Portal Transfer Targets

Decked said:
We have two special teams guys in Bleekrode & Boomschini. Devin Drew at .82 is a bad rating by 247 sports. Those are three starters. You’re focused on the wrong thing. 
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Toe said:
What's more worrisome to me is the quality of the guys. We took a lot of guys, which got us up on the ranking, but most of them aren't exactly stars. Look at that average rating column - there's only one other team in the top 25 that's that low.
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Time will tell but the portal for Nebraska has been more positive than negative this year. The only guy who left that was key is AM but I think we upgraded. We also upgraded on Rogers and Payne. Also have a few previous years guys who could start like Martin and Johnson. 

Casey Thompson: Starting QB

Ochaun Mathis: Starting DE/OLB

Trey Palmer: Starting WR

Devin Drew: Starting DL

Timmy Bleekrode: Starting Kicker 

Brian Buschini: Starting Punter 

Chubba Purdy: Backup QB and will start when CT leaves 

Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda: Backup WR that will see a lot of PT if healthy 

Kevin Williams: Backup OL that could break into a starting spot

Hunter Anthony: Backup OL that could break into a starting spot

Tommi Hill:  Backup DB that could break into a starting spot

Omar Brown:  Backup DB that could break into a starting spot

 
BIG ERN said:
Chubba Purdy: Backup QB and will start when CT leaves
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Toe said:
What's more worrisome to me is the quality of the guys. We took a lot of guys, which got us up on the ranking, but most of them aren't exactly stars. Look at that average rating column - there's only one other team in the top 25 that's that low.
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Exactly. The problem is that very time we land a transfer the local media (and even 247) hypes it up like the player is a future NFL All Pro/HOFer... but when you look in comparison to other teams, it's not all that impressive... it's the same with recruiting

 
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Toe said:
How many of these guys do you honestly see as an actual upgrade over what we had last year? Other than the special teams guys, the only one I'd say is a definite upgrade is Mathis. Rose-colored optimism glasses off, the rest are mostly side-grades. And I sure don't see as much help for the O line as we need coming in.
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Thompson potentially, Boomschini, Bleekrode, Mathis, Williams could be a potential good player. One of Brown/Hill may not be second rounder material but quite good. I think Purdy is a better backup than Smothers at this point last year. I would argue the receiver room if they add Washington from Texas is getting 3 serviceable players with Castenada & Palmer. Less Belt/Liewer situations. Better as a unit than last year. 
 

Not all of these guys are immediate starters some will be depth guys. We needed the depth especially in the DL, OL, & WR rooms. I think a lot of these positions could be purely upgraded by having better coaches and similar quality talent as last year. 

 
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Toe said:
What's more worrisome to me is the quality of the guys. We took a lot of guys, which got us up on the ranking, but most of them aren't exactly stars. Look at that average rating column - there's only one other team in the top 25 that's that low.
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BIG ERN beat me to it:

BIG ERN said:
Time will tell but the portal for Nebraska has been more positive than negative this year. The only guy who left that was key is AM but I think we upgraded. We also upgraded on Rogers and Payne. Also have a few previous years guys who could start like Martin and Johnson. 

Casey Thompson: Starting QB

Ochaun Mathis: Starting DE/OLB

Trey Palmer: Starting WR

Devin Drew: Starting DL

Timmy Bleekrode: Starting Kicker 

Brian Buschini: Starting Punter 

Chubba Purdy: Backup QB and will start when CT leaves 

Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda: Backup WR that will see a lot of PT if healthy 

Kevin Williams: Backup OL that could break into a starting spot

Hunter Anthony: Backup OL that could break into a starting spot

Tommi Hill:  Backup DB that could break into a starting spot

Omar Brown:  Backup DB that could break into a starting spot
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Could be as many as 7 to 9 starters directly from the transfer portal, plus a host of other guys who will factor into the 2 or 3 deep rotation. And another at least solid rotation guy if you consider Anthony Grant who is a JUCO transfer. I'd say that's a successful class of transfers. Of course now they all have to put together a cohesive and quality product to put on the field.

 
ActualCornHusker said:
Could be as many as 7 to 9 starters directly from the transfer portal, plus a host of other guys who will factor into the 2 or 3 deep rotation. And another at least solid rotation guy if you consider Anthony Grant who is a JUCO transfer. I'd say that's a successful class of transfers. Of course now they all have to put together a cohesive and quality product to put on the field.
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I am optimistic and think we did pretty dang good in the portal this year.  The real problem is in your last sentence...  Trying to get that many new guys to gel in just a few months is pretty hard, especially when they are joining a team that has struggled to perform in the last few years.  Building early confidence will be key imo.    

 
Hilltop said:
I am optimistic and think we did pretty dang good in the portal this year.  The real problem is in your last sentence...  Trying to get that many new guys to gel in just a few months is pretty hard, especially when they are joining a team that has struggled to perform in the last few years.  Building early confidence will be key imo.    
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You could also look at it that perhaps the psyche that caused this team to lose all those close games last year can hopefully be erased with all the new pieces in place, especially at prominent positions (starting QB specifically)

 
floridacorn said:
JoJo was IMO significantly better last season than the season before, so I agree, his play will be hard to replace, but his versatility is going to be perhaps even more challenging to replace.  

Nobody else currently in that role is going to play nickel and seamlessly slide up to 3-4 OLB versus a power or jumbo formation.  

And, is that even part of the defense currently?  That role may slide into a true 4-3 Will now, I don't think we'll know till we see it.  Even still, outside of Kolarevic, I don't see any of these guys holding up in the box whether at Will or on the edge.  

I would still like to see somebody with corner skills like a Buford at Nickel on true passing situations, but they seem determined to make it an every down role and I didn't particularly even love seeing JoJo caught in man vs a post or seam from time to time.   
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This is spot on. I think a big part of why our "4-2-5" D worked last year was because team's couldn't punish the light box because our "nickelback" could also moonlight as an outside linebacker if people went heavy personnel against us. I think that's potentially a big issue but it also might not matter much because basically everyone lives in 11 personnel now. Gifford seems like he's a good coverage player, too, so I don't know how I feel.

 
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