Spring Practice Thread: Day 1

[jeans15]

Nothing like football in the spring. The 2016 Nebraska Football season begins today. And so do the position battles. Which Redshirt freshmen will make an impact? How much has Tommy improved? Who will start on the offensive line? How does POB look? The answer to these questions begin today.

Love me some Nebraska football.

Practice begins at 11:00 am. Will Update accordingly. Please feel free to share any information you come across as well.





Early Notes and Quotes:


Davis Twins:

- “I noticed it’s harder for me to do backflips,” the 6-foot-2, 300-pound Carlos Davis said. “I can do them. I just have to put more jump into it.”

- Khalil Davis crowned the Husker Power football athlete of the year


PERFORMANCE INDEX RESULTS


Husker Power Athlete of the Year
Khalil Davis, DT

Husker Power Athlete of the Year Finalists
Zack Darlington, QB
Luke McNitt, TE/FB
Tanner Farmer, OG
Brad Simpson, LB

Performance Index Leaders
Marcus Newby, LB
Trey Foster, TE
Tommy Armstrong Jr., QB

Vertical Jump Points Leaders
Joshua Kalu, CB
Devine Ozigbo, IB
Tommy Armstrong Jr., QB

10-Yard Dash Points Index Leaders
Tanner Farmer, OG
Marcus Newby, LB
Greg McMullen, DL

Pro Agility Run Points Leaders
Trey Foster, TE
Mikale Wilbon, IB
Terrell Newby, IB

Performance Index Notes
* The Performance Index is comprised of points from generated by three tests—vertical jump, 10-yard dash and pro agility run. The points on each of the test consider the players’ height and weight, as well as their mark in the individual test.

* Thirteen Huskers scored at least 500 points on each of the three tests. Additionally, 36 Huskers improved their Performance Index score by 100 points or more during winter conditioning.

* Husker Power is Back to the Future and Thursday afternoon proved it to the only constituents that truly count – Nebraska’s football players. The Huskers, including coaches and staff, cheered enthusiastically for all five teammates in a squat competition that reached a crescendo when redshirt freshman defensive lineman Khalil Davis achieved 10 reps with 485 pounds on his back.

 

[HBK4life_rivals100467]

Nothing like football in the spring. The 2016 Nebraska Football season begins today. And so do the position battles. Which Redshirt freshmen will make an impact? How much has Tommy improved? Who will start on the offensive line? How does POB look? The answer to these questions begin today.

Love me some Nebraska football.

Practice begins at 11:00 am. Will Update accordingly. Please feel free to share any information you come across as well.





Early Notes and Quotes:


Davis Twins:

- “I noticed it’s harder for me to do backflips,” the 6-foot-2, 300-pound Carlos Davis said. “I can do them. I just have to put more jump into it.”

- Khalil Davis crowned the Husker Power football athlete of the year


PERFORMANCE INDEX RESULTS


Husker Power Athlete of the Year
Khalil Davis, DT

Husker Power Athlete of the Year Finalists
Zack Darlington, QB
Luke McNitt, TE/FB
Tanner Farmer, OG
Brad Simpson, LB

Performance Index Leaders
Marcus Newby, LB
Trey Foster, TE
Tommy Armstrong Jr., QB

Vertical Jump Points Leaders
Joshua Kalu, CB
Devine Ozigbo, IB
Tommy Armstrong Jr., QB

10-Yard Dash Points Index Leaders
Tanner Farmer, OG
Marcus Newby, LB
Greg McMullen, DL

Pro Agility Run Points Leaders
Trey Foster, TE
Mikale Wilbon, IB
Terrell Newby, IB

Performance Index Notes
* The Performance Index is comprised of points from generated by three tests—vertical jump, 10-yard dash and pro agility run. The points on each of the test consider the players’ height and weight, as well as their mark in the individual test.

* Thirteen Huskers scored at least 500 points on each of the three tests. Additionally, 36 Huskers improved their Performance Index score by 100 points or more during winter conditioning.

* Husker Power is Back to the Future and Thursday afternoon proved it to the only constituents that truly count – Nebraska’s football players. The Huskers, including coaches and staff, cheered enthusiastically for all five teammates in a squat competition that reached a crescendo when redshirt freshman defensive lineman Khalil Davis achieved 10 reps with 485 pounds on his back.

 

[HBK4life_rivals100467]

 

[jeans15]

First practice is over. Will update as I can. Have to work today too.

Notes and Quotes:


Todd McShane

- " Practice was filled with a lot of energy today"


- Zach Darlington did practice at WR today


- Mike Welch, " Zach Darlington has changed positions from QB to slot WR. Great athlete, already looks like a good fit there."


- Coach Riley, " Pretty smooth, special teams work, an hour of offense and defense."


- Sam McKewon, DC Mark Banker coaching safeties. Riley said he wanted to break down the coaching more. Stewart coaching corners.


- Mike Severe, " Patrick O'Brien looked good for 1ST day. Looked comfortable. Threw the ball well."


- Today's practice had more passing than running. Obviously no pads. However there were some run plays practiced at the end.


- Looks like Graham Nabity has been moved to H Back per reports..

 

[jeans15]

More Notes and Quotes:


- Nick Gates is now the Left tackle. After being at Right tackle last year.


- Greg Smith, "Derrion Grim is bigger than I expected him to be. Reminds of me of the first time we saw DPE."


- Greg Smith, " Stanley Morgan Jr just looks like a future NFL WR. Silky routes. Him and Keith Williams are a perfect match." and " Zach Darlington moved to WR. I'm told he has been pushing for it since last season."


- Mike Severe, " Alex Davis is really impressive. Explosion, length and seems to be really coachable.
* "Parrella also is going to make sure Greg McMullen plays his best ball this season year. Road him hard to do it right."


-

 

[jeans15]

http://bit.ly/1LHERWi


- Brian Christopherson on Coach Williams, Keith Williams still most entertaining out there. "Go get coached, brother," he told a DB after Stanley Morgan beat that DB pretty good.


- No. 1 OL in the first practice:

LT - Gates
LG - Foster
C - Utter
RG - Thurston
RT - Knevel


- Jacob Padilla, " Also, Derrion Grim is very, very fast and bigger than I expected. " DPE replacement?


- Word is Ex Husker great TE Johnny Mitchell was at practice and he was impressed with the athleticism of Cethan Carter.


- Senior Nathan Gerry said the safeties and cornerbacks now have separate meetings, unlike last season when they were grouped together. The safeties met with Banker twice a week during the offseason, and Gerry said the improvements in communication and zone coverage are noticeable already.

 

[Bremser_rivals74172]

Nothing like football in the spring. The 2016 Nebraska Football season begins today. And so do the position battles. Which Redshirt freshmen will make an impact? How much has Tommy improved? Who will start on the offensive line? How does POB look? The answer to these questions begin today.

Love me some Nebraska football.

Practice begins at 11:00 am. Will Update accordingly. Please feel free to share any information you come across as well.





Early Notes and Quotes:


Davis Twins:

- “I noticed it’s harder for me to do backflips,” the 6-foot-2, 300-pound Carlos Davis said. “I can do them. I just have to put more jump into it.”

- Khalil Davis crowned the Husker Power football athlete of the year


PERFORMANCE INDEX RESULTS


Husker Power Athlete of the Year
Khalil Davis, DT

Husker Power Athlete of the Year Finalists
Zack Darlington, QB
Luke McNitt, TE/FB
Tanner Farmer, OG
Brad Simpson, LB

Performance Index Leaders
Marcus Newby, LB
Trey Foster, TE
Tommy Armstrong Jr., QB

Vertical Jump Points Leaders
Joshua Kalu, CB
Devine Ozigbo, IB
Tommy Armstrong Jr., QB

10-Yard Dash Points Index Leaders
Tanner Farmer, OG
Marcus Newby, LB
Greg McMullen, DL

Pro Agility Run Points Leaders
Trey Foster, TE
Mikale Wilbon, IB
Terrell Newby, IB

Performance Index Notes
* The Performance Index is comprised of points from generated by three tests—vertical jump, 10-yard dash and pro agility run. The points on each of the test consider the players’ height and weight, as well as their mark in the individual test.

* Thirteen Huskers scored at least 500 points on each of the three tests. Additionally, 36 Huskers improved their Performance Index score by 100 points or more during winter conditioning.

* Husker Power is Back to the Future and Thursday afternoon proved it to the only constituents that truly count – Nebraska’s football players. The Huskers, including coaches and staff, cheered enthusiastically for all five teammates in a squat competition that reached a crescendo when redshirt freshman defensive lineman Khalil Davis achieved 10 reps with 485 pounds on his back.

Thanks, Jeans!

 

[St. Anger]

http://forum.huskermax.com/vbbs/showthread.php?83074-Spring-practice-No-1

Video here including Parrella with the DL group.

 

[HBK4life_rivals100467]

http://bit.ly/1LHERWi


- Brian Christopherson on Coach Williams, Keith Williams still most entertaining out there. "Go get coached, brother," he told a DB after Stanley Morgan beat that DB pretty good.


- No. 1 OL in the first practice:

LT - Gates
LG - Foster
C - Utter
RG - Thurston
RT - Knevel


- Jacob Padilla, " Also, Derrion Grim is very, very fast and bigger than I expected. " DPE replacement?


- Word is Ex Husker great TE Johnny Mitchell was at practice and he was impressed with the athleticism of Cethan Carter.


- Senior Nathan Gerry said the safeties and cornerbacks now have separate meetings, unlike last season when they were grouped together. The safeties met with Banker twice a week during the offseason, and Gerry said the improvements in communication and zone coverage are noticeable already.

Would like to see J. Barnett at the other G spot opposite Foster come starting game. Lets hope he and Farmer step up.

 

[jeans15]

Would like to see J. Barnett at the other G spot opposite Foster come starting game. Lets hope he and Farmer step up.

I was thinking that same thing. With Thurston at Center.

 

[HBK4life_rivals100467]

http://bit.ly/1LHERWi


- Brian Christopherson on Coach Williams, Keith Williams still most entertaining out there. "Go get coached, brother," he told a DB after Stanley Morgan beat that DB pretty good.


- No. 1 OL in the first practice:

LT - Gates
LG - Foster
C - Utter
RG - Thurston
RT - Knevel


- Jacob Padilla, " Also, Derrion Grim is very, very fast and bigger than I expected. " DPE replacement?


- Word is Ex Husker great TE Johnny Mitchell was at practice and he was impressed with the athleticism of Cethan Carter.


- Senior Nathan Gerry said the safeties and cornerbacks now have separate meetings, unlike last season when they were grouped together. The safeties met with Banker twice a week during the offseason, and Gerry said the improvements in communication and zone coverage are noticeable already.

Johnny Mitchell

 

[HBK4life_rivals100467]

Johnny Mitchell

 

[Lincoln100]

i don't think Grim got enough love in this class, I think he is certainly a top 5 get.

 

[jeans15]

John Nyatawa -

Armstrong said he’s paid extra attention to his footwork and throwing mechanics each time he’s been able to meet with receivers the past few weeks. Film study from 2015 proved that if his feet weren’t in the right place or his shoulder was not square, the outcome wasn’t positive, Armstrong said.

Then there were the meeting room tests from offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf. Langsdorf is raising the expectations for his signal callers. Armstrong can sense it.

They weren’t regularly quizzed a year ago, Armstrong said. Now they’re pulling out a sheet of paper and a pen every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

“They push us to our limits, by knowing every little thing,” he said.

Which is what Armstrong wants.

He told the veterans on Nebraska’s offense after the bowl game that the group’s success hinged on players’ ability to work hard within their own roles. That they had to hold one another accountable. That he needed them.

He’ll continue to share the same message as the Huskers progress through spring practice, which began Saturday with a helmets-only session. It’ll serve as a reminder to his teammates — and himself.

One reason Armstrong made so many mistakes last season, he said, was his urge to create. He’d try too hard to be the playmaker, and suddenly he began subconsciously shifting focus away from fundamentals, conventional play design and time-and-score awareness.

Armstrong threw 16 interceptions and completed 55.2 percent of his passes last season, his third as a starter for NU.

“It’s more of just doing your job,” he said.

Checkdowns and throwaways are OK. Punts are even acceptable at times.

“Doing your job and trusting your teammates to do theirs,” he said. “When you do your job and they’re doing their job, that’s when things go the right way. If you try to do too much, it’ll show.”

 

[jeans15]

Sam McKeown -


Through one workout in helmets, jerseys and-shorts, NU — especially that offense — looked “smooth,” Riley said. In pass skeleton and team periods, the top offenses — led by quarterbacks Tommy Armstrong and Ryker Fyfe — mostly got the better of the defenses. Wide receivers consistently beat defensive backs with well-run routes. I-backs Devine Ozigbo and Terrell Newby ripped off a few impressive runs. Armstrong and Fyfe weren’t baited into big mistakes.

When freshman cornerback Eric Lee — working with the No. 2 defense — made a play near the end of practice and the defense whooped it up, offensive skill players just shrugged it off. They’d had the better day.

Riley said the offense is “light years” ahead of last year’s pace. “There’s no doubt about it,” he said. “Just those things for choices for the quarterback, the routes, as far as assignments. That’s the way it should be. We didn’t have to start with the huddle today. That was encouraging.”

Last year, wideout Alonzo Moore said, “we used to do a lot of thinking because we didn’t know the plays. So now we know the plays, so we just come up to the line, Tommy says the play, we run up to the line and think, ‘Do we want to go wide, do we want to release inside and go back outside?’ We just go with it.”

Because NU’s defense was playing only one basic coverage, Riley said, the offense had an easy time reading routes. Although the Huskers want to run the ball better in 2016, it’s hard to simulate the aggressiveness and speed needed for blocking when the players can’t be in full pads until Thursday.

“If we were in full gear and we were starting out with an identity of what we wanted to establish, you would have seen much more running today, and (play-action) passes,” Riley said. “Because we’re in shorts, we put in a little more dropback pass.”

 

[jeans15]

More notes:

- 2nd Team offensive lineman:

LT Christian Gaylord
LG Corey Whitaker
C Michael Decker,
RG Tanner Farmer,
RT Sam Hahn.


- Farmer has lost 40 pounds

- Alonzo Moore worked with Brandon Reilly and Jordan Westerkamp as the first-team wide receivers. Running back Terrell Newby worked with the first-team.

- Wide receiver Derrion Grim apparently looks the part and reportedly had a good first day of practice. Worked with 2nd team offense.

- RS freshman cornerback Eric Lee had a solid day of practice behind Chris Jones and Joshua Kalu.

 

[HuskerLLM]

Excellent thread, thank you

 

[Redscarlet]

-Offensive Line
I really like Decker at Center, I think he could be an all B1G player in the future.

Be interesting to see if Farmar can beat out Senior Thurston for Right Guard.

Only player I didn't see in the top 2 that would be disappointing is the absence of Jalin Barnett.