Spring Football Thread

[SOHusker11]

 

[SOHusker11]

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule​

***Rhule said new GM Pat Stewart was “an absolute difference maker” in the new era of roster management and recruiting. He said it was now like the NFL, where it was about “acquisition, retention, and finance.” He said Stewart was “excellent at that,” which showed in his work with the New England Patriots.


Rhule added that Keith Williams had also been instrumental in the recruiting element.

That said, Rhule clarified: “I’m the head coach, so everything falls under me.”

***On Saturday’s football scrimmage, Rhule said it would be “most of the twos and threes,” including guys “who are going to play a lot for us this year.” He wants around 60 plays, but they’ll still have to work around some light numbers due to “soft tissue” injuries that have popped up recently.

***Beyond that, Rhule said he wasn’t quite sure what the rest of the football events would look like. He thinks some football players would compete in the roping competition, including Elijah Jeudy, who had never roped before.

***Rhule said Nebraska’s quarterbacks had progressed well this spring. He said there wasn’t a player on the team who “wouldn’t follow Jalyn Gramstad into battle,” and the others just needed to stay on track and get more reps.

Dylan Raiola and Gramstad will participate in the skills competitions, and the rest of the QBs will play in the scrimmage.

***Rhule said Raiola was doing “everything” better this spring than where he was a year ago. He said Raiola was “10 steps ahead” this offseason, especially with his mental grasp of the offense and the position. Rhule has also seen Raiola develop as a leader in the room, coaching the rest of the QBs in practice.

Rhule is pleased with NU’s progress through spring ball​

***Overall, Rhule said the Huskers “practiced pretty hard” this spring and came out of it “pretty healthy… We’re as healthy as could be heading into the (Husker Games).”

***Rhule said Nebraska went helmets only today so they could practice fully on Thursday and Friday. That includes a scrimmage on Thursday morning.

***Rhule said Nebraska had always emphasized two-minute situations in practice, but they’ll really hammered on it this year. Much of that is because of how many times NU was in those situations last season. However, the Huskers can practice it all they want, but nothing simulates the pressure of doing it live in a real game.

***With the portal closing on Friday, Rhule said he was only focused on coaching every player the same way through the rest of spring ball. He will meet with each player after the spring to discuss their situation and options.

***Rhule said Nebraska’s potential NFL Draft class was here because of former head coach Scott Frost and his staff. They stuck with the program and continued to develop, fully investing under Rhule. “I love that group of guys… They took a chance on me and they stayed.”

***Rhule said Thomas Fidone would get drafted this weekend. He said he’d gotten as many NFL calls about Fidone as any Husker in the class.

***Rhule said Saturday would be “less” of a recruiting event than past traditional spring games. Some of that has to do with how much more they recruit during the summer with camps. They’ll still have “key players” on campus, but it won’t be the same number of visitors.

Running back Emmett Johnson​

***Emmett Johnson said he was excited to “be a great teammate” for the guys playing in Saturday’s scrimmage. He said he wanted to be in the wing-eating contest, but “all the o-linemen wanted to be in it.”

***Johnson said he was “really excited about our team” coming out of spring ball. He said Nebraska “took the next step as a team” and was more of a “player-led team now.” He saw that shift start to happen a couple of weeks into the offseason.

***Johnson said everyone on the team appreciates how Rhule has handled the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics. He holds guys accountable on and off the field and teaches “a lot of life lessons.” The players know Rhule genuinely cares about them.

***Johnson said Kwinten Ives and Mekhi Nelson had taken steps forward this spring. He added that Conor Booth was “flying around” now as he settles into the college level.

***Johnson said he loved playing OC Dana Holgorsen’s offense. “Everything’s simple and everyone knows exactly what we’re supposed to do.”

***Johnson said he was “really excited” that Nebraska basketball signed St. Thomas transfer guard Kendall Blue. He reached out to Blue as soon as he entered the portal to convince him to come here.

***Johnson said the game was “slowing down” for Raiola, especially with his leadership.

Cornerback Amare Sanders​

***Amare Sanders said Nebraska’s secondary was loaded with depth, and that competition was pushing everyone to play at their “highest level.”

***Sanders said his experience last year playing four games gave him “a great feel” for this level. That really hit home after the Wisconsin game, where Rhule pulled him aside and told him he was up next.

***Sanders said he looked up to Ceyair Wright because he does everything the right way on and off the field.

***Sanders said he and the rest of the South Florida players wanted to “come in and change the program,” and they all leaned on each other during their first year in Lincoln.

***He said Andrew Marshall was “very competitive” and “demands the best out of each and every one of us.”

Linebacker Jacob Bower​

***Jacob Bower said before walking on at Nebraska, he thought about pursuing a career in rugby at Army and possibly playing football there as well.

In the end, he’d played football all his life and wasn’t ready to give up on that dream.

***Bower said earning a scholarship and the love he’s gotten from Rhule and the rest of the staff “meant a lot.” He said his family and friends were overjoyed with the news, including his mom, who cried when he told her over FaceTime.

***Bower said he’d looked up to John Bullock “since Day 1.” Bullock was a former walk-on who worked his way to a scholarship. “I’ve tried to learn from him as much as I could.”

***Bower said DC John Butler’s defense was “very aggressive,” including lots of blitzing from the linebackers. “I’m excited to see how it goes.”

***Bower felt he belonged at this level “right away.” Part of that was Rhule and his staff never making him feel like he was a walk-on. “I had to believe it before everybody else could believe it.”

He said it was “frustrating” that other players might not get the same opportunity he had with the move to the 105-man roster.

-RW

 

[SOHusker11]

Matt Rhule sheds more light on Husker Games, laying out a plan that will include four quarters of football​

Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule shed a bit more light Tuesday on what the Husker Games might look like Saturday.

He reiterated that scrimmage action will include primarily second- and third-string players.

“There are a lot of guys who are going to play on Saturday who will play a lot for us this year,” the third-year Husker head coach told reporters.


The day’s events at Memorial Stadium are set to begin at 1 p.m. with a women’s flag football game, with Nebraska’s scrimmaging set for around 2 p.m.

“I’d like to get in about 60 plays if I could Saturday,” Rhule said. “I want to play. We have some young quarterbacks that we really need to see. I think they deserve a chance to play in the spotlight.”

Lateef will be in spotlight​

Rhule noted the day will be important for true freshman quarterback TJ Lateef, an early enrollee from Compton, California.

“I think it’s important for TJ to get some opportunities on Saturday,” Rhule said. “I like his competitive fire, I like his intelligence, I like his athleticism. He throws a really accurate ball. He knows where to go with it.”

Nebraska starter Dylan Raiola obviously won’t be part of the scrimmaging.

“We’ve got a lot of quarterbacks, so we’ve had to spread the reps around,” the coach added. “We’ve given Dylan a ton of reps because he’s in his second spring and needs the reps. But I think we feel really good about that second spot.”

Rhule mentioned that the receiver position has been hit with some soft-tissue injuries in recent practices.

“We might be in the triple (option) out there on Saturday, running the ball downhill,” he joked.

Rhule’s vision for the day​

He had a vision for what the day will look like: Scrimmage action with breaks for activities such as a strongest-man competition, quarterback competition, fastest-man competition and even a wing-eating contest and roping event.

It’s probably wise for Nebraska fans to keep an open mind. After all, this is NU’s first go-round with something other than a traditional Red-White scrimmage.

“I think it’s going to be fun,” Rhule said. “Get about 15 plays each quarter. Give those guys a chance to go rest (and) bring out the next Husker Games-type deal. Let those guys compete, then go back to the next quarter.”

Because former Nebraska players will be on hand, Saturday will count as one of the team’s three allotted spring scrimmages, per NCAA rules. The Huskers’ practice Thursday will include ample live scrimmaging, Rhule said. NU has had one previous major scrimmage this spring.

Rhule said the team is “pretty healthy” as it enters the very late stages of spring ball.

--S Sipple

 

[Frogsker30]

So with portal closing friday, are the players who wont be here in the fall screwed?

 

[JerryBones5]

So with portal closing friday, are the players who wont be here in the fall screwed?

I'm sure Rhule has let them know where they stand already and if they need to enter the portal this week.

 

[Frogsker30]

I'm sure Rhule has let them know where they stand already and if they need to enter the portal this week.

Thats what Im thinking. And most may silently enter.

 

[Sous Chef]

I hate it when we as fans hype guys up especially before they take a snap in a real game because then we get all butt hurt if they don't live up to expectations. With that disclaimer I think Bowers is going to be a dude for us.😎

 

[vailhusker]

Free

 

[vailhusker]

 

[cwessel76]

 

[dsbigred1]

 

[vailhusker]

Just guys being dudes.

 

[2010sarenevercomingback]

What a beautiful ugly meathead. Just the kind of homely bastard that leads a team to greatness.