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Should Fred Hoiberg be on the hot seat? | Positive buzz for Nebraska football & recruiting nuggets
Mar 17, 2025
Should the Nebraska basketball head coach Fred Hoiberg be on the hot seat after a late-season collapse? Also, some positive buzz about the Nebraska football team heading into the spring, plus some recruiting nuggets. #GBR #Huskers
0:52 What does the future look like for Nebraska basketball?
10:39 Should Fred Hoiberg be on the hot seat?
20:28 Positive buzz about Nebraska football
33:07 Recruiting nuggets
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0:01
hey fans welcome back to the Husker Big Red YouTube channel I'm Chris Peterson and joining me as always is Danny
0:06
Gillette and we're back here on the this Monday morning for another episode of the podcast and we're going to discuss the future of Nebraska basketball after
0:13
um you know another difficult loss to Iowa which knocked the Huskers out of the Big 10 tournament knocked them out of contention for the NCA tournament So
0:19
we'll talk about the what went wrong this season the future for Fred Hyberg Um we'll talk on some offseason
0:25
rumblings for the Nebraska football program and a couple of recruiting nuggets Um before we do that and get
0:30
into everything hit the like button Please make sure you hit the subscribe button Get into the comment section And Danny how are you doing on this Monday
0:36
morning I'm good This daylight savings time is just with my body clock a little bit but I'm adjusting so I'm all right
0:43
Yeah I'd be doing a lot better if Nebraska uh you know hadn't uh you know laid an egg yesterday on Sunday against
0:49
Iowa in a must-win game and ended up um you know that Nebraska needed to win Basically the winner of that game was
0:55
headed to the Big 10 tournament Um Nebraska lost by 15 They started off pretty well They grabbed an early lead
1:01
but you know Bryce Williams never really got anything going He only had seven points Um only attempted two free throws
1:07
didn't make a three Um Iowa I thought did a great job defensively You know Sam Hyberg ended up with way too many shots
1:13
I thought and it just didn't work out The defense gave up 11 three-pointers Um Iowa made a lot of their shots near the
1:20
rim So it was just uh the defense fell apart like it has all season and Bryce Williams just you know ran out of gas I
1:26
guess is the the simplest way to put it So what what were your you know thoughts on uh what transpired at the vault on
1:32
Sunday You said it earlier just now Bryce Williams never got anything going and when Bryce Williams can't get it
1:39
going for whatever reason the entire offense is non-existent and that and that's been a major problem honestly
1:44
throughout the entirety of the season I mean there's been some you know bright spots like where like Berky Boy Catel
1:52
really playing well against Ohio State but ever since his injury he's been playing inconsistent So there hasn't
1:57
really been a consistent scorer outside of Jawan Garry and Bryce Williams And
2:02
when those two either get in foul trouble in the case of Gary because of his defense which I like because nobody
2:09
else plays defense or Bryce Williams when you know he just can't find his shot then he run into problems and
2:16
that's exactly what happened partly yesterday Bryce Williams never got anything going and as a result the
2:22
entire offense stalled out Yeah there just isn't you know Andrew Morgan has
2:27
been you know provided some low post presence this year but you know outside of that there hasn't been you know any I
2:33
mean um Braxton May hasn't scored inside You know Berky struggled this year Um so they really missed rink mass inside in
2:40
terms of scoring and also you know the ability to create some shots and they did create some decent shots I mean Sam
2:46
Hornberg had some open shots He just you know didn't make them He made a couple but was like two of seven from three you
2:52
know where Bryce was 0 for three and you know it just it was uh disappointing but it was you could kind of see it coming
2:59
Um I think the most disappointing thing about all of this is that Nebraska all they had to do was take care of business
3:05
at home and they lost four straight games at home to end the season and really they lost like cuz six of eight I
3:12
mean because they you know they beat um Illinois and Ohio State at home but you know they lost before that um you know
3:18
to Ruters and USC So there was what six losses LA too So I don't know I mean it
3:26
was just so weird Yeah I mean everything um you know after that UCLA game you know they were what
3:32
12 and two and it seemed like you know everything was trending up but um you know injuries happened and yeah I don't
3:38
know what just this too much was kind of put on Bryce Williams and Joan Gary on this team and um unfortunately you know
3:45
the injury with Rink Mast happened and some of these transfers just didn't you know deliver the way that you know we
3:50
expected Um you know Raleigh Worster was a disappointment I mean if we could go back you know Nebraska probably would
3:57
keep Jammarcus Lawrence for a season you know if they if they could you know and and he was a good defender and shooter
4:02
and um so sometimes you know you get buyers remorse when you go to the transfer portal because Raleigh Worster
4:08
just you know was not it and he you know didn't play great defense and didn't really provide much you know offensively
4:14
And not that he was supposed to score a lot but it you know throughout his career he had been you know at least a
4:20
playmaker and he didn't do that this season So it was um you know that was disappointing I I am hopeful that
4:26
Nebraska will get a postseason bid I think the NIT is probably you know going to be uh extending them a bit There's
4:33
also the new tournament called the Crown um which is a 16 team tournament in Las Vegas And basically some of the idea was
4:39
to try to get some of these power four programs you know to this tournament to kind of essentially it's an attack on
4:46
the NIT and they're trying to kind of make this a new a new thing So I think that they'll get an invite to one of
4:51
those two tournaments Um and Fred said that they would accept it which I think is still a positive thing I know
4:57
Nebraska fans probably are you know not going to be very excited about that but you know I just would like to see these
5:02
guys play again especially you know it was hard to see one Gary coming off the floor you know crying on senior day That
5:08
was tough to see cuz he's given so much to this program But I still think that you know making a run in the NIT or
5:14
whatever would still be worthwhile accepting if uh if they get offered that Yeah I mean it definitely would be
5:21
worthwhile accepting And I know it would be hard to convince Nebraska fans like you said and quite honestly it would be
5:28
hard for me to even get excited about it but I mean you start 12 and two and then
5:33
you just absolutely implode basically once the calendar turned and just so
5:40
just so disappointed overall this season There was so much potential with this team and there we thought this team was
5:47
going to be better than last year's team when we were doing preseason predictions and it just never was able to
5:53
materialize that way Yeah I mean there were guys that were supposed to be defensive upgrades and um
6:00
you know they just didn't really deliver in that in that way you know we thought that they were going to be Nebraska would be upgrading its defense was was a
6:06
major issue you know last year against Texas A&M and you know even if you look at some of the other games they lost last year but it was a it remained a big
6:13
issue And I I think they need to look at their scheme because they give up way too many three-pointers and it's like I
6:19
understand you know they want to limit two-point attempts but the way that they do it they just give up way too many
6:24
threes and their transition defense is just terrible And it was like you know Fred mentioned you know that one of the
6:29
big keys was going to be transition defense and late in the second half it just in the first half it just totally
6:34
broke down and Nebraska even it was like midway through the first half they had a decent lead and then it was like you
6:41
know they were in transition and they let Iowa's you know best three-point shooter have a wide openen three and it was like then the next possession down
6:47
they let Peyton Sanford have a wide openen three and it's like you can't give these guys wide openen looks like that and Nebraska just continually does
6:54
that the shot that Minnesota hit to win the game was wide open And so yeah it's frustrating because a lot of those you
7:00
had a lot of close losses you know Ohio State Michigan Minnesota and they just they really needed to find a way to win
7:06
some of those games But to not even make it to Indianapolis I think is pretty crushing for this program It is pretty
7:13
crushing because again I thought this team had more talent than they did at at this time last year But you know the
7:18
thing about the Big 10 conference is I would almost rather give up easy twos than wide openen threes because they it
7:25
seems like every team with the exception of Nebraska has at least two or three good three-point shooters So I mean when
7:32
you look at the the lack of being able to rotate on defense and their struggles on defense stemming mostly from the
7:38
inability to defend the perimeter you know I' I'd almost rather them focus on that Let the big guys have whatever they
7:44
want inside and just focus on guarding that perimeter Yeah I mean at least you know they I
7:50
don't know You need to have some type of rim you know protection inside and yeah um you know yeah it's I'm not sure
7:56
exactly what what they're going to do but the defensive scheme doesn't seem to be working that well Maybe they just need more athletic players I mean I
8:02
think that that was you know part of it is they just you know didn't have the athleticism at times and you could see
8:09
that But it's frustrating you know you should be able you feel like you should be able to to play transition defense or
8:15
you know I still frustrated by the Minnesota game where it's like you know all you had to do was I mean at least
8:21
locate your guy and you know it was like Andrew Morgan just was sitting out there in left field with there was 5 seconds
8:26
left on the clock and it's like find your guy man Like literally you're watching him come down the floor It
8:32
should not be that difficult to you know at least to contest the game-winning shot Nebraska didn't even contest it The
8:37
guy was wide open So I mean like that's just those things are frustrating Um but I mean you know the defense was you know
8:45
good for part of the season So I don't know It might be just a personnel issue but you know they have some major work
8:51
to do in the transfer portal And you know they have rank mass coming back Connor Sie um Janowski but they're going
8:56
to have to find some playmakers to replace Bryce Williams and Jawan Garry And Conor C needs to be a little bit
9:02
more efficient with his shot because as good a shooter as he is he really struggled down the stretch this season
9:08
and um he's going to need to be able to hit his shots consistently And I know
9:14
that sounds very simplistic and like a yeah well no crap type of thing but it
9:19
was frustrating watching him shoot at times this season Yeah it was He um you know he was really
9:26
streaky and could have been more consistent He I think he was still you know in the top 10 and um in the Big 10
9:33
and like three-point field goals So I mean he did have a pretty solid season but they do need they need more help
9:38
They need more You can't have one guy on your team who's like a designated shooter And I know Jo starter next year
9:44
might help him be like give find his rhythm because it is hard coming off the bench and trying to find that three-point rhythm Yeah And it just
9:51
would be you know he needs to expand um his game a little bit more offensively And you know they need Nick Janowski to
9:58
to be ready to play next year I mean he's their he's been their best high school recruit of the past few classes
10:04
and he needs to be you know as a sophomore hopefully ready to contribute and start um maybe not even start but at
10:09
least needs to be ready to contribute And um you know hopefully Rink Mass will be back to himself and they but they
10:18
need to find um they need to find some like a big-time wing in the portal and they they whiffed on some guys you know
10:23
the past two years A lot of guys that that went to high school in Nebraska So you know that tells me the NIL game for
10:30
the the basketball transfer portal needs to be upgraded and hopefully you know Troy Dannon will um allow that to happen
10:37
And I guess you know let's have this conversation because and a lot of Nebraska fans I've seen a lot of chatter
10:43
about you know Fred needs to be fired or Fred Boyd needs to go So um I don't you know I definitely I've I've made my
10:49
point pretty clear I don't think Fred should you know be fired Maybe a little bit of pressure but what do you think
10:54
you know should should Nebraska consider fire firing Fred Hoyberg Should he be on the hot seat going into next season Or
11:00
what do you think um about Fred Hoyberg's future with Nebraska First off the fans saying Fred Hoyberg should be
11:06
fired They they they thought Matt Rule should have been fired They just want everybody fired who doesn't deliver
11:11
instant championships And there's a certain ceiling with the basketball program And I get there's a certain level of expectations I think Fred is
11:18
still a good coach but I think next year is going to be crucial for him If he can't if he can't at least make the NCA
11:24
tournament next year then I think maybe he should be fired honestly because you
11:29
know he's been here for quite a while now and he's had some success NCA tournament appearance you know last year
11:35
even what looks to be a winning record this year So you know I do think asking
11:42
him to be fired right now is a little bit premature but if he struggles next year then I don't see a reason to keep
11:48
him Yeah I guess to me you know um if they're I think that they should be
11:55
around 20 wins I think 20 wins is um you know whether you're making the NCA tournament or not I think would be you
12:00
know a somewhat successful season I mean you look at Nebraska dating back to um you know since we turn to this
12:08
century the 2000s um Nebraska has won 20 games three times So I mean that tells
12:15
you you know where this program's at They won 23 games last year In 2017 18 they won 22 and in 2007 and 8 they won
12:24
20 And they have before that it was 98.99 So like that's the level of
12:29
success you're looking at with this program I mean there's been not that many even winning seasons I mean this
12:35
would be the sec this would only be you know if they do take a postseason birth this would only be the second postseason
12:40
tournament they've played in since you know 2018-19 So like I feel like they
12:45
are making progress This is three consecutive non- losing seasons They were 5002 years ago and they're going to
12:52
have a winning season no matter what happens here So I mean that hasn't happened at Nebraska for a long time
12:58
That's been since just looking at these winning percentages here you know that's been since 2006 to 2008 Um you know that
13:06
they did that So Fred Hoyer has still even though the season hasn't gone the way that you know we've all wanted it to
13:12
or I'm sure that he wanted it to he still put together one of the best three-year stretches that Nebraska basketball's had in decades So you know
13:20
I think that as a school as a university they need to decide like hey are we really going to you know invest you know
13:25
with these other programs in the Big 10 in basketball or not And you know I think that they're doing that I think
13:31
Fred does have resources but he needs more especially in the transfer portal because in basketball you know football
13:37
you're talking about you know a 10 15 player class In basketball it's like three to five And really it comes down
13:44
to one or two dudes And Nebraska needs to find a couple of dudes you know in the transfer portal You know it would be
13:49
great to find a point guard and it would be great to find a a wing that could replace you know Bryce Williams and then
13:55
bring in some other guys that they already have on this roster You know Connor Gavin Griffith hopefully can have a heartbeat next season can do something
14:03
Um but yeah that's going to be the question uh going forward So you know I
14:08
don't think that Fred should necessarily be on the hot seat but I mean you know like if they make the NIT next season
14:14
like this year and next season I still think he would be you know the best guy for the job But um if they you know like
14:20
miss the Big 10 tournament next year again then that you know in my opinion would be you know time to look at him
14:26
But I'm not saying if he misses the NCA tournament I don't think he necessarily needs to be fired Um but just because it
14:32
has been so hard to to uh you know win at this program and since the Big 10 this program has only made the NCA
14:39
tournament twice So like you know I mean
14:44
I get that we all fired Tim Miles but there had to be some you know fans that had some buyers remorse after because it
14:49
took a long time to get back to this point And I'm definitely not ready to to restart I know that this season didn't
14:54
go the way that we wanted it to but I still believe in Fred Hoyberg I believe in his ability to coach and um I think
15:00
you know he needs to work on the roster management side of things but I do think that he needs more NIL support in order to make that happen effectively So I
15:07
think he's done pretty well with uh with what he's been given so far They collapsed this season I mean they really
15:13
did collapse this season and that's something that really worries me Um you know last season obviously they had the
15:20
success This season they started off 12 and two and once they got into Big 10 play they just collapsed And that's why
15:27
I would even think about putting him on the hot seat if they don't do anything next season because you know it it it
15:35
wasn't like they were able to you know get some sort of consistent success once
15:41
Big 10 play started They had a couple streaky runs here and there but you look at you know the loss to Penn State the
15:47
loss yesterday the loss to Purdue in January and there were just times where
15:53
they collapsed And I think that's what's most jarring to me to be honest with you
15:58
Um so I don't think he should necessarily be fired outright because I
16:04
do think there is a certain ceiling with this basketball program but this season is definitely one to keep in the back of
16:11
the back of the memory if you're Troy Dannon Yeah for sure Sure I mean if they you know have like a losing season next year
16:18
or you know are one of the worst you know teams in the Big 10 I mean I think that you know missing the Big 10 tournament I think would definitely you
16:26
know lead to make would make that conversation justified But outside of that I just I think Fred Hoyberg is
16:31
still the best man to lead this program And um I know that these past few games have been frustrating but they just have
16:37
to they have to upgrade this roster And at the end of the day they just they didn't do a good enough job in the
16:42
transfer portal last offseason And you know unfortunately that's that's just where it is They just didn't at the end
16:48
of they just didn't have enough talent And you know Bryce Williams and Joan Gary had to do everything And you know
16:53
it just got to be too much And uh you know the guards that they brought in just didn't make as big of an impact I'm
17:00
I'm sure that you know before the season I I don't think that you know Fred Hoyberg and the staff probably thought
17:06
that Gavin Griffith was literally going to give them nothing I mean he gave them this he contributed nothing this season
17:11
I mean for a guy that played for another Big 10 team and was a near five-star recruit I mean he should have been
17:17
someone who had a pretty significant role off the bench and was a guy that does have ability And so I don't know
17:23
man I I have no idea what the heck happened there but he is someone I thought was going to have a role on this team And for him to not even get off the
17:30
bench was pretty surprising Yeah So I don't know We'll see I mean I don't know if he's going to be on the team next
17:35
year to be honest with you So we'll see what happens But um the next the next
17:41
month or so well I mean all you know once the tournament gets over but the portal shopping is going to be uh
17:47
critical for Nebraska I mean absolutely critical because you've got rank mast and Connor Sie and Nick Janowski and
17:54
then after that it's like who do you really have that you I mean Berky you've got Berky but you know there's not a lot
18:00
of not a lot of core pieces to build around So Fred's you know going to have to rebuild this thing on the fly which
18:06
is you know what a lot of teams are having to do So it's not like they're alone but you know when is the last time
18:13
they've had a high school recruit you know come through this program and stay for four years It's been quite a while
18:18
I'll have to look that one up actually because I don't know the answer off the top of my head Um but yeah no they're
18:24
going to have to they're going to have to I think identify their most important positions and then just go out and
18:30
attack I think finding a true point guard is going to be extremely important for this basketball team because they
18:35
haven't had one in so long And you know I think trying to find a level of you
18:42
know a post presence kind of like a Braxton me type guy a little bit a
18:48
little bit um of someone who can just fill the lane and and have touch around
18:53
the room because you talk about a little bit of of you know disappointments But I thought Braxton me again you know I know
19:00
I mentioned him a little bit earlier but I thought he was a little bit disappointed this year as well He did have some nice stretches like the game
19:06
against Ohio State and um you know Northwestern when uh Berky went down
19:11
with the injury during that time frame You know I thought he played well but by and large I thought he had difficulty at
19:18
times just trying to you know a find a role and b even scoring around the hoop
19:24
So getting a post presence that will um that will be able to score and
19:30
rebound and you know things like that is going to be important Yeah for sure that they need to get um yeah some more some
19:38
more help in the post some rim protection and um yeah some some help at the in the back court which would help a
19:44
lot So um we'll see what happens I do think that this team will have more basketball to play this season So you
19:49
know we won't find that out until after the NCA tournament you know selection process has gone through So um kind of
19:55
been a waiting it'll be a waiting period for Nebraska basketball fans for about a week and then uh we'll see how it all
20:01
shakes out But I do think we'll see this team play another game this season I don't know if it's going to be at home Um because like if they if they played
20:08
in the NIT tournament like you know I don't I'm not sure that they would get a high enough seed to host a game So um
20:14
potentially that that that would be a one positive if they could host an NIT game I mean that would be cool to get
20:19
you know some of those guys another game at the vault but um you know either way though whatever happens it's been a
20:25
disappointing season So um let's uh move on to some football talk Not a ton of stuff We'll have some more um you know
20:32
kind of breakdowns on spring football and some storylines here in the coming weeks as we move closer to spring
20:37
practice but there have been some you know there there's been some buzz They're going through you know offseason workouts Um the football team posted
20:44
some shots on social media of guys uh doing mat drills and working out and doing whatever But um last week last
20:50
Friday Sean Callahan of Husker online did report that you know Cortez Mills has been turning heads The four-star
20:56
freshman wide receiver Um it looks like a guy who's going to be able to play you know right away and make an immediate
21:02
impact which isn't going to be easy you know with this wide receiver room being as talented as it is So um Cortez Mills
21:08
making a move Marcus Watson Trent is another guy and he you know in terms of transfer editions I think is one of the
21:14
most underrated ones Um the Sunb Belt defensive player of the year you know you look at his stats he's had over 111
21:20
tackles in each of the past three seasons So like he's a tackling machine He's got like 165 solo tackles in his
21:27
career Um he also last season had like four forced fumbles Like he was a playmaker And I think you know he's just
21:34
he's like he's Zack Thomas He was only 5'11 but like this dude can play and um he's showing that early on in camp I
21:41
mean not camp but offseason workouts Yeah I know I I I remember when he played against Nebraska a couple years
21:47
back and he had like 10 tackles So I mean he he does just he has a nose for
21:52
the football He can find the football and immediately make a play He's very quick very aggressive and I think going
21:58
to be a perfect fit for this defense and you talk about some of the young playmakers in addition to you know some
22:04
of the transfer guys that this defense has and and um this could shape up to be
22:09
a pretty solid unit And then I think honestly a guy like Cortez Mills I
22:15
wouldn't be surprised if you see him play a lot um in in this upcoming season even as a freshman He's just so
22:21
explosive He has that playmaking ability and he's not a guy you want to leave on the bench
22:27
No definitely not Um I think you know he's uh he's been compared to you know Devonte Smith by Matt Rule you know the
22:34
guy who won the Heisman Trophy for Alabama and you know he's just a he's a home run threat and he has done it
22:40
against really high level competition So yeah I think I I definitely expect him to you know get in the mix this year You
22:46
look at the wide receiver depth chart man that's loaded Dane Key Isaiah Hunter um Harley Gilmore um Jacorey Barney and
22:53
then you've got Isaiah Mosy also Demetrius Bell who was hurt last season Quinn Clark um you know you just have a
22:59
lot of talented wide receivers So um Geranian Bonner too you know people
23:05
forget about him Keyn Smith even Um so you know a lot of a lot of reason to be excited about that wide receiver room
23:11
And defensively um yeah I really like Marcus Waten Trent And I feel like even
23:17
he may not he may not even start on this defense because of you know they've got Shavers they've got Javin Wright Um you
23:23
know they've got a lot of really talented linebackers but I feel like he's going to be a guy who's going to end up playing a lot and he's just going
23:29
to rack up a bunch of tackles Like it wouldn't surprise me if he ended up seeing the field more because every time
23:34
he out there he just makes a damn tackle And um you know but I like Javin Wright and Shavers too though So you look at
23:40
him you know those two guys plus Watson Trent Um I think man you those inside linebackers are really good too and
23:46
you've got Christian Jones and Dawson Merritt as well Willis Begehei on the outside um Jason McCulla So I really
23:53
like this linebacker crew and um you know gives me the warms and fuzzies to uh hear that Marcus Watson Trent is uh
24:00
you know looking good looking the part so far This linebacker group is probably
24:05
you know maybe the second strongest positioning unit on the team after wide receiver And you know they they just
24:11
have playmakers everywhere They have guys with speed They have guys who have a nose for the football And I think
24:16
they're going to all fit this defensive scheme really well And so it's going to be really interesting to see kind of how
24:24
they mix and match the linebackers and and how this defense kind of feeds off that linebacker play
24:31
Yeah I um I actually really you know looking at this defense and it's interesting because the defense you know if you look at um like returning
24:37
production I think the offensively Nebraska is pretty high up there like in the top 40 but defensive returning
24:44
production according to ESPN they're like 75th or you know they're pretty low because they lost quite a few guys from
24:49
last year's team Not only you know guys to the Portal but Tai and Nash and they lost some longtime starters there But
24:56
man you look at their defensive um you know depth chart and obviously it's going to be a little bit different but I
25:02
mean Kiana Davis Elijah Judy Ben PPP Williams Neri Cameron Leonard all defensive lineman We talked about the
25:08
linebacking core and then you know Andrew Marshall and Sea Wright Hartzog
25:13
probably as the nickel Deshawn Singleton and Buford as the safety So I I don't I just feel like that there's a a really
25:21
um you know solid group of players here coming back and I think that John Butler is going to you know have a good group
25:26
of uh of Clay to mold this season I like this defensive unit more than I like
25:31
last year's defensive unit if we're being honest I feel like there's a little bit more variety in personnel and
25:36
I feel like it this scheme will fit these guys better Yeah And I like um I know we lost some
25:43
pass rushers from last season but you know when you've got Mahayhee and you know hopefully Cam Leonard can take a
25:50
step this year that would help But that would be Kiana Davis you know Williams Noi I think that there's enough um guys
25:57
and Jason McCull I think is really going to make an impact as a pass rusher I think that's the reason Nebraska got him
26:03
and they're like "Hey man like we're going to let you rush the passer." That's what NFL teams want So if if he
26:08
like wants to make money like he needs to have a good season getting to the quarterback and that's what Nebraska needs too So let's let's make that a
26:14
positive thing for everybody and get Desan like five 10 sacks and get him some money and you know get get an all
26:20
Big 10 season out of that guy Yeah I mean you look at what he was able to do at Indiana and then you know obviously
26:27
he spent time at Oklahoma I mean he is built to be a pass rusher He's got a high motor and again it's that nose for
26:34
the football He wants to get after the quarterback he you know he wants to rush the passers So what better way to do
26:39
that than to you know have a role for him where he can focus on mostly only that And um I was really excited when
26:46
Nebraska picked him up and and I think he's going to be a great addition to this defense And it will be interesting
26:52
to see uh you know there is the transfer portal in the spring It'll be interesting to see if they try to maybe
26:57
add you know a nose tackle type but I think that they might you know think they can get by with uh you know Van
27:03
Pppppel and um Elijah Judy So I we'll see I mean those guys are both you know
27:08
in the 300 lb range I think Elijah Judy had a lot better season last year for Nebraska I'll say that on in terms of
27:15
like his impact and what he was able to do um you know run defense-wise So um
27:21
yeah we'll see how it works I mean it would it'd be nice to add a 330lb guy but probably probably not going to
27:26
happen Um you know I don't know what they necessarily would add in the transfer portal I know some people are
27:33
still like "Oh we need offensive line help." Sure I mean maybe another tackle but I mean if you look at what they've got coming back from last season on the
27:39
offensive line you know I mean I know LSKI's coming back from an injury but
27:44
you've got you know Justin Evans who was a starter You've got um you know Gulla
27:50
um who started basically all last season Then you've got Roco Spindler who started double digit games for Notre
27:56
Dame Um you know Elijah Pritchette who started you know double- digit games for Alabama and Lowski who started a lot of
28:02
games you know and if he's not healthy you've got potentially Turner Corkran You've also got Sam Sledge You've also
28:07
got Grant Brics Gibson Pile and then maybe even you know you might even have Turner Corkran and Pashka too if they
28:14
can stay healthy I mean I I know that's a big if but it's not like Nebraska's relying on them for anything more than depth And if those guys win healthy they
28:22
have played effectively too So I feel like there's a lot of you know quality options for Nebraska beyond the starting
28:27
five Yeah I feel like they have a lot of depth And um I know those names maybe
28:33
might not pop out to fans or are noticeable to fans but there is a lot of depth there So I think we're okay on the
28:39
offensive line I mean if they added one more lineman I wouldn't be upset but I feel like they have a solid they they
28:46
they finally have some solid depth at the position for the first time in boy five years Yeah And it's going to be
28:54
interesting to see what they do with like you know Sam Sledge is is going to be an interesting guy you know do they
29:01
um because maybe he could be you know if he could show that he's the center maybe they wouldn't need to move Justin Evans
29:06
But I think that's going to be what happens is Justin Evans is the starting center and then um that other spot's
29:12
going to just come down to you know whether it's Sam Sledge or whether it's Leoski getting healthy or Turner Corkran
29:19
um you know Grant Bricks maybe even So there's there's a lot of I feel like quality options for that last um guard
29:25
spot And yeah another like if a if an all-conference left tackle is available
29:31
and they could get him like sure you know I'd love to get him But um you know I do think that Gulla Gunner Gulla did a
29:37
solid job last season and if he can you know continue to you know play better I think you could do a lot worse than him
29:42
as your left tackle I agree I agree And you know part of it is not just finding
29:48
instant impact players after difficult seasons from previous players the year before
29:54
especially if they're freshman you know part of it is just letting them develop and I think Aula is on the right track
30:00
Yeah Um I definitely thought that he you know did a solid job and you know he's
30:05
Yeah maybe he's not like a first round pick ever type of you know offensive lineman but I think that he did a solid
30:10
job last year So you know I feel better about the offensive line probably than most Um you know the running back room I
30:17
still feel pretty good about Um wide receiver you know tight end I'm hoping that they're bringing Carter Nelson back
30:23
to that position Um kind of interested about the tight end room to be honest with you because if Kyrie Nelson is not healthy then I wonder you know what the
30:32
depth is beyond Nelson Yeah it's um I'm trying to think here
30:39
Ian Flint is Keelin Smith Yeah they have Keelin Smith as a wide
30:44
listed more as a wide receiver I could see Smith kind of moving back because I don't know how many more wide receivers we need Um
30:51
uh I could see Smith kind of moving back to tight end possibly Yeah that could possibly happen Um you
30:58
know yeah it's that's still the the bummer part about you know I know everybody was like happy that Fidoni
31:04
left but I really you know this team could really use a guy like Thomas Fedoni or you know Boricature whoever Um
31:10
I'd rather Borcure back to be honest with you I was also happy to see Fidon leave Yeah See I just don't get that I
31:16
mean I I think that I just think Nebraska fans underappreciated Thomas Fidoni Um but there's uh Luke Linden
31:24
Meyer AJ Rollins um forgot about AJ Rollins M Markway but he was hurt last
31:30
year too Um Eric Ingson So there's there's some guys but nobody that's really you know ready to step into this
31:38
role I'd say you know Lynden Meyer I guess if it's not um Yeah because he played in all 13 games last season He
31:44
had five catches for 50 yards So he's probably going to take over the um you
31:50
know Boricature role He started the pinch strike bowl and had two catches So I would say Lynden Meyer and Carter
31:56
Nelson if he's that move tight end are probably going to be the guys this year that would get most of those snaps Um I
32:01
don't know what Carter Nelson's status is for the spring but he did play a lot on special teams and that makes me feel
32:07
like they trust his blocking and stuff enough to to play him at tight end next year cuz really it's like they're just
32:12
not that he doesn't have a future wide receiver but yeah there's just there's you know it just makes more sense to play him at tight end where I think his
32:19
skill set could be better utilized M Markway former LSU recruit former LSU
32:25
commit I mean he was regarded as a very talented player coming out of high school So if he can bounce back from
32:30
injury and even be halfway decent that would be big because you know he he was
32:36
able to play really well when healthy So I'll be interested to see what he does this year Yeah that would be um you know he
32:44
ended up being another guy basically as part of kind of the 2025 class you know how that ended up working out 2024 class
32:50
So um he'll definitely be in the mix I haven't heard a ton about him I think he or his ACL again when he got to Nebraska
32:57
or something So yeah Um at any rate though still a quality piece that could
33:02
be you know adding some more depth next season Um and let's close out the show with some recruiting nuggets Not a ton
33:09
of stuff happening on the recruiting trail over this you know since Friday when we did our last episode But um
33:14
instate tight end Isaac Jensen did um release his top 10 and Nebraska was you know among that list And you know
33:21
there's some other you know pretty impressive schools on the offer sheet but it seems like you know Nebraska is
33:26
the leader with Isaac Jensen He's coming for a visit this spring and a visit this summer Um so you know guys released the
33:33
top 10 but I feel like Nebraska is near the top and he's one of the two instate offers for the 2026 class And uh yeah I
33:41
don't I don't know if that's going to get expanded but I feel like they're in a good place for his commitment I do too And Nebraska you know as much as people
33:48
are frustrated with the instate recruiting lately they've been able to do a good job of landing the top recruits in the state when they needed
33:54
to So that's a that's a positive trend I think And Isaac Jensen is a very good
34:00
football player very good tight end And um I think we'll probably make his you
34:06
know top five or whatever And then it's a battle from there And I think uh
34:11
adding Jensen to this program and to this roster would would be another huge
34:17
get Yeah Yeah and he's you know his recruitment hasn't gone national like you know say Carter Nelson's or whatever
34:24
but he does have a pretty you know extensive offer sheet Um so you know Nebraska's done a nice job with him He's
34:30
uh out of Millard South Um ranked 649th overall but you know like Missouri is on
34:36
there Auburn um Colorado Florida State Illinois Kansas State LSU Notre Dame
34:44
Texas A&M Wisconsin's also offered him So you know he's got he's got a nice little offer sheet going there Um
34:52
so yeah I feel like they've you know done a nice job um with uh you know with
34:58
with Isaac Jensen And then the other um recruiting nugget I was going to talk about this is from last kind of the last
35:04
or no this was just reported by Sean Callahan but um he mentioned it anyway of Husker online that uh DaVon Bonwell
35:10
Witty who was one of Nebraska's 2026 commitments probably not going to be
35:15
part of the 2026 class There hasn't been um any communication according to Sean Callahan since uh since Garrett
35:22
Magcguire left So Garrett Magcguire probably played a key role in that recruitment and you know you could tell
35:28
that Dana Hulkerson just you know recruits a different kind of player than Garrett Maguire So I think uh don't be
35:35
surprised if uh he's not a part of the 2026 class and I wouldn't uh don't don't take that as a bad thing It's just uh
35:41
you know probably you know both sides are going to go their own way Yeah Completely completely different wide
35:47
receiver room and style compared to what Nebraska when Garrett Magguire was here
35:52
So I so like you said I wouldn't be surprised if he uh if he was not a part
35:57
of the 2020 you know six class either Uh it's just again a change in philosophy
36:04
kind of not what Dana Hogerson wants and that's not a bad thing I mean that's just again players are different coaches
36:11
are different schemes are different So I'll be interested to see who they have to fill that spot because it seems like
36:17
they always have a backup plan whenever they lose a recruit or you know a a decommmit So um yeah I'll be interested
36:25
to see where they go and uh especially in terms of taking wide receivers in this class um how it is kind of
36:33
structured because they have a lot of visits this summer and I think those visits will be important
36:38
Yeah they um they don't seem to be um you know as chasing as many wide
36:44
receivers in this class which probably you know makes sense based on their wide receiver room
36:50
Um but uh let's see just looking at some of the guys that they've offered
36:56
Um they're not really getting you know Jabari Um Mack is one guy that is coming
37:02
for a visit You know Ryan Mosley is another one So there's there's a few guys that are um that they're kind of
37:07
trending up with but it definitely doesn't seem to be as big of a priority as it was in the past And you know you
37:12
still want to get a couple of guys for sure but I don't think it's going to be as you know they don't need like four
37:18
wide receivers in this class So you know we'll see how it goes but Ryan Mosley definitely a guy I would like to see
37:23
them get And um you know but he's going to be a tough one to get out of Georgia So you know we'll see how that works out
37:28
But um you know overall I think they're doing a nice job in in 2026 And it's
37:34
just going to be interesting to see how many they take You know 15 to 20 and and we're really seeing the impact of that with you know because a lot of these
37:40
instate guys that they probably would offer as walk-ons they're not offering now So I think instate recruiting is
37:46
we're going to see that trend way way down over the next few seasons Yeah I agree And it's just the nature of the
37:52
business And um I think these last two classes in particular we're very heavy
37:57
with talent And although there's going to be talent in you know obviously the future classes of course it's maybe not
38:03
as heavy So I think that'll play a role in it too And um I'll be interested to see what regions they recruit most
38:09
moving forward and how they attack it Um especially as the transfer portal
38:15
emerges as you know kind of a dominant source of recruiting in college football
38:21
Um all right you guys before we wrap it up just really quick uh the wrestling team took second in the Big 10 uh
38:27
wrestling tournament Ridge Love won the second consecutive Big 10 championship so that was of note there Um so quite a
38:33
few guys going to the NCA tournament The baseball team lost uh their weekend series to Washington They did scrape a
38:39
win on Sunday Um so they're 5-8 but uh not not the best start overall for Will
38:45
Bolt's team Um the softball team is 19-6 though so that was good They went 4-0 this weekend but uh just Northern Iowa
38:51
um Northern Colorado and South Dakota State Um Big 10 play starts this week for the softball team with the
38:57
three-game series at Ohio State So we'll start to learn a little bit more about them but hopefully uh baseball can get
39:03
things going because it's been a rough start for Will Bolt's crew Yeah Um you know there's still plenty of opportunity
39:08
for them to get things going but the the initial trends and the initial returns have not have not looked good So we'll
39:16
see what happens there and we'll see if they can find that late season magic that they found at the end of last year
39:22
Yeah And it's tough man You lose your Friday night pitcher in uh college baseball That's pretty essential So um
39:28
you know even more than probably a Major League Baseball team because you know that Friday game is really critical Um
39:34
so hopefully some guys can step up Um you know Jackson Brockett had a good day on the mound on Sunday Um but a lot of
39:40
road games they got to play at USC and UCLA over the next few weeks So going to be critical to kind of keep your head
39:46
above water for Nebraska baseball Um but yeah and we'll uh be monitoring things We'll have another episode this week and
39:52
we'll uh maybe look ahead at some more spring storylines for Nebraska football So make sure you look out for that Um
39:58
make sure you hit the like button hit the subscribe button get in the comments section and as always go Big Red Go Big
40:04
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