Spring Practice Notes

Hunter94 said:
Frost was trying to get a pass rusher up to the very end of recruiting, so looks like someone will have to be developed.
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Any chance the new recruit, TY Robinson, is up to the task of getting immediate play time or do you think they will RS him after 4 games? He seems to be the kind of guy that can develop into a Grant Wistrom type rusher.

 
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TGHusker said:
Any chance the new recruit, TY Robinson, is up to the task of getting immediate play time or do you think they will RS him after 4 games? He seems to be the kind of guy that can develop into a Grant Wistrom type rusher.
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I don't think our next great pass rusher will be a d-lineman - they want those guys big. Robinson might play a lot this year, but I wouldn't expect huge sack numbers - it's a pretty short list of 3-4 lineman who get a lot of sacks. Tannor with some weight should be intriguing, he was really light last year.

 
Husker in WI said:
I don't think our next great pass rusher will be a d-lineman - they want those guys big. Robinson might play a lot this year, but I wouldn't expect huge sack numbers - it's a pretty short list of 3-4 lineman who get a lot of sacks.
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Right, in a 3-4 it's usually the OLBs bringing pressure. And, uhh, we kinda whiffed on pass rushing OLBs in this year's recruiting class...

 
Toe said:
Right, in a 3-4 it's usually the OLBs bringing pressure. And, uhh, we kinda whiffed on pass rushing OLBs in this year's recruiting class...
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True, although I don't know if any of the guys we tried to get in the second signing period would've helped this year. I'd say the best chances this year are:

Tannor - has the skill set, and should be at a B1G weight now

Alex Davis - on paper he's exactly what we want, just hasn't really developed into a pass rusher

Ferguson - I think he's more of the cover OLB, but he'll be on the field for sure

David Alston - probably a year or two away, but if he put on wright fast enough I could see him breaking out

Dixon - Probably too undersized to be a consistent rusher, but could be an x-factor as an occasional blitzer

Garrett Nelson - Decent size off the bat and definitely has the motor. Also here for spring ball which helps.

Jamin Graham - Seems pretty raw, but athletically what we're looking for.

Quayshon Alexander/Pernell Jefferson - long shots, but maybe the new staff and an extra year of S&C are what they needed.

So there are definitely bodies, but as far as this year goes all of those are long shots outside of Tannor. Down the road a bit as Alston/Nelson/Graham/new guys develop behind Tannor, I feel a lot better. Pass rushing is just way more difficult in college than in high school, there aren't many guys who can jump right in as a freshman.

 
SouthLincoln Husker said:
Plus there maybe someone to come out of the portal, if Frost thinks we need the help.
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If you go back & watch Frost's press conference after the early signing day, someone asked him if there's any particular areas they wanted to focus on during the late recruiting period, and the first words out of his mouth were 'pass rushing OLB'. And then we ended up striking out on it. So I'd imagine it's still something that's an area of concern for him.

I'm thinking that in spring camp, to at least some extent they'll be in 'throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks' mode, trying some guys from other positions at OLB and see how they do.

 
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Toe said:
If you go back & watch Frost's press conference after the early signing day, someone asked him if there's any particular areas they wanted to focus on during the late recruiting period, and the first words out of his mouth were 'pass rushing OLB'. And then we ended up striking out on it. So I'd imagine it's still something that's an area of concern for him.

I'm thinking that in spring camp, to at least some extent they'll be in 'throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks' mode, trying some guys from other positions at OLB and see how they do.
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I'm hoping Dixon steps into that role. Maybe JoJo?  I know he's still a safety (and with lack of experience there) maybe stays, but showed some serious flashes in his playing time last year.

 
The mobile QB has changed the way teams can rush the passer in the past 20 years. Yes, a great pass rush is important, but it’s not as easy as the rush ends or OLB’s pinning their ears back and meeting at the QB. Shoot, even when the ‘97 D faced a mobile QB in Corby Jones for Missouri, Jones torched Nebraska by scrambling and making plays downfield. 

 
ColoradoHusk said:
The mobile QB has changed the way teams can rush the passer in the past 20 years. Yes, a great pass rush is important, but it’s not as easy as the rush ends or OLB’s pinning their ears back and meeting at the QB. Shoot, even when the ‘97 D faced a mobile QB in Corby Jones for Missouri, Jones torched Nebraska by scrambling and making plays downfield. 
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You really have to have contain in mind, especially against teams that are already limiting numbers in the box. 5 or 6 man box with a back releasing often spells a big play if the QB breaks contain.

Another thing that has changed is how fast the ball gets out of a QB’s hands. We are no longer talking 7 step drops out of max protect. 

Neither of these things makes an outside pass rush irrelevant, but both are heavily aided by inside pressure. It’s the shortest path, and collapsing the pocket limits the QBs escape possibility. If you got someone that can force that center back, QBs get very nervous. That forces a guard to help, and then the defense has options.

The big problem last year was when those other things went well, we didn’t have an OLB that could beat a tackle.

 
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