The Nebraska football tight ends have been working on the little things.
Here I am, back with another story about the Nebraska football tight ends. It’s no secret that they were underutilized last season. Now heading into 2020, they look to be a huge part of the equation moving forward.
Sometimes, it was a lack of targets that came their way. That forced them to be written out of the game plan unintentionally. Other times, the tight ends could not seem to get things going. Whatever the case may have been, they were underutilize last year. Now, that looks to change.
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In talking with the media earlier this week, senior tight end Jack Stoll indicated that the positional group was working on some of the little things. That included route running and making sure they got off the ball quicker. It may seem a little bit simplistic to work on these things, and think that they make a huge difference. However, these type of things certainly do.
The tight ends should figure to have a big role this year. with the type of offense that Matt Lubick wants to run, things will be more wide-open. That could work to the favor of the tight end position, as it will allow them to go up the seam and become more of a receiving a type of group than a positional group who just blocks on running plays.
Of course, blocking will be important too. However, not utilizing the tight end in the passing game these days is a head-scratcher. With the type of things the group is working on, I would expect them to be a major part of the passing game moving forward.
"“We’re a little more detailed in our routes, running full speed more of the time,” senior tight end Jack Stoll said when asked why he thinks his position group has seen the ball more during practice. “Some of the smaller details like that really end up turning what could be a throw to the flat for 3 yards into a 15-yard gain because we end up coming out of our break a little bit faster."
Again, I love to see the attention to detail. It’s something that offensive line coach Greg Austin talked about a little on Thursday. Attention to detail is key, and it could make the difference between winning and losing a football game. In an eight-game season, every little detail means that much more.
I love the work that the tight ends are doing, and I hope that they can continue it. They need to be able to become a reliable target for the quarterbacks, especially in the red zone. That security blanket the tight end position offers is crucial. If Nebraska can maximize the skill at the tight end position, it will make the offense that much more dangerous.