DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD
Perhaps no position gives Huskers fans cause for concern for 2018 than the defensive backfield. As fans discuss their concerns regarding the defensive backfield, they tend to speak in generalities about this group as it were one big group—with one big story to tell. In fact, the stories at CB and safety are decidedly different.
Whereas safety has some immediate depth and perhaps some quality within that depth, injuries are a big part of the story. Also, it is going be hit fairly hard by graduation next year. Meanwhile, CB has little depth and virtually no proven quality within the little depth that exists. Meanwhile, graduation will not be an issue after this season
Let’s take a closer look at the players.
CORNERBACK
In the season that completely derailed, one of the first body blows suffered by the team last year was the loss of senior CB Chris Jones before the start of the season. Perhaps our top NFL prospect at the time, his loss was keenly felt and one could argue that the defense never recovered. With the loss of our one true “cover” corner, new defensive coordinator Bob Diaco tried to coddle the remaining CBs by having them give 10 yard cushions to opposing receivers. The results were predictably awful.
Perhaps Diaco was hoping he could bring the “kids” along slowly and rely on some experience at safety. Unfortunately, the injuries began to mount at safety and when considering the Huskers anemic pass rush, the recipe for disaster was cooking up nicely. Speaking of the pass rush, fans last year debated if the horrid DB play was a result of the poor pass rush or vice versa. The skeptical fan would say “both.” Unfortunately, the skeptical fan is probably right. The pass rush was poor, but to be truthful, receivers were so wide open so fast, any pass rush couldn’t possibly be effective anyway.
So the good news and the bad news are one in the same. Aside from the injured Chris Jones, everybody else is back this year.
To make matters worse, perhaps no position was hurt more in recruiting by the coaching change then the CB position. Husker fans watched as three highly touted CBs decommitted and it soon became obvious that immediate freshman help might not happen (although Frost did sign two nice prospects eventually). Without an immediate impact freshman, fans were further disappointed by a lack of JUCO CBs signed (although Deontai Williams “could” play there.)
But finally, Nebraska landed a transfer CB to help out the secondary early in the summer. Junior Will Jackson arrives in fall camp with plenty of promise as well as expectations. Jackson is said to look the part, he has good size and intangibles. He will undoubtedly be given every opportunity to make an immediate impact at the position.
If Will Jackson is as good as advertised, the prospects for a successful season improve considerably. There are three basic holdovers at the CB position from last year. The hope is that Coach Frost and staff have some magic key that can unlock some yet untapped potential from the holdovers. If Will Jackson can lock down one spot, finding hidden gold from one of three players is quite a bit less daunting then finding hidden gold from two of three players.
The first of the three holdovers is junior Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson has plenty of talent and skills. He has even been compared to Deion Sanders. Unfortunately, it is because he tackles like Deion Sanders, not because he covers like Deion. Lamar Jackson was an extremely popular recruit in his class, but unfortunately the act has worn thin. Jackson is perceived as extremely flaky, annoying fans with constant chatter about leaving after his junior year to go to the NFL. One would think he would concern himself with being a marginally proficient college player before fantasizing about an NFL career. The new staff (much like the old staff) has challenged Jackson to work to get better. The talent is there although some fans think he would be a better safety—but that boat has sailed.
Perhaps no play illustrated his “tackling” ability then a play last year. On this play, Jackson approached a ball carrier and instead of laying a lick on the runner, he gently shoved the player as if to push him out of bounds. Unfortunately, they weren’t anywhere near the sidelines. The player rambled down the field. For a fan base that prides toughness, plays like that are hard to swallow. Reportedly, he had a very promising spring camp. But skeptical fans have heard that before. And some skeptics point out that you can’t teach someone to tackle if he doesn’t have it in him. But perhaps that out of bounds play illustrates that Jackson lacks field awareness and some basic instincts. Confidence could also be an issue in spite of his bravado about leaving early for the NFL. Perhaps with some solid coaching . . . well, we shall see. Almost any improvement would be welcome. Perhaps if he can get an early interception to gain some confidence. He did have an interception in the spring game, although it was easy pick—something like that might help to kick start some positive momentum for the young man.
Next up is another once promising prospect, redshirt junior Eric Lee Jr. Lee arrived in the spring several years ago brimming with promise but stuck behind a rather deep group of holdovers. He seemed to fall off the radar until last year when he was said to have a great fall and spring camp. When the season started, he was lined up 10 yards from the receivers and just never looked comfortable. Confidence was said to be one of his issues. Perhaps having a DC set him up to give a 10 yard cushion on every play wasn’t the greatest vote of confidence the kid could have asked for. At this point, fans just aren’t sure about Lee. I’m not sure he showed as badly as Jackson did at times, but the problem is he just never seemed to flash on the field. Even Jackson flashed at times. Perhaps there is some talent in Lee that hasn’t been uncovered. Or perhaps fans need to lower their expectations and accept that Lee may be a decent “depth guy” at best and not a top end defender. In any case, Lee will probably get another chance to prove himself at some point this year. However, he is in danger of being left behind for good.
The third holdover from last year is a player that might turn out to be a decent bet. Redshirt sophomore Dicaprio Bootle has plenty of speed and has flashed some solid run support tackling ability at times. Bootle was behind the other two CBs early last year but started to earn some serious playing time and even started at safety against Ohio State. Unfortunately, Bootle was injured much of the second half last year. To make matters worse, Bootle missed this years’ Spring Game with an injury although he was said to have had a good spring. Obviously, Bootle needs to stay healthy and hopefully he can benefit from the new scheme and coaching staff. Fans have somewhat forgotten about Bootle. But like the others, he will likely get an opportunity at some point during the season if not sooner than later.
Outside of the transfer and the three holdovers, is there anything else there? Well, although the cupboard isn’t complete bare, it isn’t exactly overflowing either. First the returning players. Redshirt Sophomore Tony Butler moved from safety to CB last year and saw some action particularly on special teams. However, his somnambulant roughing the punter penalty against Iowa last year wasn’t exactly a stirring moment. He would have to show some major improvement to be a factor. Redshirt junior Avery Anderson arrived with Eric Lee Jr. with almost as much fanfare during the same spring. He has moved back and forth between safety and CB and seems equally unimpressive at both. He simply has never developed.
One returning player who might actually have a chance to contribute in a positive way is walk on redshirt junior Jeremiah Stovall. Now, I’m not saying he will help us win a championship, but he does have some skills and might be counted upon if injuries cut too deep. He did see the field last year (played some safety as well) and did some nice things on special teams. Unfortunately, he was injured during spring ball so fans didn’t get a chance to see him in the new scheme.
Another walk on, redshirt freshman Ethan Cox was said to have impressed the coaching staff in the spring. He may be worth keeping an eye on.
So that leaves us with the newbys. The bad news is, the Huskers lost out on most of the recruits who were believed to be “instant-impact” type freshmen. The good news is that Coach Frost managed to get commitments from a pair of very nice prospects—Cam Taylor and Braxton Clark. Although both players were thought by some fans to need some development time, there is some hope that Cam Taylor may surprise some folks and be ready sooner than expected. If so, that would be a tremendous development. Taylor was a quarterback in high school and has tremendous athletic skills. Meanwhile Clark is a tall and rangy CB with long strides and a physical style. Don’t be surprised if both freshmen work their way into the rotation this year although it would be nice if the holdovers could hold things down enough that at least one of the freshmen could redshirt.
One other incoming freshman note, walk on RB Moses Bryant is reportedly starting out at CB. Bryant is a remarkable athlete for a walk on. It is speculated that he could take reps at both CB and RB. Certainly a scholarship caliber player, grades caused many colleges from backing away from his recruitment. A popular player amongst fans, his development should be interesting to watch.
Another possibility would be to move JUCO sophomore Deontai Williams to CB. Personally, I don’t see that happening as Williams has looked great at safety and would be another unknown at CB.
For better or worse in 2019, the entire gang is back—assuming of course that Lamar Jackson doesn’t leave early for the NFL. Obviously, if players step forward in 2018, the prospects for 2019 look much, much greener. If not, JUCO, JUCO, JUCO.
In 2020, graduation starts to effect this position. Lamar Jackson, Will Jackson, Eric Lee Jr., Avery Anderson, and Jeremiah Stovall will all be gone. Bootle and Butler will still be here and by then the staff will possibly know if they struck gold in Cam Taylor and Braxton Clark. It remains to be seen if Moses Bryant is still a CB and if he is a player there.
Look for the staff to take a couple of CB’s each year and possibly a JUCO (or two) in each of the next two years depending on the development of the younger players.
SAFETY
The battle for both safety positions is wide open and up for grabs. There is returning talent, a JUCO that was here in the spring, and some serious incoming talent in the fall. Let’s start with the returning talent.
Under normal circumstances, senior Aaron Williams would be coming into the season as an undisputed leader of the secondary with hopes of having a great year. Unfortunately, Williams is battling injuries and there is concern that his shoulder may pose issues all year long. When healthy, the multi-year starter, Williams is a smart heady safety—a quarterback of the defense type of player. As it stands, his status is unclear. How much can he play? How effective will he be when he plays?
Another key returning player, senior Antonio Reed is more of a strong safety, big-hit kind of player. Unfortunately, injuries have always been an issue for Reed. Last year, Reed battled injuries and was one of the most effective players when healthy early in the year. But as the year wore on, the injuries began to take their toll and Reed became less and less effective. Not much was said about Reed in the spring—so it is hard to get a read on where he stands in the new scheme.
The next key returning player is redshirt sophomore Marquel Dismuke. Injuries allowed Dismuke to see the field sooner than expected last year and by most accounts, Dismuke more than held his own. As his playing time increased, his productivity increased as Dismuke recorded solid tackle numbers and a key fumble recovery. Dismuke is a good athlete but the knock on him is that he isn’t exactly a weight room warrior. He needs to get stronger. Also, many of tackles are of the downfield variety. It remains to be seen if he has more “big play” ability. Like Reed, not much was said about Dismuke during the spring. Again, it is hard to say where he is in the coaches plans.
Another returning player is redshirt sophomore JoJo Dohmann, who after two ACL injuries is back and practicing. After serving on special teams as a freshman, Dohmann was poised to fight for a starting job last year when his season was lost by his first ACL injury. Then in rehab, he suffered a severe setback and some thought he might not ever make it back. Dohmann is practicing again, but it remains to be seen if he can make it all the way back. Conventional wisdom is that it may take some time (perhaps a year to 18 months) for him to fully recover (if he fully recovers at all). It is hard to imagine Dohmann making much of an impact this year but many fans will be rooting for him.
Next up, would be the spring JUCO, sophomore Deontai Williams. Williams arrived in the spring and immediately impressed the staff with his hard hitting style. Capable of playing CB, nickel, or safety, Williams comes to fall camp to win a job as a starting safety or nickel. Chances are he will play quite a bit of both. As good as he has looked at safety, it is doubtful he will play any CB. Look for him to be a major factor in the defensive backfield.
Leading the spring newcomers was a late summer surprise dialed up by the staff. Senior Tre Neal announced that he will be moving from UCF to Nebraska as a graduate transfer. Neal was a starter and key player for Central Florida’s magical run last year. He brings experience and familiarity with the system to the DB room. If Tre Neal doesn’t play a snap, he could still be invaluable helping the other players to understand the system. But look for Neal to play and play quite a bit. He is here to win a starting job and given Frost’s up-tempo style of offense, Neal adds to the depth needed to keep players fresh on defense. This was potentially a game changing pick up.
The good news is, the cupboard isn’t bare behind the already mentioned candidates for playing time. Scott Frost and his staff reportedly believed that they had signed the top HS safety tandem in the country last year in Cam’ron Jones and CJ Smith. In particular, Cam Jones was said to have graded out as the highest rated safety in the country by the staff’s evaluations. It is believed that Jones has the ability and physical maturity to make an instant impact in the secondary. There are those who believe that Jones will turn out to be the best player from the last recruiting cycle. He should see the field quite a bit on special teams if not actually part of the safety rotation.
Meanwhile CJ Smith gave Husker fans some anxiety when he waited until February to sign. He just wanted to be part of his school’s signing event, but fans wondered if he was having second thoughts by skipping the early signing period. But Smith signed without any drama and the Huskers are happy to have him. Smith has good size, speed, and physicality. His brother is a wide receiver at UCF. Smith has said in interviews that he doesn’t intend to redshirt, so he is worth keeping an eye on.
As for walk-ons, sophomore Eli Sullivan saw the field last year and will be looking for playing time on defense and special teams. Two incoming freshman walk-ons to keep an eye on are Isaiah Stalbird and Corbin Frederick. Frederick followed Cam Jones from Mansfield, Texas to Nebraska and had some decent offers. Meanwhile Stalbird is from Kearney and made the 110 man fall roster. He could be a good one.
In 2019, things thin out just a bit. Aaron Williams, Antonio Reed, and Tre Neal should all be gone by then. Hopefully, Deontai Williams will be a fixture by then and Cam Jones and CJ Smith are ready to make a strong move up the depth chart (if they are not already established). Dismuke will also be back and perhaps Dohmann will be healthy and productive.
In 2020, everyone should be back from 2019.
Look for Nebraska to add two safeties in this cycle. A JUCO is certainly not out of the question.
Summary
Perhaps no position group right now is more wide open then the secondary. It is easy to imagine all kinds of different player combinations seeing the field at both the CB and safety positions. The staff will have their hands full not only trying to find the right starters, but establishing a rotation of players behind the starters. It will be interesting to see which of the candidates are conspicuously absent from the rotation as the season progresses. Not all these guys are going to play. Competition is fierce. How this group plays out, will not only have a major impact on this season’s win-loss record but will have a significant impact on the recruiting strategy for next year.
To put it simply, Nebraska must find some positive answers to their secondary questions this year. If they do, 2019 and 2020 actually set up pretty well. If they do not, then the uncertainty will potentially plague 2019 and beyond.
LATE EDIT: Most of this was written last week. I decided not to revise the Cam Taylor comments above. But . . . Cam Taylor has been one of the great surprises of early fall camp. In fact, the DB's as a whole are being credited with showing great improvement over the summer. Hopefully this isn't just Coach-speak--especially given how frank the coaches were about their initial disappointment with the group.
Next up . . . The Linebackers.
