Offense:
OL - Improvement across the board. Farmer and Foster finally reach their long talked about potential at the guard spots. An uninjured Gates proved outstanding at LT and the RT spot will be improved with a more experienced Conrad/Knevel or a more talented, but inexperienced, replacement. Center also be improved, most likely by a raw talent like Raridon rather than the more experienced Decker. Wilson/Farniok might be seeing a lot of action somewhere in this lineup as well.
QB - Dramatic improvement as both potential starters possess the skills needed in the MR/DL offense. This will be the most improved position on the team.
RB's - Expect Ozigbo and Bryant to split carries/receptions. Both fit the MR/DL offense and their skills complement each other. This will be a dynamic duo for us this year as there will be far more opportunities for them to catch the ball out of the backfield and the improved pass completion percentage, along with the improved OL, will open up the running game as well.
WR's - Possibly, the most talented group of receivers in NU history. Very young though...but, I'm guessing that this group will, along wth the QB candidates, be putting in longer hours (on their own time) than we've seen in the recent past. These guys are talented, know they are the key to the offense and will be competing with each other for playing time and catches. It will be fun to watch as several of the youngsters may well unseat some of the veterans.
Overall, there is no reason to not expect dramatic improvement in our offense. It will be exciting to watch the youngsters grow and flourish. I bet DL feels like he just got the keys to a brand new red Maserati.
Defense:
DL - I expect the shift to the 3/4 to help us maximize the talent and depth we have. I believe Stoltenberg wins the NG job and will excel in that spot. I expect Carlos Davis, in his second year, to become a real force at DT as well. I'd like to see Khalil make a move at the other side but right now it looks like he'll be stuck backing up Mick. We need to find someone to fill the other DT spot...I have little confidence in some of the names I've heard floated, but expect Diaco to find a better than adequate player, perhaps Daishon Neal, Freedom or one of the freshmen can earn the spot.
LB's - We seem to have a lot of talented but inexperienced players. For that reason, I expect the veterans to begin the year in starting roles, only to be overtaken by the youngsters as the year moves forward. Guys like Young, Weber, Gifford and Newby will see a lot of time early but likely will be challenged by Roberts, Barry, Ferguson, Alexander, and Jefferson. By year-end, at least 2 or 3 of the latter will be starting.
DB's - A very strong group. I do not expect many changes in the starters though I think Lamar Jackson will be a starter early, whether at S or CB. He s too talented to sit. Some freshmen and RS freshmen may also make a run at PT.
Overall, I am not sure how Diaco will run his defense, but I am looking forward to witnessing his magic. He has plenty of talent on board to make it work, if he can get the players motivated to learn the defense quickly. I'm hoping that won't be a problem this year.
Special Teams:
Placekicking: - Drew Brown...outstanding.
Punting: - Obviously an area that needs improvement from last year. What few remember were the struggles Sam Foltz had early in his career. I'm hoping for similar improvement from Lightbourne, I believe in his talent.
KO Returns: - Bryant showed flashes of being good KO return man and some of the incoming freshmen (Libdsey, McQuitty) might be very talented in this regard as well. If Bryant is going to carry a greater load at RB, then we might see him give up his KO return duties.
Punt Returns: - It is unlikely that DPE will ever repeat the year he had as a freshman, but I do think 2017 will see him return to the ranks of CFB elite punt returners. He has the skills, the mentality for returns, and should be fully recouped from his injuries.
Coverage teams - I'm not sure why I expect improvement here, but I do. Obviously, MR believed there were problems on ST's when he fired Read...so, it stands to reason that everything ST related will get greater scrutiny this year.
Overall, I expect improvement at nearly every level in ST's. If this is still an issue in year 3, fans need to hold MR accountable, especially now that there is no ST Coordinator.
Overall:
This team has most of the pieces needed to make a run at the BIG championship. What it lacks is experience, depth in a few spots, and "proven" leadership. Don't expect any answers coming out of Spring ball unless the QB battle is decided by then (I doubt it will be). More than likely, Spring ball will find some "new stars"...guys that rarely see any action in the fall. This is a year for great optimism...if we can avoid dropping a game early (like Oregon) we will be in good shape. Sadly, we have Wisky and Tosu back-to-back but I expect to win at least one of those. We also got saddled with @PSU and Iowa back-to-back as the BIG schedule makers clearly hate us. That will be another tough duo to win both games, but that late in the year...it is quite possible. GBR!
OL - Improvement across the board. Farmer and Foster finally reach their long talked about potential at the guard spots. An uninjured Gates proved outstanding at LT and the RT spot will be improved with a more experienced Conrad/Knevel or a more talented, but inexperienced, replacement. Center also be improved, most likely by a raw talent like Raridon rather than the more experienced Decker. Wilson/Farniok might be seeing a lot of action somewhere in this lineup as well.
QB - Dramatic improvement as both potential starters possess the skills needed in the MR/DL offense. This will be the most improved position on the team.
RB's - Expect Ozigbo and Bryant to split carries/receptions. Both fit the MR/DL offense and their skills complement each other. This will be a dynamic duo for us this year as there will be far more opportunities for them to catch the ball out of the backfield and the improved pass completion percentage, along with the improved OL, will open up the running game as well.
WR's - Possibly, the most talented group of receivers in NU history. Very young though...but, I'm guessing that this group will, along wth the QB candidates, be putting in longer hours (on their own time) than we've seen in the recent past. These guys are talented, know they are the key to the offense and will be competing with each other for playing time and catches. It will be fun to watch as several of the youngsters may well unseat some of the veterans.
Overall, there is no reason to not expect dramatic improvement in our offense. It will be exciting to watch the youngsters grow and flourish. I bet DL feels like he just got the keys to a brand new red Maserati.
Defense:
DL - I expect the shift to the 3/4 to help us maximize the talent and depth we have. I believe Stoltenberg wins the NG job and will excel in that spot. I expect Carlos Davis, in his second year, to become a real force at DT as well. I'd like to see Khalil make a move at the other side but right now it looks like he'll be stuck backing up Mick. We need to find someone to fill the other DT spot...I have little confidence in some of the names I've heard floated, but expect Diaco to find a better than adequate player, perhaps Daishon Neal, Freedom or one of the freshmen can earn the spot.
LB's - We seem to have a lot of talented but inexperienced players. For that reason, I expect the veterans to begin the year in starting roles, only to be overtaken by the youngsters as the year moves forward. Guys like Young, Weber, Gifford and Newby will see a lot of time early but likely will be challenged by Roberts, Barry, Ferguson, Alexander, and Jefferson. By year-end, at least 2 or 3 of the latter will be starting.
DB's - A very strong group. I do not expect many changes in the starters though I think Lamar Jackson will be a starter early, whether at S or CB. He s too talented to sit. Some freshmen and RS freshmen may also make a run at PT.
Overall, I am not sure how Diaco will run his defense, but I am looking forward to witnessing his magic. He has plenty of talent on board to make it work, if he can get the players motivated to learn the defense quickly. I'm hoping that won't be a problem this year.
Special Teams:
Placekicking: - Drew Brown...outstanding.
Punting: - Obviously an area that needs improvement from last year. What few remember were the struggles Sam Foltz had early in his career. I'm hoping for similar improvement from Lightbourne, I believe in his talent.
KO Returns: - Bryant showed flashes of being good KO return man and some of the incoming freshmen (Libdsey, McQuitty) might be very talented in this regard as well. If Bryant is going to carry a greater load at RB, then we might see him give up his KO return duties.
Punt Returns: - It is unlikely that DPE will ever repeat the year he had as a freshman, but I do think 2017 will see him return to the ranks of CFB elite punt returners. He has the skills, the mentality for returns, and should be fully recouped from his injuries.
Coverage teams - I'm not sure why I expect improvement here, but I do. Obviously, MR believed there were problems on ST's when he fired Read...so, it stands to reason that everything ST related will get greater scrutiny this year.
Overall, I expect improvement at nearly every level in ST's. If this is still an issue in year 3, fans need to hold MR accountable, especially now that there is no ST Coordinator.
Overall:
This team has most of the pieces needed to make a run at the BIG championship. What it lacks is experience, depth in a few spots, and "proven" leadership. Don't expect any answers coming out of Spring ball unless the QB battle is decided by then (I doubt it will be). More than likely, Spring ball will find some "new stars"...guys that rarely see any action in the fall. This is a year for great optimism...if we can avoid dropping a game early (like Oregon) we will be in good shape. Sadly, we have Wisky and Tosu back-to-back but I expect to win at least one of those. We also got saddled with @PSU and Iowa back-to-back as the BIG schedule makers clearly hate us. That will be another tough duo to win both games, but that late in the year...it is quite possible. GBR!
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