***The 2020 Offensive Line***

[84HuskerLaw]

Theyve added some rated recruits and I think our 1st string should be improved this year but the depth remains ify.  We needed spring practice to get to where we had most of a second string.   Hope they get there by game 3.  

Id like to add 4 more high 3/low 4 star to the numbers this class.  But probably tough to do. 

Gotta win some this year. 

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Theyve added some rated recruits and I think our 1st string should be improved this year but the depth remains ify.  We needed spring practice to get to where we had most of a second string.   Hope they get there by game 3.  

Id like to add 4 more high 3/low 4 star to the numbers this class.  But probably tough to do. 

Gotta win some this year. 

IIRC, there were 5 or 6 o-linemen who redshirted as true freshmen in 2019. Yes, a full spring practice would have helped them, but they will definitely be counted on being the 2nd and 3rd string linemen in 2020. Will Farniok will return to be backup center, as well. 

 

[HuskermanMike]

How I see it this year

Starters

LT Jameis  *LG Wilson *C Jurgens   *RG Farniok * RT Benhart

2nd String

LT Brant Banks- LG Ethan Piper- C Will Farniok - RG Broc Bando-  RT Christian Gaylord

Noulii somewhere in 2nd string, could replace Bando but it will depend on his eligibility status.

A couple things to go with this

1. I do not see Wilson  being a backup with those amount of starts. Ethan Piper could be really good but I haven't seen enough to unseat him just yet.

2.Trent Hixon might not play much this year. I think the younger guys will just be better. I remember one game last year he got thrown to the ground. One play doesn't define him and I hope he improves and proves me wrong. 

3. We will replace a lot of starters next year but the amount of depth and talent on the line excites me more than anything. We legit could have a multitude of dudes available to rotate in.

4. I hope Gaylord is healthy enough for a senior day start.  If Benhart struggles I could see Gaylord rotate in on occasion while Austin coaches him up on the sideline. 

5. I like our numbers on the o-line and it will be fun to watch these guys grow and complete for starting spots down the road. 

 

[WVhuskerXX]

How I see it this year

Starters

LT Jameis  *LG Wilson *C Jurgens   *RG Farniok * RT Benhart

2nd String

LT Brant Banks- LG Ethan Piper- C Will Farniok - RG Broc Bando-  RT Christian Gaylord

Noulii somewhere in 2nd string, could replace Bando but it will depend on his eligibility status.

A couple things to go with this

1. I do not see Wilson  being a backup with those amount of starts. Ethan Piper could be really good but I haven't seen enough to unseat him just yet.

2.Trent Hixon might not play much this year. I think the younger guys will just be better. I remember one game last year he got thrown to the ground. One play doesn't define him and I hope he improves and proves me wrong. 

3. We will replace a lot of starters next year but the amount of depth and talent on the line excites me more than anything. We legit could have a multitude of dudes available to rotate in.

4. I hope Gaylord is healthy enough for a senior day start.  If Benhart struggles I could see Gaylord rotate in on occasion while Austin coaches him up on the sideline. 

5. I like our numbers on the o-line and it will be fun to watch these guys grow and complete for starting spots down the road. 

That may be so. However, he will need to play better than last year if he wants to keep his spot. Lots of young guys will be on his heels.

 

[Mavric]

[No message]

 

[suh_fan93]

[No message]

 

[Toe]

@suh_fan93 Wrong thread, this is about the *2020* offensive line! :dumdum

5th overall, but that's still only good enough for 3rd in conference. 4 of the top 10 on that list are in the B1G, and another "just missed the cut." Sure hope we'll have a DL to match!

 

[suh_fan93]

@suh_fan93 Wrong thread, this is about the *2020* offensive line! :dumdum

5th overall, but that's still only good enough for 3rd in conference. 4 of the top 10 on that list are in the B1G, and another "just missed the cut." Sure hope we'll have a DL to match!

Still OL related but that's just the thing.  We do play in the B1G which is a damn tough conference especially from a recruiting standpoint.  I just hope Frost and co can continue recruiting and getting commitments from some of the better o linemen out there as well as the skill positions.

 

[flatwaterfan]

How I see it this year

1. I do not see Wilson  being a backup with those amount of starts. Ethan Piper could be really good but I haven't seen enough to unseat him just yet.

I understand your point about Wilson's experience with all those starts.  It's a good point.   

One problem though is I believe Wilson is much better at being a run blocker than he is in pass-pro.   It's one of the reasons why Hixson was on the left and West on the right to begin with.   Plus all his experience is on that right side so that's why I see him staying there.    Also,  the coaches have made an effort to get lineman who are tall and have long arms that are athletic.  They have a 'type'  and I think they will try to fit that type on the left side as much as they can.   Now Piper and Nouili aren't the tallest guys but they are athletic so they fit more or less.   Perhaps Bando is a guy that is in play at LG  too? 

 

[Mavric]

[No message]

 

[Undone]

5th overall, but that's still only good enough for 3rd in conference. 4 of the top 10 on that list are in the B1G, and another "just missed the cut." Sure hope we'll have a DL to match!

Still, we're a program that has gone 4-8, 4-8, & 5-7 the last three seasons. Things are so dismal at this juncture that I'll take anything I can get.

Just having above average O-linemen combined with decent QB play and slightly-above-average running back play in and of themselves probably turns us into a team capable of going 7-5 in any given season.

 

[84HuskerLaw]

Still, we're a program that has gone 4-8, 4-8, & 5-7 the last three seasons. Things are so dismal at this juncture that I'll take anything I can get.

Just having above average O-linemen combined with decent QB play and slightly-above-average running back play in and of themselves probably turns us into a team capable of going 7-5 in any given season.

Probably not playing this fall but should we, the O line should be about middle of Big ten level (top 40 nationally or so). QB BETTER be top 15 nationally or Adrian is #2.  And WRs, RBs - middle of Big Ten and top 25 or so.  TEs similar.  

Get average STs and top 35 defense = top 30ish team.  That is atleast 7-5 or 8-4 even with  big ten slate like ours.  

 

[Undone]

Probably not playing this fall but should we, the O line should be about middle of Big ten level (top 40 nationally or so).

40th nationally in terms of overall quality of play? No possible chance, sir. No way.

Probably difficult to attain even next year.

 

[Husker in WI]

Probably not playing this fall but should we, the O line should be about middle of Big ten level (top 40 nationally or so). QB BETTER be top 15 nationally or Adrian is #2.  And WRs, RBs - middle of Big Ten and top 25 or so.  TEs similar.  

Get average STs and top 35 defense = top 30ish team.  That is atleast 7-5 or 8-4 even with  big ten slate like ours.  

A similar way I was thinking about this the other day is for each position, what is the starter's ceiling? Obviously that's a little subjective, and can change - nobody would've pegged Abdullah as an all-american coming in. But based on performance and some of their recruiting rankings, I think we can see that for quite a few players. This also wouldn't be the 99th percentile outcome for the ceiling (most players could turn out to be incredible), but something like 90th. The way I see it, ceilings for the offense are something like this:

Martinez - All-American

Mills - All-Conference

Wan'Dale - All-American

Manning - too early to say, potentially All-American type talent but lets say All-Conference because we really don't know much

Warner - Decent starter

Stoll/Allen - Decent Starters

Jaimes - All-Conference 

Farniok - Decent starter (maybe All-Conference at Guard, but that's probably a stretch)

Jurgens - All-Conference

Wilson - Decent Starter

Benhart - All-Conference

Again, not to say they are playing at or will reach those levels. And guys can outperform these, but this is how I see their realistic ceilings. Still a lot of guys starting who probably won't come close to even 3rd team All-Conference, which isn't where we want to be. But even by next year, I expect every starter to be talented enough to think about them being All-Conference players.

40th nationally in terms of overall quality of play? No possible chance, sir. No way.

Probably difficult to attain even next year.

I don't think 40th is too much of a stretch, top third nationally? We've got the experience and by end of last year I'd say we were close to that level on the OLine. And I expect them to be better this year. 

 

[Undone]

A similar way I was thinking about this the other day is for each position, what is the starter's ceiling?

I like your exercise there - that's a fun little offseason thought experiment.

I'll be really honest: I think Martinez's absolute ceiling at this point is second team all-conference. Same with Mills.

I'd peg Wan'Dale's & Jaimes' at first team all-conference.

For anybody who hasn't played a down of live football under Frost yet, it's one of these guys for me -->  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯