Nebraska released its official depth chart for Week 1 Monday. So, were there any surprises? That depends on who you talk to. There were some names listed I didn’t expect to see and a couple that were absent that sparked questions rather than surprise. If anything, I didn’t expect the number of “ORs” listed. There are 14 in all.

I’m not big on indecisiveness and it’s been years since I played the game and was fighting to make the varsity as a sophomore in high school or the travel squad at West Texas State. To my point, my brother recently pointed out that when I played (1978) I was closer to wearing a leather helmet than the helmets of today. The game has changed with NIL and the transfer portal. It made me question a couple of the selections and if there were head games being played.

So, I turned to someone who would know far more about such things than myself - Adam Carriker. I asked Adam how much motivation was involved with being named the starter, and if you had to work harder to earn the top spot or was it harder to keep the top spot. Were there head games being played. His answer was as follows:

“You work to be the starter. If you’re not the starter, you’re working towards earning that. If you are the starter, it doesn’t mean you’ll always be the starter, it’s a short team reward with long term goals of also leading the team to more wins,” he said. “I don’t think the depth chart has anything to do with head games. It’s just a fact of life of where you currently stand.”

I needed to hear that. I know players are motivated in different ways. And I know personally I didn’t respond well to criticism. I was one of the guys you just took aside and told, ‘you aren’t getting it done, you need to do better.’

So, I asked Adam, is it safe to assume that the portal players that are listed as starters earned it. Was there pressure on the coaches to justify starting them because they were getting paid. Did they clearly put in the work to be listed as the starter, rather than those listed below them.

“I’m sure it’s a bit muddy in the eyes of some of the guys who have been here but aren’t starting. But just like when a guy is drafted in the NFL or signed in free agency, you know they’re brought in for a reason. That being said, you can still beat them out. Just ask Gunnar Gottula. Elijah Pritchett was third string before the Cincinnati game last season. I’m just saying that coaches want to win and keep their jobs, so there’s a lot of incentive to play the best players. I’m sure some depth chart listings are meant to send a message sometimes. But there’s a difference between that and head games.”

Again, good answer for an old guy to hear. Adam’s answer made me appreciate what coaches must deal with in today’s game. Team chemistry was difficult to establish in my day, and that was before money was involved and guys were coming and going. A unified team that can get past all the personal goals and egos is something that is truly rare today.

So, while the “OR” is a lot like a tie or kissing your sister it may not be so bad. After talking to Adam and listening to Holgorsen and Aurich yesterday I decided the number of “ORs” are a good thing. It makes sense to keep them until the Big Ten conference schedule starts.

Running Backs

It would be difficult to pick a starting running back right now. What do you base it on. None of them has had the opportunity to put together a large enough body of work to show what they are truly capable of. So, give all of them plenty of snaps over the next three games and allow somebody to rise to the top. I don’t doubt there is talent in the room, and someone will sperate themselves.

And while the fans like me all want to know who’s listed where, Holgorsen hasn’t been concerned with where his players are listed at all.

“I haven’t even looked at it.,” he said. “I kind of know what it is in my mid…position battles will remain ongoing. Just go out there and play like crap and see what it does…it may happen in the first drive. If I see some garbage out there, I may say, ‘you get in.’ That’s just kind of how I operate.”

My take, I look for freshman Jamal Rule to establish himself through four games and become the leading carrier by seasons end. He came in, went to work and excelled to the point of showcasing himself in the spring game. That growth has continued and he’s added weight, muscle, and has increasingly looked like a Big Ten running back. I was also impressed how relaxed and laid back he seemed in the recent press conference. There is talent in the room, but I like the young gun.

Corner Backs

It’s the same with the corners, they will rotate through the non-conference games, and a clear starter will be named opposite Marshall by the time the Big Ten schedule starts. And much like Adam, I think there was clear intent as to where the names fell on the roster. Putting Danny Odem behind Adrew Marshall was smart. He’s up for playing time and being listed number two rather than number three is motivational. The same holds true for the “OR” between Victor Evans and Jeremiah Charles. Each knows they are in the running to earn that ‘Blackshirt’ and they can prove that in the upcoming games. So, prepare well.

Defensive Line

I was a little surprised Owen Stoudmire got the nod over Riley Van Poppel. But stopping and remembering Van Poppel only started three games last season and hearing Rob Aurich’s explanation…well, I get it.

“Competitive kid,” Aurich said. “Performs every day. Consistently good, not occasionally great, is the best thing I could say about Owen. He’s the same guy every day. Extremely competitive with himself. Plays with great leverage and has strong hands. He’s a guy that I’ve been very, very pleased with how he’s performed.”

What a great explanation, consistently good, not occasionally great. I think Van Poppel has unlimited potential even though Stoudmire got the nod as the starter over him because of experience, leadership, and consistency. I anticipate Van Poppel will get more snaps than Stoudmire, if for no other reason than Stoudmire has struggled to stay healthy.

Aurich talking about hand play also caught my attention. That seems to be something Aurich and D-Line coach Corey Brown are looking for. I’ve heard them mention Jahsear Whittington’s ability to use his hands multiple times. He too was listed number one besides Stoudmire.

Cameron Lenhardt and Anthony Jones are listed ahead of Williams Nwaneri and Kade Pietrzak at the defensive end positions. That should have been expected as both are more experienced and are better at holding the edge against the run. And neither is a slouch when it comes to the pass rush. Lenhardt is finally playing his natural position in a four-man front. He will excel there protecting the outside and rushing the QB when needed. Jones has never been anywhere longer than one year, but Aurich and Manning love what he adds to this defense. And again, Nwaneri and Pietrzak are as apt to take as many if not more snaps as the two starters.

I was a little surprised to see an “OR” between Pietrzak and Jordan Ochoa. But reviews from fall camp have indicated Ochoa has come on as of late. I also didn’t expect to see Jeremiah Jones and not Willis McGahee listed. That tells you what kind of talent Jones has that he is considered one of the top six with just moving to the position.

Offensive Line

I might have been surprised about Gunnar Gottula starting over Babalade if we hadn’t heard it was a possibility a couple of weeks ago. But when talking about Gottula, that word consistency popped up again. Plus, Gunnar has an athletic frame and moves better than Babalade. One of the red flags on Babalade coming out of the portal was that there might be a lack of consistency in effort and practice. He showed to have highs and lows while at South Carolina. In his defense, he’s been dinged up and unable to practice this fall.

Hayden Ainsworth, a true freshman, is listed as “OR” with three-year player Preston Taumua behind Pritchett at left tackle. Much like the cornerbacks, there was some thought that went into the pecking order here. Taumua is listed as “OR” for number two at both left and right tackle. This is notable when you consider Taumua and Grant Brix came in together and Brix isn’t listed on the depth chart at all. Brix was highly sought after coming out of high school and I’ve heard he’s got all the talent in the world. Evidently things just aren’t clicking yet.

Linebackers

Seeing and listening to Owen Chambliss, it’s a no brainer that he is listed as one of the starters. However, I’m curious to see how much he plays in the first three games. He’s been battling injuries throughout spring and was held out for a week this fall. It would seem smart to have him full bore when the Big Ten schedule starts. Dawson Merritt is listed behind him and will see plenty of action.

There is an “OR” listed between Vincent Shavers and Dexter Foster for the starting spot next to Chambliss. Foster has good size, is tremendous athletically with great pursuit. His problem is his eyes. He struggles with recognition and sometimes misses running backs. Shavers has good recognition and has worked on his body. He’s leaner and moving better this fall.

Blackshirts

Blackshirts were to be issued Tuesday afternoon. As of the time of this writing, I’ve been unable to find any info as to who may have earned one or how many were handed out. Personally, I would hope no one with an “OR” attached to his name earns one. As of now, 8 would get a Blackshirt. There are three positions where there is an “OR” between the first and second man. Shavers and Foster at linebacker, McDougle and Guthrie at safety, and Evans and Charles at cornerback.

To me It wouldn’t make much sense giving one player a Blackshirt and not the other. If you did that would make a total of 14 and in my estimation the Blackshirt is too coveted to just hand out that many before a single hit is made. They must be earned, and if you aren’t sure about them being the clear-cut starter, then they aren’t a Blackshirt.

I’ve always felt Rhule has never understood the Blackshirt and its meaning. If so, the single digits would only be for offense. But I’m feeling good about Rob Aurich and his understanding of the tradition.

“I think it is one of the best traditions in college football,” he said. “It’s beautiful experience to put those jerseys on people’s backs. It’s something that we don’t carry lightly. It’s a heated conversation in the staff room on who’s earned it up to this point.”

I love everything Rob Aurich is saying. His Simple, Fast, and Violent mantra is perfect. And his comments in this week’s press conference made me want to buckle up and hit the field.

“When we step onto the game field here, there’s a level of intensity that you have to go to as a defensive player in order to play at your best … it’s a dark place, defensively, and we want to see our guys live in that zone.”

When asked about the dark place. Aurich replied, “You’re running full speed through people’s faces,” he said. “I think you want to be composed with what you’re going through with your mind, but there’s an eagerness for violence that we’re looking to see.”

Eager to be violent, every true football player has it. We’ll see Saturday if this Nebraska team has what it takes.

GO BIG RED!! SIMPLE, FAST, VIOLENT!!

Art worked designed and owned by Lyle Harmon and ‘Off the Cob’.

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