***UPDATE ***OL for 2023

[...TrueColors...]

With Rouse’s commitment at an extreme position of need, your OL look like this:

Rouse
Nouili
Scott
Corcoran
Teddy Pro

A few things here:

1) Rouse has started over 30(?) games at LT. He will be this team’s LT.

2) Teddy Pro played RT throughout high school from my understanding as his QB was left handed. So he’s not learning from scratch. A guy that athletic can figure it out.

All of a sudden, we have a lot of options at OL and something that looks like depth.

Some in this thread originally and for some odd reason took exception to the idea that I said that I don’t think there’s a reason Rhule shouldn't win 6 games. That’s not me placing any unrealistic expectations on a new coach because I am mad the last guy got fired. Looking at it on paper, I still don’t think that even without Rouse you should be any worse than 6 wins. If Casey doesn’t get hurt last year the 2022 team probably accomplishes that. My statement was more about being optimistic that the 2023 Huskers SHOULD be a bowl team.

With the addition of Rouse, I think you can probably say that the over/under win total for 2023 should be placed at 6.5.

If we can’t expect this team to go bowling with 8(?) P5 experienced OL, 2 QBs with 20 starts a piece to their name, 2 experienced RBs, 3 (4 with Betts) experienced WRs who all have caught passes at the P5 level…….?

What more do we need then? If we can’t say this team wins 6 what more needs to happen before we can place some extremely low expectations on the 2023 team?

Calling it now… 8 wins and Matt Rhule shows us in Year 1 that it’s not that hard to have an okay team at Nebraska.

************

Hi gentlemen. With the addition of Ben Scott late last week it got me thinking and asking some people around about the starting OL for 2023.

The most popular idea was that Nebraska wasn’t done adding to its OL for the 2023 season and the starting RT will come from the portal. This isn’t an outlandish idea, but I question the probably of Nebraska being able to go portaling and landing a starting Big Ten tackle. I just don’t see that happening. It took an almost perfect situation for us to land the center we did.

My thought is that we are done adding to the OL for the 2023 season and I’m okay with that to be honest. Here’s why…

I believe the starting OL will look like this:

LT - Teddy Pro (6)
LG - Nouili (10)
C - Ben Scott (30)
RG - Lutovsky (5)
RT - Corcoran (25)

The numbers in parenthesis represent number of P5 starts. Mind you; those are rough numbers and I wasn’t going to go through and find the exact numbers. Further, Nouili started at Colorado St one year and I didn’t count those games. Should those count? Probably some way and somehow. But I didn’t put them in. Also, Luto didn’t start many games, but he played a ton. Do those snaps he got not count because they weren’t the first ones of the game?

Over 70 combined starts for our OL is a ton of experience coming back. Likely the most we’ve had in a very long time.

With the work that @slattimer has done breaking down our most likely offensive identity (those are premium articles and I encourage those who have not to subscribe and read), I am kind of excited about a group that looks like that. I think by week 3 or 4 that we should look pretty good when we run our core running and passing plays.

I’m okay with the idea of adding another OL from the portal, but I’m not sure that person is going to be there. I’d also like to get out of the business of portaling for multiple OL/DL starters per year as well. That’s not to say I wouldn’t agree with it from time to time; I’d like see us manufacture those types of positions ourselves.

I know that many have said Rhule’s first year at other places is always terrible and that point isn’t lost on me. What id say is with 70 combined starts coming back on OL and two multi year starting QBs on your roster, there’s almost no good reason for Rhule to not go bowling in year one.

 

[2010sarenevercomingback]

Hi gentlemen.

Wrong site.

But I otherwise agree with the gist of this. I tend to think the guys we have on the roster will also show a decent amount better by consistently repping a pared down/simplified scheme that will let them go attack, without overthinking it.

The perceived stiffness/lack of ability might dissipate, just like it did on our DL mid-year, when a similar change was made.

 

[LoudHogRider]

@HuskerDocCo and I just want to see the whole dadburned hogmollie squad in Lululemon yoga tights as they do their stretching and flexibility exercises. Because they clearly need to do some of that.

 

[God is a Husker]

Remember when we thought these guys fucking sucked and we haven’t had an OL even close to as good/deep as this group since then.


🙁 feels bad man

 

[Baron Winnebago]

Remember when we thought these guys fucking sucked and we haven’t had an OL even close to as good/deep as this group since then.


🙁 feels bad man

Maybe it's because we haven't had an OL who was man enough to pose shirtless with cock hugging pants on since then

 

[Herbie]

Maybe it's because we haven't had an OL who was man enough to pose shirtless with cock hugging pants on since then

I’m going to need a min

 

[BorWhiskey]

Thanks TC. My uninformed grades.

LT: C+. We don't have a good back-up plan for Teddy so ideally we find someone in the portal or we rely on one of the freshman to fill this out. If Teddy stays healthy all year this would be a higher grade.
1) Teddy Prochazka - 347 snaps, primarily as a LT. His freshman year he was a pretty good but slipped in his pass blocking in year two.
2) Turner Corcoran - 1,620 snaps, primarily as a LT. He's been pretty horrible since his freshman year. He started the year at LG and played pretty well, but Teddy went down, he had to start at LT, and he played horribly. I

LG - B. I think they'll be decent for us. Probably our deepest spot on the OL on paper. And we have the option to move Corcoran here, too if something goes horribly wrong.
1) Nouredin Nouili - 890 snaps, primarily as a LG. He played pretty decently in the past.
2) Ethan Piper - 1,313 snaps, primarily as a LG. Average OL player, but fine for a backup.

C - C+. We feel decent here but the upside of JEJ could push this to a B- or B.
1) Ben Scott - 1,776 snaps, at RT before last year where he moved to C. He played as well as any of our OLmen did last year.
2) Justin Evans-Jenkins - Redshirted so nothing to talk about.

RG - C-. This is probably our worst spot on the OL. Our back-up is likely backing up two spots, and the starter is so-so. If one of the interior lineman in the class challenges for a starting spot, then this position can become deep, but right now the players aren't that good.
1) Henry Lutovsky - 281 snaps, primarily as a RG. He was alright. Nothing special. Cockeye was his best game.
2) Hunter Anthony - 560 snaps, blend between RT and RG. He played better as a guard than a tackle, though. I suspect he'll be backing up both spots

RT - C. We lack depth but I suspect Anthony will back Benhart up at the beginning of the year. My hope is that Gottula has a good spring takes over the backup spot early enough.
1) Bryce Benhart - 1,975 snaps, primarily as a RT. He's been alright for us. About average. And we don't gain much by putting Scott here and having Bryce back him up.
2) Gunnar Gottula

I want Sledge and Maciejczak to get some action this year but keep their redshirt in tact. That way, they are either solid #2s for the guard spots, or they are pushing for a starting gig.

 

[Kaladin]

It would be great if Benhart could get his shit together. He's a three year starter.

LT: Teddy P - 347 snaps
LG: Corcoran - 1620 snaps
C: Scott - 1776 snaps
RG: Nouili - 890 snaps
RT: Benhart - 1975 snaps

Or maybe Piper and Benhart and Corcoran all got their shit together, then we could let Teddy P sit out a year and get fully healed.

LT: Corcoran - 1620 snaps
LG: Nouili - 890 snaps
C: Scott - 1776 snaps
RG: Piper - 1313 snaps
RT: Benhart - 1975 snaps

 

[Turn Down for What]

Corcoran is terrible.

 

[Baron Winnebago]

I would enjoy it if I never saw a player who was 2 or fewer years removed from high school start on the OL again. Luto is a 19 year old with a thick neck, he's no Ross Pierschbacher or one of the other out of the box freaks who starts at Bama. Sit his ass until he's a good lineman

 

[vailhusker]

With Teddy's injury history and Corcoran and Benhart being Corcoran and Benhart. I think they are going to need to find at least one portal OT if possible. I'm sure the plan was to get Corneilus but as soon as they went after him, he blew up and had offers all across the country.

 

[Kaladin]

I would enjoy it if I never saw a player who was 2 or fewer years removed from high school start on the OL again. Luto is a 19 year old with a thick neck, he's no Ross Pierschbacher or one of the other out of the box freaks who starts at Bama. Sit his ass until he's a good lineman

Agreed. I think Teddy P should sit for another year as well.

 

[Tezzer]

Corcoran is terrible.

He's been playing out of position. I think he'll excel at guard.

 

[...TrueColors...]

With Teddy's injury history and Corcoran and Benhart being Corcoran and Benhart. I think they are going to need to find at least one portal OT if possible. I'm sure the plan was to get Corneilus but as soon as they went after him, he blew up and had offers all across the country.

I just don’t know if it’s gonna be an option though.

 

[jw3]

it's going to be bad next year, no doubt about it. they took good high school numbers this year, but no particularly highly ranked kids that are going to help us this year or next. and players good enough to start in the Big Ten don't usually enter the portal. just take our lumps for a year or 2 while the young linemen develop.

as Baron said we've got to stop playing young linemen too early out of necessity, we're continually ruining these guys or causing them to be injured. in order to play OL at this level it takes a certain amount of "old man strength." you look at some of our boys and compare them to Wisconsin or Gophers--their boys have these big old butts and thighs and like barrel chests and ours are just kind of oddly shaped--thin up in the chest and arms, pot bellies, and these awkward little legs that look like they could snap like a twig with a good bull rush.

 

[...TrueColors...]

it's going to be bad next year, no doubt about it. they took good high school numbers this year, but no particularly highly ranked kids that are going to help us this year or next. and players good enough to start in the Big Ten don't usually enter the portal. just take our lumps for a year or 2 while the young linemen develop.

as Baron said we've got to stop playing young linemen too early out of necessity, we're continually ruining these guys or causing them to be injured. in order to play OL at this level it takes a certain amount of "old man strength." you look at some of our boys and compare them to Wisconsin or Gophers--their boys have these big old butts and thighs and like barrel chests and ours are just kind of oddly shaped--thin up in the chest and arms, pot bellies, and these awkward little legs that look like they could snap like a twig with a good bull rush.

There is simply zero reason for Rhule not to be bowl eligible next year. Not buying anything to the contrary at the moment.

 

[Baron Winnebago]

it's going to be bad next year, no doubt about it. they took good high school numbers this year, but no particularly highly ranked kids that are going to help us this year or next. and players good enough to start in the Big Ten don't usually enter the portal. just take our lumps for a year or 2 while the young linemen develop.

as Baron said we've got to stop playing young linemen too early out of necessity, we're continually ruining these guys or causing them to be injured. in order to play OL at this level it takes a certain amount of "old man strength." you look at some of our boys and compare them to Wisconsin or Gophers--their boys have these big old butts and thighs and like barrel chests and ours are just kind of oddly shaped--thin up in the chest and arms, pot bellies, and these awkward little legs that look like they could snap like a twig with a good bull rush.

Walk through every Black church south of the Mason Dixon line and offer the sons of the moms with the fattest asses and thighs. Only then will we MNOLGA

 

[vailhusker]

I just don’t know if it’s gonna be an option though.

I agree that's why I said, if possible, but I do have confidence in the new staff that they will be out using their connections and looking under every rock to find another Cornelius or better type guy and if they can't they are going to have to make what they have work and hopefully with being in their second year with Raiola and additional coaching help from Rhule, Foley and Satterfield they will be able to put an a least serviceable OL together for next season.

 

[Pepe Silvia]

Agreed. I think Teddy P should sit for another year as well.

next year will be his 3rd year in college, waiting 4 years to play someone is not realistic in today's college football. either they have it or they don't and it doesn't take 4 years to find out

 

[vailhusker]

There is simply zero reason for Rhule not to be bowl eligible next year. Not buying anything to the contrary at the moment.

So should have Frost the last couple of years, but here we are.