Predicting Nebraska's Week 1 Depth Chart | Nebraska Cornhuskers Football 2024

welcome back to another episode of rock boys football Dept CH prediction season one of my favorite kind of offseason episodes to do one college football season it's coming it means it's close but I think more importantly you know we've spent weeks and months breaking down this Nebraska roster reading spring practice notes reading fall Camp notes talking about breakout players you know now we get the opportunity to kind of call our shots project what this starting unit looks like for Nebraska on both sides of the football now two quick disclaimers one this is not my depth chart many of the Nebraska fans who've been rocking with the boys y all know we just kind of use this as a little bit of a visual we're actually going to make some significant changes to what we see on the screen and I think more importantly would love to hear from the Nebraska fans in the comment section one of the things we've talked about about this Nebraska team heading into 2024 man it's deep I think a lot of players play for this football team in 2024 so you might not agree with some of my projected starters I probably agree with you in the comment section that a lot of players that you might shout out I think are going to play a lot as well so would love to get some feedback from you guys as well in the comments section if yall do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel again the support the Nebraska fans have shown all offseason long whether we're talking recruiting whether we're previewing 2024 it's been amazing appreciate you guys and without further Ado let's get into this one let's start at the top here here quarterback position Dylan Rola now I think Henrik harberg I think he's going to play I mean Matt Ru every time he talks about this kid is saying hey he's a good football player that's his words not mine I mean he's a good football player we got to figure out how to use him I think you could see some design packages for a guy like Carri to kind of balance out and maybe take a little bit of the uh load so to speak off through freshman starter Dylan Rolla but you make no mistake about it at the top I mean Dylan Rola is going to be starting for this Nebraska offense in 2024 looking at the running back room this is I think a really fascinating room where it's going to be a very heavy rotation I think there's three or four running backs that get a lot of work for Nebraska in 2024 which I think is massive because you go back to 2023 not only the injuries with Gabe Irvin and ramir Johnson and then Anthony Grant hold on to the football the depth for that Nebraska running back room last year was an absolute disaster now who do I think is going to lead this unit in terms of rushing yards and attempts I'm probably going to lean Emma Johnson because I think he's the most complete running back that Nebraska has you have a lot of different skill sets in this running back room guys like Gabe bvin Jr Dante D I mean 215 plus built kind of like mat truck so to speak talk about short yardage situations you talk about fourth quarters when you're trying to grind opponents down I think you could see more Gaber and Junior and Dante D in those situations then you talk about the third down situations that's probably going to be ramir Johnson obviously a six-year guy knows what he's doing in pass protection and as a pass catcher I think that kind of separates him from all the other running backs so you got a lot of running backs in this room I don't think it's fair to kind of point out a true starter although I would go with Emma Johnson I think a lot of these running backs get a lot of burn in the 2024 year going to the wide receiver spot let's start with the two wide receivers that I think this passing attack you know really goes through in 2024 that's Jamal Banks and Isaiah neor Jamal Banks and we've said this a lot he's kind of that true wide receiver one that Nebraska just didn't have last year you talk about a guy that if it's third and long and you need someone to create separation sit it down in zone coverage and go make a play B J all banks Isaiah neor is that vertical threat at the wide receiver position who's very very good with that football in the air there was a lot of Buzz around him going into the 2022 season with this Texas offense a couple years ago and suffered a knee injury kind of couldn't get on the field I think Isaiah no neor not necessarily for Nebraska fans I think you guys know what you got with them I think he might catch a lot of national college football fans by surprise in 2024 that third wide receiver position I think it's going to be a heavy rotation I probably would lean Jaylen Lloyd to kind of operate as that slot wide receiver obviously blazing speed a lot of different things you can do with Jaylen Lloyd but I wouldn't be surprised if jakori Barney Jr as a true freshman gets Incorporated because he's one of those guys that you can get him the football in space and go let him get to work I mean he's electric kind of one of the one of the more electric Playmakers in this Nebraska offense I think jakory Barney Jr gets on the field but I think you get a couple other guys as well right Malachi Coleman going into year two I would shout out a guy like Carter Nelson as well and Matt Ru again kind of the same thing we talked about with harberg Gard Nelson's a really good football player and we got to figure out ways to get him on the field year one as a freshman I think Carter Nelson as that kind of jumbo slot a guy that can block on the perimeter that would make sense and then Jian Bonner kind of a very similar story where Jan Bonner is not going to be this Dynamic pass catching threat in red zones that's where he can operate well also blocking on the perimeter I mean if you're going to use guys like jakori Barney or Jaylen Lloyd on some screens and end rounds trying to manufacture some explosive plays for your freshman quarterback you want wide receivers that can get a dumb block in on the perimeter I think jorian Barney Barner Barner excuse me is a guy that I think might be able to do that for Nebraska on the perimeter tight end position Thomas vidon now you look at the offensive line This is where we're going to make some significant changes to what we see on the screen I'm going to go starting at that left tackle spot which is Again by far I think the biggest storyline for Nebraska the rest of fall Camp is where can we go to kind of sh up that left tackle spot I think you start the season with Turner corkin there he's a guy that has played a lot of left tackle in the Big 10 although it's been a rocky inconsistent Road for Turner corkin at least you can rely that he has some experience and when you have a true freshman quarterback and Dylan Rola I think the mindset should be we got to surround him with as much experience as we can specifically on that offensive line so I think week one Turner corkran is going to be the guy I would just keep an eyeball out for gunar Tula a guy that I think has a lot of talent that's only going to be a red Sher freshman hasn't played a lot of football I think he could work his way into potentially getting some snaps at left tackle then you look at the rest of the way Justin Evans locked to play guard Ben Scott locked to play center Micah maakua Gonna Be Your Right Guard and then Bryce benhard at right tackle I think you feel really good about those four starting offensive lineman if that left tackle position can kind of get itself figured out I think Nebraska is going to be in an okay spot on the offensive line and I think there are different ways that you know maybe you can sh up that left tackle position whether it's lining up an inline tight end giving some chip running back pass protection if that's really the only hole that we see in this Nebraska offensive line I think there are ways for an offense to really give help to a left tackle that might need that help in 2024 going to the defens of side of the football this is where it gets kind of just the bullets start flying to be honest you know Tony White's going to use one a lot of different players to in a lot of different positions and I think the you know quote unquote starting Nebraska defense is going to look different based on what teams you're playing right if you're going to play Colorado week to a team that's going to spread you out play with four wide receivers you might see different players playing as opposed to when you play Iowa later in the season when you kind of know you're going to get a lot of two tight end sets and kind of condens formation so you're going to see Nebraska get creative in terms of how they use this defense and how they use certain players players in this defense and I think they can do that because they got a lot of Versatility they got a lot of depth you start on the defensive line Bonafide starters and Ty Nash and Jamari Butler Jamari Butler from what it sounds like is really gonna take a jump he was sneaky good in 2023 if he kind of takes a step in 2024 that's a massive storyline for this Nebraska team at that jack spot I'm gonna go Prince Will U and I think Prince Will U was really surprisingly good as a true freshman say the word surprising not because I thought he was going to be a bad football player but I didn't think he was going to be ready to go as a true freshman the physicality the juice in the pass rush I think he's probably the best pure pass rusher on this Nebraska defense I think Nebraska's gonna try to get him on the field a little bit more I think MJ Sherman's a guy that has played some football you kind of know what you're getting I think principal U probably has that ceiling that for Nebraska fans really excites you specifically in the pass rush looking at the twoof ball Lineback backers I I think Javin Wright is a lock to start I thought he played as he got more comfortable playing off ball linebacker keep in mind this was a 2019 kid that has played cornerback has played Safety then kind of transitioned to that off ball linebacker spot as he got more comfortable within that off ball linebacker position you saw him play some really good ball and I think Javin R's going to be the best linebacker for this Nebraska team I think he's going to be a Bonafide starter guy that plays a lot of football consistently for Nebraska Now where's that other line backer come from I think this is kind of one of those examples where it kind of Might depend on what team you're playing you play Iowa John Bullock's probably going to get a lot of reps you play Colorado John bul probably not gonna play that much because he's not the best athlete in space I would think mikai is the next guy I would look for and then Stefan Thompson I see as a guy that plays a lot of football might not be a quote-unquote starter but he's gonna be an edge rusher I think he could play that jack spot certainly could play off ball linebacker that kind of utility piece that is again maybe not a bona fighter or quote unquote starter but very important to the Tony white defense Devon Thompson is going to play a lot of football for Nebraska in a lot of different ways you look back at the secondary let's start at the boundary quarterback spot where Tommy Hill h a healthy Tommy Hill who's focused is really really good then on the other side of that the boundary quarterback spot to start the season with blly Hill not really sure when he'll be full go I'm G to go seor Wright I mean seor Wright was an underrated pickup for Nebraska I think SE Wright is super talented he's long he's fast he kind of checks off all the physical traits that you're looking for and quite frankly you know played a lot of good football for USC as a redshirt freshman in 2022 I think SE rght is going to play a lot for Nebraska especially early as blah Hill continues to work back from that injury I would throw in a guy like Jeremiah Charles who is starting to really come on during fall camp another super talented kid Malcolm hardzog I think he'll be a nickel to I think that's where he's at his best now if say you're writer Jeremiah Charles are not ready to go at the boundary quarterback spot you can very easily and kick Malcolm hardzog out to that boundary quarterback spot and get good play from him but I think if you're Nebraska you try to wna at least in my opinion make sure Malcolm hartog's playing in the right position you look at the safety position this is going to be a very fun but challenging task for Tony white Isaac gford Maris Buford Jr Sean Singleton these are all at least in my mind all big 10 caliber players I would expect all three of them to play a lot and I think the challenge for Tony white is how can we get them all on the field at the same time I think a lot of the maybe National media look at Nebraska and say all right Isaac gford we know he was really good for Nebraska in 2023 did it all not many people are talking about deshun Singleton who was a freaking Rock star the first couple games of that season in 2023 before the injury and then you kind of read about what's going on in Fall Camp sounds like he's picking right where he left off from that injury I think Deshawn Singleton is going to be arguably maybe the best safety for this Nebraska team and so how can you get all of this Talent on the field at the same time that's why you pay Tony white the big bucks because you gotta get creative but you got a good problem to have here and that's three really really talented defensive backs that can do a lot of different things you can move all these kids around and kind of find that best that best rotation for Nebraska in the secondary I think the only question mark you have at the secondary spot is that boundary cornerback spot opposite Tommy Hill with BL Hill working back from injury outside of that I think the secondary has a chance to be very very good for Nebraska will cut it there again probably left out a lot of good players that I think are going to play you look at guys like Elijah Judy having a really good fall Camp Riley vano cam lenhardt a lot of guys that I think can play a lot of football for Nebraska that might not be quote unquote day one starters would love to hear from you guys in the comment section again all the support means the world to the boys if yall do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel appreciate you guys we'll talk to y'all later