Over 54,000 fans packed into Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Saturday for the annual Red-White Spring game. Nebraska is entering its fourth season under Bill Callahan, and the combination of good recruiting classes a nd Callahan's pro-style West Coast Offense will have Cornhuskers figuring more prominently in the NFL draft. That's particularly true on the offensive side of the ball, where Nebraska's QBs and WRs have long been non-factors.
Nebraska runs the spring game 1st unit (Red) vs. 2nd unit (White). Typically you'll see big numbers put up by the first unit and this year was no exception. Here are some game observations on the players who stood out, as well as notes on other players who could be in the draft pipeline over the next few years.
Offensive Standouts
Sam Keller, QB, Sr. – 6'4" 230
Keller split first team reps with Jr. Joe Ganz, and the coaches are promoting the idea that there will be an open competition for the starting position in fall camp. Baring injury to Keller, however, there is no chance that Ganz will see the field in anything more than mop-up duty. Keller showed excellent pocket awareness and was able to slide effectively to avoid pressure on several plays, always keeping his eyes downfield. He showed good arm strength on his downfield throws, and his passes arrived at a catchable point for the receivers.
The biggest difference between Keller and Ganz is that Keller appears to stay with the downfield routes longer, giving the receivers a chance to get open before dropping the ball off. Keller also showed excellent confidence in both his arm and WR Maurice Purify, putting the ball up for him on at least two occasions when he was well covered by the DB.
Keller finished 10-13 (with one drop), 193 yards and 1 TD.
Marlon Lucky, RB, Jr. – 6'0" 210
With Brandon Jackson moving on to the NFL, all eyes will be on Marlon Lucky to carry the load this fall. Lucky was noticeably bigger in his upper body and looks to be closer to 220 or 225 than his listed weight of 210. Despite the added weight, he appears to have regained the burst that was missing in the Cotton Bowl when he was hampered by a strained back. His recent hospitalization is a complete non-factor as he has participated in all of the spring practices.
His long run during the game was a 23 yard scamper where he made several tacklers miss and ran away from others. One of the hot topics from the spring practices has been Lucky's improved ability to make people miss at the second level and create big runs. He didn't have one of those on Saturday, but finished with 94 yards on 16 carries. A knock on Lucky has been his tendency to bounce plays outside rather than wait for a hole to develop. He showed more of this tendency during the scrimmage; on one play seeming to misread a TE trap and break for the weak side when the inside cut appeared to be there for a big gain up the middle. Questions about his vision and patience will remain until he starts to hit more of those plays.
The biggest negative from the entire day was when Lucky was pulled down at awkward angle in the 4th quarter and injured his left knee. Early reports are that it is an MCL injury, and he is scheduled for an MRI to reveal the extent of damage.
Maurice Purify, WR, Sr. – 6'4" 210
Purify didn’t join the team until fall camp last season, but gradually emerged as the #1 receiving threat. With a full year now under his belt he is without question Nebraska's top target in the passing game. Purify was a basketball standout as well as football star at San Francisco City College, and he attacks the ball in the air like he’s going for a rebound. He had the highlight play of the spring game, going up for a deep fade from Keller and snatching it from between two defenders. Purify combines good leaping ability and outstanding body control, and uses his body effectively to screen out defenders. That's important because he's not exceptionally fast or quick, and rarely gets big separation from DBs.
Keller targeted Purify at least 3 times during the first two offensive possessions he led, and it's obvious that he is going to be Keller’s go to target. He finished with 4 catches for 75 yards.
Other Offensive Notes
Cody Glenn continues to run hard, but his style is extremely upright and he lacks the burst of Lucky. He had 3 catches but 1 drop on a catchable pass… True freshman Patrick Witt is clearly the #3 QB behind Keller and Ganz, and a name to remember. Witt has the strongest arm on the team (including Keller) and is already soaking up Callahan’s complex system. Next year’s QB is going to be a very interesting battle between Witt, Ganz, and sophomore Juco Zac Lee… Sr. OT Carl Nicks has moved to the LT position. The 6'5" 325 lb Nicks is another player to watch for next year’s draft. He moves his feet extremely well for his size and played well last season in the tackle rotation.
Defensive Standouts
Ndamukong Suh, DT, So. – 6'4" 315
Though only a redshirt sophomore, Suh looked like the best player on the field Saturday. No one on the 2nd team offensive line could block him, and he routinely shrugged off double teams to rip into the backfield. His combination of quickness and power is impressive, and he should benefit from the tutoring of new D-line coach Buddy Wyatt.
It's still early in his career but right now he has all the markings of an All-American and high NFL draft pick. Suh finished the spring game with 4 tackles, 3 for loss, 2 sacks, and countless visits into the White backfield.
Andre Jones, CB, Sr. – 6'0" 195
Jones was thrown into a fire last season when Zack Bowman went down with a season ending knee injury in fall camp. Suddenly he found himself starting at corner as a late entry Juco transfer. Jones took his share of lumps but generally improved as the season went on, and picked up right where he left off with a strong spring game. He blanketed his man all game long, and made a terrific interception on ball that he tipped into the air himself.
With Bowman out at least until fall camp with another knee injury, Jones will once again be a starter and should be the top CB until Bowman returns to form. Jones is a physical CB with size and speed, who'll be an intriguing prospect if he puts together a solid senior season.
Steve Octavien, LB, Sr. – 6'0" 240
Octavien has been something of an enigma since he arrived at Nebraska 3 seasons ago. He's been dominant on the practice field and shown flashes in big games, but he's been unable to stay healthy or consistent enough to realize his potential. Saturday saw the dominant Octavien, as he was all over the field making plays and in the backfield all game long. He finished with 6 tackles, 2 for loss, and 1 sack.
With Bo Rudd (Barrett’s brother) moving to SAM to replace NFL bound Stewart Bradley, Octavien will go into the season as the starting WIL. If he can turn into a Saturday performer in the fall he could open some scout's eyes.
Other Defensive Notes
Former All Big 12 LBs Corey McKeon and Bo Ruud were noticeably quiet. However, considering most of the White team's drives ended in 3 and outs, it’s not surprising... Redshirt sophomore Zach Potter didn’t impress in his first attempt to fill the rather large shoes of Adam Carriker. He’ll battle with Juco transfer Joseph Townsend and DT/DE Ty Steinkuhler in the fall… Sophomore Safety Rickey Thenarse played for the White team, but should not be ruled out as a potential starter in the fall. Thenarse was a special teams Ace last season, and was all over the field against the red team. He had several big hits and a nice ankle tackle behind the line of scrimmage on Marlon Lucky.
