Scott Frost inherited a nearly empty cupboard. That's not a new thought, but I think some of us are realizing just how empty the cupboard was. Nebraska had only two players drafted this year in the NFL draft, and that put us tied for last (with Illinois, Minnesota and Purdue) in the Big Ten West. Each of the other Big Ten West teams had either three or four players drafted. Moreover, Nebraska's draft picks were late round picks, while Northwestern (of all teams) had two first round picks. Nebraska's draft performance the prior couple of years was also underwhelming, with only two picks (the Davis brothers) in 2020 and NO picks in 2019. Believe it or not, the last time we had a player drafted higher than in the 5th round was in 2016. That statistic astounded me when I saw it. In light of that, it shouldn't be terribly surprising that Nebraska has struggled on the football field since Frost got here.
Fast forward to this year, and it is clear that the team is significantly more talented than it has been. The offensive and defensive lines are visibly better and we appear to have a wealth of talent at the running back and wide receiver positions. That talent is admittedly unproven, but I saw a lot to like at those positions in the spring game. And we also appear to have a strong secondary and a much deeper linebacking corps than we have had in recent years.
I still have some concerns. For example, Smothers and Haarberg don't appear to me to be ready yet if Adrian goes down, and it frustrates me to no end that Honas is out until at least mid-season. (For God's sake, for once can we have a spring without a significant injury?!) Nevertheless, I think there is reason to feel optimistic about this team. The schedule is brutal, but I am looking forward to seeing how the team plays against the strong competition it will face.
Fast forward to this year, and it is clear that the team is significantly more talented than it has been. The offensive and defensive lines are visibly better and we appear to have a wealth of talent at the running back and wide receiver positions. That talent is admittedly unproven, but I saw a lot to like at those positions in the spring game. And we also appear to have a strong secondary and a much deeper linebacking corps than we have had in recent years.
I still have some concerns. For example, Smothers and Haarberg don't appear to me to be ready yet if Adrian goes down, and it frustrates me to no end that Honas is out until at least mid-season. (For God's sake, for once can we have a spring without a significant injury?!) Nevertheless, I think there is reason to feel optimistic about this team. The schedule is brutal, but I am looking forward to seeing how the team plays against the strong competition it will face.