WLP Preview - Nebraska

[westlotpirates]

We feel extra guilty getting this post up late, because previewing the Nebraska Cornhuskers is one of our favorite moments of the year!

We completed pegged the Huskers last year, and we don't see a heck of a lot changing here. The defense remains lean, the offense remains promising but unable to throw the ball and turnover-prone. There's also the all-to-familiar feeling in Lincoln that a running QB named Martinez who looked amazing as a freshman might not be quite as good as hoped.

Nebraska's stuck in the bottom half of the West right now, and it isn't getting out of there without some sort of spark.

Thanks as always!
Sam, John, and Scuzz/The West Lot Pirates

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

We feel extra guilty getting this post up late, because previewing the Nebraska Cornhuskers is one of our favorite moments of the year!

We completed pegged the Huskers last year, and we don't see a heck of a lot changing here. The defense remains lean, the offense remains promising but unable to throw the ball and turnover-prone. There's also the all-to-familiar feeling in Lincoln that a running QB named Martinez who looked amazing as a freshman might not be quite as good as hoped.

Nebraska's stuck in the bottom half of the West right now, and it isn't getting out of there without some sort of spark.

Thanks as always!
Sam, John, and Scuzz/The West Lot Pirates

Hey guys, you might want to post these updates on The Rock as well. Additional conversation over there.

 

[UpsetAlert]

Hey guys, you might want to post these updates on The Rock as well. Additional conversation over there.

These are gold. How about a mailbag in each episode where folks can ask questions and respond to your prior comments?

 

[westlotpirates]

YES. Absolutely. Feel free to fire questions at us about any preview and we will address them! Also, will start porting these over to The Rock.

 

[UpsetAlert]

YES. Absolutely. Feel free to fire questions at us about any preview and we will address them! Also, will start porting these over to The Rock.

OK. First one: in a recent podcast (may have been the Indiana one), some of you still seem bullish on HuJo. Why? I get the McCall thing but I’d argue the number 1 success metric for QB at NU is moxy. Ramsey’s got that in the spades and is a proven winner and all-Big 10 guy. TJ has shown steadiness in spot duty. I could argue Mary’s also demonstrated a penchant for grit. I just haven’t seen really anything from Hunter Vs. P5 competition, so wondering why others are still so up on his prospects for being QB1 (aside from the 5 stars obviously). I would be thrilled to be wrong, but just not seeing it. Tell me what I’m missing!

 

[westlotpirates]

So, we concede a couple of important points:

First, Dan Persa is our top NU QB excluding Otto Graham, and he's the poster boy for everything you're talking about. When Dan came on our pod, you could just feel that confidence and zero tolerance for BS in everything he said. So, yes, we absolutely subscribe to this!

Second, in a general sense, its certainly not unheard of for QBs who were monster prospects to transfer and then not reach those heights. Gunner Kiel jumps to mind. The parallels between Kiel and HJ are strong given both were 5star Indiana QBs...

With that said...we recorded our Purdue pod last night and returned once again to Aidan O'Connell's performance against NU, which was basically facilitated purely by Jeff Brohm's awesome coaching and David Bell. Then you look at Hunter, who can clearly make all the throws and runs like a deer, and you look at Mick and say "you couldn't do anything with THAT?!?"

Remember, Trevor Siemian had all the qualities you're talking about, which is why he's in the NFL...and Mick basically broke Trevor to the extent that an NFL coach saw "buy low" potential and cashed in. In hindsight,Trevor was a major Florida recruit who could have gone to UCF, thrown for all the yards, and been a high draft pick.

If you look at the QBs Coach Jake had success with at BC, they are very much in a Hunter mold. But obviously, Ramsey has to be the guy this year. We hope that Hunter can rise to be the backup this year and take over next year. We take nothing from Marty, who Scuzz in particular is very bullish on. But Hunter's "stuff" is all there on tape for a competent coach to take advantage of.

 

[UpsetAlert]

So, we concede a couple of important points:

First, Dan Persa is our top NU QB excluding Otto Graham, and he's the poster boy for everything you're talking about. When Dan came on our pod, you could just feel that confidence and zero tolerance for BS in everything he said. So, yes, we absolutely subscribe to this!

Second, in a general sense, its certainly not unheard of for QBs who were monster prospects to transfer and then not reach those heights. Gunner Kiel jumps to mind. The parallels between Kiel and HJ are strong given both were 5star Indiana QBs...

With that said...we recorded our Purdue pod last night and returned once again to Aidan O'Connell's performance against NU, which was basically facilitated purely by Jeff Brohm's awesome coaching and David Bell. Then you look at Hunter, who can clearly make all the throws and runs like a deer, and you look at Mick and say "you couldn't do anything with THAT?!?"

Remember, Trevor Siemian had all the qualities you're talking about, which is why he's in the NFL...and Mick basically broke Trevor to the extent that an NFL coach saw "buy low" potential and cashed in. In hindsight,Trevor was a major Florida recruit who could have gone to UCF, thrown for all the yards, and been a high draft pick.

If you look at the QBs Coach Jake had success with at BC, they are very much in a Hunter mold. But obviously, Ramsey has to be the guy this year. We hope that Hunter can rise to be the backup this year and take over next year. We take nothing from Marty, who Scuzz in particular is very bullish on. But Hunter's "stuff" is all there on tape for a competent coach to take advantage of.

Great points, especially the TS angle that I hadn’t previously considered. Related follow up: is it possible (probable?) that Johnson was great in high school and looks good on the camp/7x7 circuits/against air, but that doesn’t translate to the actual playing field? I can’t remember his high school team’s record, but seem to recall it was more middling than I would have thought. He just seemed lost as few quarterbacks that I can remember at NU have before in game action-without many moments to glean hope from.

Again, not trying to denigrate him, and I am hoping as you are that this serves as a quasi-redshirt year where he can learn a new system and contribute in 2022.

 

[jensberg]

Great points, especially the TS angle that I hadn’t previously considered. Related follow up: is it possible (probable?) that Johnson was great in high school and looks good on the camp/7x7 circuits/against air, but that doesn’t translate to the actual playing field? I can’t remember his high school team’s record, but seem to recall it was more middling than I would have thought. He just seemed lost as few quarterbacks that I can remember at NU have before in game action-without many moments to glean hope from.

Again, not trying to denigrate him, and I am hoping as you are that this serves as a quasi-redshirt year where he can learn a new system and contribute in 2022.

Agree I think his issue is that he can't read the field quickly enough and make the right throw at the right time. That is a split 2nd decision that is not an easy thing for all quarterbacks to do.

 

[Titanium999]

We feel extra guilty getting this post up late, because previewing the Nebraska Cornhuskers is one of our favorite moments of the year!

We completed pegged the Huskers last year, and we don't see a heck of a lot changing here. The defense remains lean, the offense remains promising but unable to throw the ball and turnover-prone. There's also the all-to-familiar feeling in Lincoln that a running QB named Martinez who looked amazing as a freshman might not be quite as good as hoped.

Nebraska's stuck in the bottom half of the West right now, and it isn't getting out of there without some sort of spark.

Thanks as always!
Sam, John, and Scuzz/The West Lot Pirates

I thought Nebraska would have a great shot this year with solid qb play! I liked Indiana to improve,but not challenge the big three!