Depth Chart Watch 2012 – Biggest Risers and Fallers

Nebraska has a lot of positives heading into spring football. However, the team also has some negatives that need fixing. Husker Corner breaks down the top three players that could rise to help solve some of the issues as well as three players who could drop down the depth chart as a result of these issues.

Biggest Risers

Will Compton – MLB
Compton had an incredible close to the 2011 season. He showed versatility and a nose for the ball that he was struggling to develop throughout his first three years at Nebraska. Compton showed that he can step up to lead Nebraska’s front seven after the departure of linebacker Lavonte David. Look for Compton to be Nebraska’s top enforcer in 2012.

Chase Rome – DT
Rome stepped up when Jared Crick went down with an injury. Coaches used Rome more and more as the season progressed, even inserting him into the starting lineup. His size and destructive abilities in the trenches make him a nightmare for man-to-man blocking. While the Blackshirts defense lacked explosiveness on the defensive line in 2011, Rome promises to eat up blocks and become the force in the middle the Huskers have been looking for.

Kenny Bell – WR
Nebraska needs a playmaker on offense. Rex Burkhead is the workhorse. Taylor Martinez is the wild card. But the Huskers lack explosiveness. Kenny Bell’s raw speed and athletic ability make him the most explosive player on the Nebraska offense. Bell will need to show he can improve his catching ability and route running, but his potential is through the roof. Look for Bell and the Huskers to maximize on that potential in 2012.

Biggest Fallers

Baker Steinkuhler – DT
Baker struggled in 2011. Really, the entire defensive line did, but Steinkuhler was one of the more painful downfalls to watch. While Steinkuhler broke free and stuffed some plays at the line of scrimmage, it was a more common sight to see Steinkuhler smothered by an offensive lineman. It doesn’t look like Steinkuhler will get benched in 2012, but if he doesn’t start realizing some of the potential he entered Nebraska with, then it could just be a matter of time before coaches make a change.

Alonzo Whaley – OLB
Whaley is on a short leash. When Compton and Sean Fisher went down with injuries in 2012 and Whaley got his shot but couldn’t grasp the defensive scheme fully enough to call the defense on the field, so the coaches sat him. Then in 2011, Whaley acted as one of Nebraska’s top backups. Though Whaley saw quite a bit of field time toward the end of the season, Nebraska’s coaches still appear to favor Fisher. Whaley has been given numerous chances and still isn’t a starter. It’s hard to see how much longer the coaches can wait around for him to take the next step.

Quincy Enunwa – WR
Nebraska needs playmakers, as stated earlier. Enunwa is one of Nebraska’s best blocking wide receivers and shows that he can catch passes fairly consistently and run smart routes, but he lacks explosiveness. The Huskers need to make a change to develop a higher-octane offense, and Enunwa could end up being a victim of circumstance.

By Chris Peters

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