Nebraska OL: The Lost Art Is Returning Soon

BIG ERN

BIG ERN

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To compete in the B10 it is vital that we sport a good offensive line - something we have not done well for a decade now. I can finally see where we start to dictate the line of scrimmage in the near future. You can call it potential or say they are being hyped up, but as long as Austin knows how to coach we will see a dominating OL like none we've seen this century. Kids are also given a free season this year that doesn't count towards eligibility. 

Yes, we will have the best OL Nebraska has seen in 25 years very shortly. 

OT: Corcoran (FR), Teddy (21' FR)
OG: Piper (rFR)

  C: Jurgens (SO)

OG: Hutmacher (FR) or Nouili (SO) if Nash stays on DL

OT: Benhart (rFR), Banks (rFR)

I'm aware these aren't the starters for this season.

 
Absolutely. I think it was Milt Tenopir that said "we recruit on bone structure." In other words, Osborne's coaches knew how to recognize a kid's physical genetic potential to put on lean mass and build off of their natural strength.

Benhart, Banks, Corcoran, Piper, Jurgens, Hutmacher...these are big guys. They have the potential to be real monsters.

It's hard to say how many seasons it takes to get them totally physically ready at that genetic potential from Duvall's efforts in the weight room and then the training table. I think next year we start to bully the mid-tier teams in the trenches with our OL.

 
BIG ERN said:
To compete in the B10 it is vital that we sport a good offensive line - something we have not done well for a decade now. I can finally see where we start to dictate the line of scrimmage in the near future. You can call it potential or say they are being hyped up, but as long as Austin knows how to coach we will see a dominating OL like none we've seen this century. Kids are also given a free season this year that doesn't count towards eligibility. 

Yes, we will have the best OL Nebraska has seen in 25 years very shortly. 

OT: Corcoran (FR), Teddy (21' FR)
OG: Piper (rFR)

  C: Jurgens (SO)

OG: Hutmacher (FR) or Nouili (SO) if Nash stays on DL

OT: Benhart (rFR), Banks (rFR)

I'm aware these aren't the starters for this season.
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I don't disagree.  But, I got a chuckle out of how you went from 10 years....to 20 years...to 25 years.....

 
I think we have seen an uptick in recruiting on the O-line recently. Not only based on rankings but in body type (as mentioned above) as well. I think it will be interesting to see Corcoran's development and where he slots in this year and next. He is one of the highest rated recruits but he might be a better fit at guard then tackle (seemed to really thrive at guard in the all-star game). If he does get some pt this year I would anticipate it would be at guard. I project the line will look as follows: 

2020

LT - Jaimes / Banks / Corcoran

LG - Wilson / Piper (Piper will get a few series a game)

C - Jurgens / Farniok

RG - Farniok / Hixon or Nouili  

RT - Benhart / Gaylord

2021

LT - Corcoran / Banks  / (Teddy will redshirt)

LG - Piper / Lynn

C - Jurgens / Farniok

RG - Nouili / Hixson 

RT - Benhart / E. Miller

 
I'm also excited for the OLine in the future, but only one of those guys has seen meaningful snaps. I'm actually pretty high on this year's group if somebody can step up at LG - I think Farniok and Jaimes are better than a lot of fans realize, Farniok can just look really bad dealing with speed. Which he won't have to do much this year! 

For the future the guys you listed are exciting, and what has me more optimistic is the depth behind them. We've still occasionally turned out some decent lineman, but seems like we've always been filling gaps in the two deep with guys who either aren't ready or just aren't Big Ten caliber linemen. But in addition to your list, Ezra Miller was highly rated as a recruit. Lynn and Fritzsche are lottery tickets with the right size. And I really like Lutovsky coming in as well. We couldn't afford anyone going down last year, and this year it would probably still be a significant setback. But moving forward, we're better equipped to plug in the next man.

 
And this is a pretty "Captain Obvious" statement and not at all profound, but one thing that should be mentioned is the overall culture and drive that a program or position room has.

I still think Frost has a tough battle in getting this program into a mindset where everybody is buying into and believing that we can be the best team in the country - if everybody works hard enough.

That element is absolutely completely missing right now. As in, not just "kind of" missing; it's completely absent. Our offensive line room needs that motivation, fire, and belief, and I think that starts with Greg Austin.

Probably will take some fire for this comment but in my opinion, Austin actually has a ton to prove as a coach.

 
bugeater17 said:
I think we have seen an uptick in recruiting on the O-line recently. Not only based on rankings but in body type (as mentioned above) as well. I think it will be interesting to see Corcoran's development and where he slots in this year and next. He is one of the highest rated recruits but he might be a better fit at guard then tackle (seemed to really thrive at guard in the all-star game). If he does get some pt this year I would anticipate it would be at guard. I project the line will look as follows: 

2020

LT - Jaimes / Banks / Corcoran

LG - Wilson / Piper (Piper will get a few series a game)

C - Jurgens / Farniok

RG - Farniok / Hixon or Nouili  

RT - Benhart / Gaylord

2021

LT - Corcoran / Banks  / (Teddy will redshirt)

LG - Piper / Lynn

C - Jurgens / Farniok

RG - Nouili / Hixson 

RT - Benhart / E. Miller
Click to expand...
That is a good looking 20' and 21' group.  I could even see Corcoran sliding to guard to get Banks on the field.  

 
Undone said:
And this is a pretty "Captain Obvious" statement and not at all profound, but one thing that should be mentioned is the overall culture and drive that a program or position room has.

I still think Frost has a tough battle in getting this program into a mindset where everybody is buying into and believing that we can be the best team in the country - if everybody works hard enough.

That element is absolutely completely missing right now. As in, not just "kind of" missing; it's completely absent. Our offensive line room needs that motivation, fire, and belief, and I think that starts with Greg Austin.

Probably will take some fire for this comment but in my opinion, Austin actually has a ton to prove as a coach.
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I think Austin will build a better line now with better building blocks.  Give him a couple years. I thot 2020 would be a good jump year before we lost 11 months to covid shutdown.  O line is a slow, endurance type process and a big interruption will show - our opponents have some issues too - but defense is about strength, quickness and aggression while O line is about coordination, unity, symmetry and timing and finesse at the same time.  O line is the hardest position group to form into a cohesive functioning system imo.  

 
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Remember how the Pelini and Riley staffs had such a hard time recruiting elite high school OT's? It doesn't seem to be a problem for this staff with Benhart, Corcoran and Teddy. If we are looking for signs that things are about to finally change this is one huge indicator, IMO.

Benhart: 65th Best Prospect in 2019 according to 247 (couldn't find his Rivals rank)

Corcoran: 64th Best Prospect in 2020 (Rivals Top 100 player)

Teddy: 64th Best Prospect in 2021 (Rivals Top 100 player)

 
DayByDayHusker said:
Remember how the Pelini and Riley staffs had such a hard time recruiting elite high school OT's? It doesn't seem to be a problem for this staff with Benhart, Corcoran and Teddy. If we are looking for signs that things are about to finally change this is one huge indicator, IMO.

Benhart: 65th Best Prospect in 2019 according to 247 (couldn't find his Rivals rank)

Corcoran: 64th Best Prospect in 2020 (Rivals Top 100 player)

Teddy: 64th Best Prospect in 2021 (Rivals Top 100 player)
Click to expand...
I agree.  It always seemed like we had to move our best guards to tackles and struggle to then have good guards.  The tackles weren't playing well because they were out of position which they could have succeeded if they were inside.

FYI...Benhart was 139th nationally on Rivals, which I think still is pretty darn good.  Not sure why he is around the same ranking as the other two on 247 but farther down on Rivals.

 
DayByDayHusker said:
Remember how the Pelini and Riley staffs had such a hard time recruiting elite high school OT's? It doesn't seem to be a problem for this staff with Benhart, Corcoran and Teddy. If we are looking for signs that things are about to finally change this is one huge indicator, IMO.

Benhart: 65th Best Prospect in 2019 according to 247 (couldn't find his Rivals rank)

Corcoran: 64th Best Prospect in 2020 (Rivals Top 100 player)

Teddy: 64th Best Prospect in 2021 (Rivals Top 100 player)
Click to expand...


Not trying to take anything away from the current coaches but it does help that two of those guys were within driving distance of Lincoln - and not in Iowa's backyard - which has rarely been the case.

 
Mavric said:
Not trying to take anything away from the current coaches but it does help that two of those guys were within driving distance of Lincoln - and not in Iowa's backyard - which has rarely been the case.
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Hopefully they can develop them into monsters so good tackles elsewhere can see that we a place to play and be great.  

 
BIG ERN said:
To compete in the B10 it is vital that we sport a good offensive line - something we have not done well for a decade now. I can finally see where we start to dictate the line of scrimmage in the near future. You can call it potential or say they are being hyped up, but as long as Austin knows how to coach we will see a dominating OL like none we've seen this century. Kids are also given a free season this year that doesn't count towards eligibility. 

Yes, we will have the best OL Nebraska has seen in 25 years very shortly. 

OT: Corcoran (FR), Teddy (21' FR)
OG: Piper (rFR)

  C: Jurgens (SO)

OG: Hutmacher (FR) or Nouili (SO) if Nash stays on DL

OT: Benhart (rFR), Banks (rFR)

I'm aware these aren't the starters for this season.
Click to expand...


I agree there has been a lost art with the OL performing real well with the running game.  That was our thing for sure. I agree that it would be nice to see the OL get after it again.  Seems that part of the OL diminished greatly with HCMR and Cavanaugh.

But truthfully we haven't exactly lost an art form with pass pro, because that part hasn't been consistently good the past 10-15 seasons.  Some days are better than others, some years better than others.  But not consistently an art form for sure.  I bet we can get there.  I am hopeful that this season shows us that we are on the right track with the OL handling both duties well (run and passpro).  Once we get on track, it should only get better and better.  

 
admo said:
I agree there has been a lost art with the OL performing real well with the running game.  That was our thing for sure. I agree that it would be nice to see the OL get after it again.  Seems that part of the OL diminished greatly with HCMR and Cavanaugh.
Click to expand...


I think this is pretty accurate.  People liked to mock Beck but he put together a pretty consistent top-shelf rushing attack - usually Top 10 in the nation.  We weren't great passers but that's also not the strong suit of TMartinez or Armstrong.

Cav literally said he didn't care about anyone past the starting five.  So it's not exactly surprising that development was terrible for a few years.

 
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