Nebraska Football: Keys to the Blackshirt Resurgence
Nebraska Football is in the midst of a fascinating spring. The arrival of defensive coordinator Bob Diaco has transformed the dynamics of the program. Will his energetic expertise translate to improvements between the hashes?
The most obvious change has been the switch to a 3-4 defensive alignment from a 4-3, which Nebraska had used since Diaco was playing football at Iowa.
Most players are having to learn a new set of responsibilities on top of getting used to a new coordinator, so growing pains would be understandable.
There are, however, a few reasons this defense could be very good more quickly than expected.
A Star in the Making?
One of those reasons is junior outside linebacker Luke Gifford.
Gifford came into the Nebraska football program as a lightly-recruited safety weighing just 195 pounds.
The junior had no other major offers outside of Iowa State, and he has eight career tackles.
How can a guy like that offer hope of a 2017 Blackshirt resurgence?
The key is in Gifford’s new role. The Lincoln Southeast grad is up to 240 pounds and says his new position, field-side outside linebacker (aka “Dog” linebacker) suits his strengths perfectly.
Gifford has morphed into a big, rangy, hybrid-type defender who excels in coverage — a skill set which fits his new responsibilities to a T.
The former defensive back still must defend against the run and adds pass rushing duties, but he rarely has to sit in the box any longer.
He’ll also get to utilize his best traits most often since the Dog linebacker is primarily tasked with “covering the slot receivers and tight ends in space.”
Gifford is not even projected to be a starter, but it’s looking like senior Marcus Newby (an impressive athlete in his own right) will have to step on the gas to keep his job.
More Fitting Roles
Gifford’s emergence this spring epitomizes the transformation the Blackshirts are undergoing. The new defense is peppered with guys learning and embracing new responsibilities.
Many of them, like Gifford, might fit their roles better than they did in the 4-3.
Another example is “Cat” (boundary-side) linebacker Alex Davis. Davis’ responsibilities are similar to Gifford’s, but that previously wasn’t the case.
The 6’5”, 255-pounder played defensive end in the 4-3 scheme. Davis doesn’t have much football experience, so it might scare some fans that he’s the clear top option at Cat.
Like his field-side counterpart, however, the new position might allow Davis to even better showcase his athletic ability.
As a high school defensive end, he primarily stood up because he didn’t even know how to put his hand in the dirt.
Now he can terrorize opposing quarterbacks from a standing position once again. If he can nail down the coverage aspect of his role, he’ll also make it harder on tight ends and receivers with his size and length.
The Best 11 Guys
Another major change made this spring has little to do with the scheme switch and much to do with getting the best 11 guys on the field at once.
Defensive back Joshua Kalu’s move to safety seems like more than an experiment these days. The move was surprising, to say the least, since the senior excelled as a cornerback for the last two seasons and had a clear path to start again.
The move could mean great things for the defense, though.
First, if coaches are comfortable with moving the established veteran to safety, that means they’re also comfortable with true sophomore Lamar Jackson starting opposite Chris Jones.
Jackson was the gem of Mike Riley’s first full recruiting class and has talent coming out of his ears. To Husker Nation’s delight, it looks like the light could be coming on early for the 6’3”, 200-pounder.
Kalu’s presence at safety could also allow the front seven to be more aggressive, even if there are multiple receivers on the field.
Kalu’s coverage skills allow him to man up on a slot receiver. That could free up a man to play the run or put pressure on the quarterback, rather than having to play the pass or bring in an extra defensive back.
There’s certainly give and take with this — Kalu doesn’t have the physicality of Antonio Reed — but the potential positives seem to greatly outweigh the negatives here.
Hope Springs Eternal
What does all this mean?
Nothing… yet.
Spring is aptly named, as the optimism flows endlessly during this time of year. There’s always hope that the next season will finally be the breakthrough year.
Still, the developments seen among the Blackshirts this offseason are offering tangible hope, even amid major changes.
Some of those changes might even be speeding things up rather than slowing them down.
It seems more obvious by the day that Diaco’s defense generally fits Nebraska’s personnel better than the last one.
It’s also apparent that Nebraska coaches are adamant about getting the best athletes on the field, even if it means making some unconventional moves.
Whether it all comes to fruition in the form of a good-to-dominant defense as soon as next season remains to be seen.
A lot has to go right for that to be the case, but there’s still good reason to believe Husker fans won’t have to wait much longer to see the Blackshirts rise once again.