Nebraska Football: Dedrick Mills a prime candidate for 1,000 yards
Mills should help pace the Nebraska football rushing attack.
Tuesday, Sean Callahan of HuskerOnline.com posed the question of whether Nebraska football running back Dedrick Mills would be able to rush for 1,000 yards.
It’s a fair question. After starting off slow last season, Mills was able to pick up his play at the tail end of it. Now, it’s going to be up to him to sustain that high level of play.
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I’ll start off with my analysis. Yes, Mills can be a 1,000-yard back. He has the tools to do it. He has great vision, and uses his strength to muscle through holes and get into the dirty areas. On top of that strength, he also has a fair amount of speed. He is not the fastest runner, but he uses that speed to make the initial burst through the hole. That allows him to find open field quickly.
It’s really interesting to watch him run. Judging by his play style, you would not expect him to be a fast running back. Yet, he is. He possesses that rare style of speed and power that not many running backs have.
As long as he stays healthy, he is a prime candidate to rush for 1,000 yards. I have him pegged as an underdog candidate to win the Doak Walker Award. Nebraska football is going to be under the microscope the season, as they have a tough schedule that allows people to see them often.
As Callahan writes, one of the major reasons Mills has an opportunity to rush for 1,000 yards is the improvements that were made around him.
"The receiver play should also be better, along with the offensive line. All of this sets up nicely for Mills to have a breakout type season where he hopes to put himself in contention to play at the next level. When you look at the Big Ten as a whole, not one 1,000 yard rusher returns in the league. This too also sets up nicely for Mills to have a breakout season."
He has all the tools at his disposal to rush for 1,000 yards this season. Last year, he was just getting comfortable with his surroundings.
Mills looks to improve on last season. dark. Next
Now, he knows exactly what to expect, and that familiarity combined with improvements made around him should give him the opportunity for a career year.