hausmann, saying he was a great athlete and player, but he was an even better person. Ruud said when a young player’s “intangibles” were as good or better than his talent, that meant he had a bright future.
***Ruud said there were players he called “a shiny car,” who came in and looked the part from the start. “I was not a shiny car,” Ruud joked. But that’s how he described Hausmann because of how far along athletically he was already.
Ruud said Hausmann was “a fluid and explosive athlete” who was fast both straight ahead and side-to-side and could “flip his hips” very well. He said not a lot of linebackers can move like Hausmann can.
***Asked about the No. 3 ILB spot, Ruud said Eteva Mauga-Clements was the most improved player in the unit since last season. Ruud said he’d been “extremely impressed” with Mauga-Clements, especially with his intelligence and overall understanding of the defense.
***Ruud said Mauga-Clements was asking “400-level questions” now, which was a sign of how far along he was in his knowledge of the defense.
***Ruud admitted that he “did a poor job” rotating at inside linebacker last season, as he leaned too heavily on Reimer and Henrich. He said he was determined get more guys involved this year, both to get other guys game reps but also to keep Reimer and Henrich fresh.
Special teams coordinator Bill Busch
***Busch said the “effort has been tremendous in all phases” on special teams this fall, saying he couldn’t be happier with the buy-in from both the players and his fellow coaches.With the players, Busch said they’d embodied the adage of rather having to tell guys “whoa than go.” With the coaches, he said everyone on the staff were “all kicking ass, and it’s much appreciated.”
***Busch said because of that support from the other coaches, no player on the roster was off-limits for special teams.
***Busch said an example of that buy-in was that NU always started every day with a 7:30 a.m. special teams meeting. He said by 7:10 the room was already about 70% full.
***Busch said the kicking, punting, and snapping had all been going well in camp, but insisted no decisions had been made yet on starting jobs.
***Busch couldn’t give enough praise for running back Rahmir Johnson’s work on special teams, calling him a leader and “a core of everything we do.” He said Johnson did every special teams rep at full speed and set the standard for everyone else.
***Busch said Johnson was working as a gunner on punt team, covering kicks on kickoff, and was on the front line of the kickoff return team. For a guy who was a kickoff returner last year, Busch said Johnson’s willingness to take on another role was a credit to his character.
***Busch said there was a plan for NU’s specialists for all 24 periods of every practice, so there was no standing around while the rest of the team worked. He said he’d been careful to keep his kickers and punters on a “pitch count” to not burn out their legs, but they were still getting in a lot of reps each day.
***Busch said all of the top linebackers would be starting on special teams this season.
***At kickoff returner, Busch said Anthony Grant, Trey Palmer, Tommi Hill, Cooper Jewett, Zach Weinmaster, and Emmett Johnson were all competing for the job. But, as of right now, Grant was in the lead.
Busch said he’d always gravitated toward running backs at kick returner since their were physical, used to getting hit, and could protect the football.
***At punt returner, Palmer, Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda, Hill, Brody Belt, and Oliver Martin are in the mix.
***At gunner, Johnson, Palmer, Garcia-Castaneda, Belt, Wyatt Liewer were the top guys right now. Busch said he looked receivers in that role because they were natural and releasing down field through contact.
***Busch said NU had three veteran guys competing at long snapper in Cade Mueller, Cameron Pieper, and Brady Weas. Busch added that punter Brian Buschini had been working a lot at holder.
Inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud
***Ruud said veterans Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich had always been good leaders, but they’d elevated in that regard this offseason just through their experience.***Ruud continued the praise for freshman Ernest Hausmann, saying he was a great athlete and player, but he was an even better person. Ruud said when a young player’s “intangibles” were as good or better than his talent, that meant he had a bright future.
***Ruud said there were players he called “a shiny car,” who came in and looked the part from the start. “I was not a shiny car,” Ruud joked. But that’s how he described Hausmann because of how far along athletically he was already.
Ruud said Hausmann was “a fluid and explosive athlete” who was fast both straight ahead and side-to-side and could “flip his hips” very well. He said not a lot of linebackers can move like Hausmann can.
***Asked about the No. 3 ILB spot, Ruud said Eteva Mauga-Clements was the most improved player in the unit since last season. Ruud said he’d been “extremely impressed” with Mauga-Clements, especially with his intelligence and overall understanding of the defense.
***Ruud said Mauga-Clements was asking “400-level questions” now, which was a sign of how far along he was in his knowledge of the defense.
***Ruud admitted that he “did a poor job” rotating at inside linebacker last season, as he leaned too heavily on Reimer and Henrich. He said he was determined get more guys involved this year, both to get other guys game reps but also to keep Reimer and Henrich fresh.
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They must feel really good about EMC if they moved Kolarevic to Nickel
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I'd love to see EMC take that next step. The dude can clearly fly, which is fun as hell to watch from an inside backer.
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Insideher Nugs -
>> There are battles for the No. 1 starting spot at pretty much every position – with inside linebacker being one exception – that are still ongoing throughout Nebraska’s fall camp.
Running back is one of the most prominent, and the top candidate to earn the starting spot there has started to come to the forefront.
Sources have indicated to Inside Nebraska that Anthony Grant has started to emerge as the Huskers’ RB1. Grant does not have the spot locked up. It's still early in camp after just seven practices, and there are eight more to go. But Grant has been the most impressive and consistent throughout fall camp.
During the 35-minute open practice viewing period that we observed on Monday, Grant was one of the key standouts among the position group. The New Mexico Military Institute transfer showcased some of the quickest and smoothest footwork of the group.
Bryan Applewhite believes it’s of critical importance to have a top dog emerge from the pack in his position room. Or, as Applewhite told his players this week when talking about the competition, a horse race featuring a group of former Triple Crown winners.
“It’s a huge deal for me,” Applewhite said of having a 1A guy in place at the running back position. “When we get a 1A guy – I guess it’s been coined an RB1, so once an RB1 emerges I think Nebraska’s gonna have a real good running back.”
When asked what Applewhite needs to see on the field in order to lock in that RB1 spot, he said that breaking tackles, making guys miss, picking up blitzes, running routes “exactly right” and playing physical while running with “extreme pad level.”
It also comes down to consistency and effort.
“Who shows me who wants it every day,” Applewhite said. “Who’s gonna be the most physical and consistent every day. They are striving towards that, which is making my decision hard. I don’t want an easy decision.”
– Zack Carpenter
Rahmir Johnson is a core part of that competition, and he is one of those players who is making it a hard decision for Applewhite to settle in on an RB1. Johnson, who is entering his fourth season with the Huskers, is the one who Applewhite is putting a lot of trust into to lead that room as the veteran presence.
“I’ve put a lot on Rahmir’s table,” said Applewhite, who mentioned Johnson as the one who organizes film-room meetings and getting the other running backs to training sessions on times among other responsibilities.
Johnson seems like a good option to have all of that on his plate. He does the same type of multitasking on the field as well. He has been lining up at running back, slot receiver and on special teams. He is a bullet on the punt team, and he is a front-line player on the Huskers’ kick return unit, which Applewhite called “the hardest position to play in football.”
“Rahmir’s got a skillset where he can do it all. … He’s gonna be used by us in a lot of different situations and packages,” Applewhite said. “He’s such an overall athlete. We can use his skillset everywhere.”
– Zack Carpenter
“It’s just a constant thing, just working on recovery and making sure you’re getting in the tubs after practice,” Reimer said. “So it’s an ongoing process, but I feel good.”
>> Inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud said true freshman linebacker Ernest Hausmann, the in-state product from Columbus, has been great since arriving on campus as an early enrollee.
“He works hard. Obviously he’s a great athlete, a very good player,” Ruud said. “But he’s a better person and a better worker. When your intangibles are better than your athleticism, and your athleticism is already extremely high, you get excited about that.”
>> Backup inside linebacker Eteva Mauga-Clements is trending up this spring and fall camp, which makes Ruud feel better about the depth behind Reimer and Nick Henrich, as well as Chris Kolarevic moving from inside ‘backer to nickel.
“Va (Eteva Mauga-Clements) has had an extremely impressive camp so far,” Ruud said. “This is, I believe, year three in the program for him. So I think he’s probably made the biggest jump of anybody, as far as individual combination of skill level jumping up and just understanding of the defense.”
– Steve Marik
“We need offensive guys who can run down and tackle,” Busch said. “They can’t just be defenders that do that. We have to be able to have running backs and recievers who can do that.”
>> Busch said he really likes what running back Anthony Grant is doing at kick returner. Busch likes the idea of finding running backs in the return game.
“We have to have guys who hit it in a vertical return, and tough people who are used to carrying the ball for ball security,” Busch said. “That’s why I’ve always enjoyed running backs at that position for us, because they’re used to ball security. Other people can do it, and we have other positions who are doing that, but I’ve always enjoyed that (running backs as returners). They’re used to being hit and they’re used to being tackled.”
>> Running backs Rahmir Johnson and Gabe Ervin Jr. have been practicing on the front line of the kickoff return unit, where he’ll be blocking for the returners. Busch calls it a “promotion” when players who have once returned kicks get moved up to block.
>> Brian Buschini has been working as the holder on the field goal unit with kicker Timmy Bleekrode.
>> Receivers Trey Palmer, Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda, Tommi Hill and Brody Belt have all been working as punt returners. Oliver Martin has, too, especially in “security situations.”
>> When Busch talked about the players who were getting reps at gunners on the punt team, Busch listed off receivers like Palmer, Johnson, Garcia-Castaneda, Belt and Wyatt Liewer.
– Steve Marik
>> There are battles for the No. 1 starting spot at pretty much every position – with inside linebacker being one exception – that are still ongoing throughout Nebraska’s fall camp.
Running back is one of the most prominent, and the top candidate to earn the starting spot there has started to come to the forefront.
Sources have indicated to Inside Nebraska that Anthony Grant has started to emerge as the Huskers’ RB1. Grant does not have the spot locked up. It's still early in camp after just seven practices, and there are eight more to go. But Grant has been the most impressive and consistent throughout fall camp.
During the 35-minute open practice viewing period that we observed on Monday, Grant was one of the key standouts among the position group. The New Mexico Military Institute transfer showcased some of the quickest and smoothest footwork of the group.
Bryan Applewhite believes it’s of critical importance to have a top dog emerge from the pack in his position room. Or, as Applewhite told his players this week when talking about the competition, a horse race featuring a group of former Triple Crown winners.
“It’s a huge deal for me,” Applewhite said of having a 1A guy in place at the running back position. “When we get a 1A guy – I guess it’s been coined an RB1, so once an RB1 emerges I think Nebraska’s gonna have a real good running back.”
When asked what Applewhite needs to see on the field in order to lock in that RB1 spot, he said that breaking tackles, making guys miss, picking up blitzes, running routes “exactly right” and playing physical while running with “extreme pad level.”
It also comes down to consistency and effort.
“Who shows me who wants it every day,” Applewhite said. “Who’s gonna be the most physical and consistent every day. They are striving towards that, which is making my decision hard. I don’t want an easy decision.”
– Zack Carpenter
Johnson a big part of "unbelievable" competition
>> Applewhite said that the competition in the room has been “unbelievable.”Rahmir Johnson is a core part of that competition, and he is one of those players who is making it a hard decision for Applewhite to settle in on an RB1. Johnson, who is entering his fourth season with the Huskers, is the one who Applewhite is putting a lot of trust into to lead that room as the veteran presence.
“I’ve put a lot on Rahmir’s table,” said Applewhite, who mentioned Johnson as the one who organizes film-room meetings and getting the other running backs to training sessions on times among other responsibilities.
Johnson seems like a good option to have all of that on his plate. He does the same type of multitasking on the field as well. He has been lining up at running back, slot receiver and on special teams. He is a bullet on the punt team, and he is a front-line player on the Huskers’ kick return unit, which Applewhite called “the hardest position to play in football.”
“Rahmir’s got a skillset where he can do it all. … He’s gonna be used by us in a lot of different situations and packages,” Applewhite said. “He’s such an overall athlete. We can use his skillset everywhere.”
– Zack Carpenter
Reimer's recovery, Haumann's potential first-year role
>> Inside linebacker Luke Reimer missed all of spring ball while he recovered from two different surgeries for a hip scope and sports hernia. Reimer, who led the team in tackles last season with 108, said it “wasn’t a fun spring” for him, but he feels good coming off the offseason.“It’s just a constant thing, just working on recovery and making sure you’re getting in the tubs after practice,” Reimer said. “So it’s an ongoing process, but I feel good.”
>> Inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud said true freshman linebacker Ernest Hausmann, the in-state product from Columbus, has been great since arriving on campus as an early enrollee.
“He works hard. Obviously he’s a great athlete, a very good player,” Ruud said. “But he’s a better person and a better worker. When your intangibles are better than your athleticism, and your athleticism is already extremely high, you get excited about that.”
>> Backup inside linebacker Eteva Mauga-Clements is trending up this spring and fall camp, which makes Ruud feel better about the depth behind Reimer and Nick Henrich, as well as Chris Kolarevic moving from inside ‘backer to nickel.
“Va (Eteva Mauga-Clements) has had an extremely impressive camp so far,” Ruud said. “This is, I believe, year three in the program for him. So I think he’s probably made the biggest jump of anybody, as far as individual combination of skill level jumping up and just understanding of the defense.”
– Steve Marik
Busch breaks down special teams
>> Special teams coordinator Bill Busch said receivers coach Mickey Joseph has “done an unbelievable job” of getting his players to buy-in and want to be a part of special teams. That’s important, Busch said, because for special teams to be good, offensive skill players need to be involved.“We need offensive guys who can run down and tackle,” Busch said. “They can’t just be defenders that do that. We have to be able to have running backs and recievers who can do that.”
>> Busch said he really likes what running back Anthony Grant is doing at kick returner. Busch likes the idea of finding running backs in the return game.
“We have to have guys who hit it in a vertical return, and tough people who are used to carrying the ball for ball security,” Busch said. “That’s why I’ve always enjoyed running backs at that position for us, because they’re used to ball security. Other people can do it, and we have other positions who are doing that, but I’ve always enjoyed that (running backs as returners). They’re used to being hit and they’re used to being tackled.”
>> Running backs Rahmir Johnson and Gabe Ervin Jr. have been practicing on the front line of the kickoff return unit, where he’ll be blocking for the returners. Busch calls it a “promotion” when players who have once returned kicks get moved up to block.
>> Brian Buschini has been working as the holder on the field goal unit with kicker Timmy Bleekrode.
>> Receivers Trey Palmer, Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda, Tommi Hill and Brody Belt have all been working as punt returners. Oliver Martin has, too, especially in “security situations.”
>> When Busch talked about the players who were getting reps at gunners on the punt team, Busch listed off receivers like Palmer, Johnson, Garcia-Castaneda, Belt and Wyatt Liewer.
– Steve Marik
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Ima be honest I feel like we hear this literally every single year, and I think that response is vastly over used by twitter and message board users.
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I’ve been beating this drum since I saw him in spring practice. Kids a stud.
IMO. If the OL can do anything in the run game. He’s going to be our best offensive weapon.
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Patriots, Chiefs, Falcons, Rams, NFL Players Association.
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Taters on RRS didn't want to hear it
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