2008 Position Breakdown: Offensive Line

2008 Position Breakdown: Offensive Line

Position Overview: The big bodies are in place for the 2008 version of the NU offensive line to be outstanding. Perhaps nowhere else on the Cornhusker depth chart is there as much quality depth as on the line (running backs…maybe). Start with seniors Mike Huff and Matt Slauson at guard. Huff is a steady, if not spectacular, veteran, while a slimmed-down Slauson is still a big, physical mother who should be in his element leading the charge in a much more head-knocking running attack.

Sophomore Keith Williams will be the top back-up at guard and will push Huff for a starter’s spot throughout Fall Camp. Coaches and fellow linemen can’t say enough good things about Williams’ size, explosiveness and footwork. Fellow soph., D.J. Jones will also provide quality depth at guard. The line won’t drop off much when Williams and Jones, a highly-touted recruit out of Omaha, sub in.

Oft-injured Lydon Murtha will take a few steps to his left and replace Carl Nicks at the left tackle position in 2008. Since he arrived in Lincoln, Murtha has had coaches and pro scouts drooling with his measurables. A lean, graceful 6-7, 315 lbs. with long arms, Murtha is a prototypical NFL left tackle, and could play himself into being a first round draft pick next April. For all his physical abilities, Murtha has to prove he wants it bad enough to be an All-American caliber lineman. If new O-Line Coach Barney Cotton can help Murtha’s performance catch up to his physical skills, the Husker offense will be awfully hard to stop.

True sophomore Javorio Burkes showed “sky is the limit” kind of ability after burning his redshirt at the end of 2007. Burkes shows nice footwork for his size and possesses freakishly long arms (a big plus at the tackle position). Conditioning could be the only thing to hold Burkes back during his sophomore season. Sophomore Mike Smith will get the bulk of snaps backing up Murtha and Burkes, while redshirt freshman Marcel Jones will get his feet wet as well. Both Smith and Jones are rangy and athletic options.

The center position belongs to junior Jacob Hickman. While not the most powerful member of the Husker line, Hickman makes up for it with technique and quickness off the ball. Relative unknown redshirt freshman Mike Caputo came out of spring football as the second teamer at center. This appears to be the one spot on the line where depth is somewhat lacking, however new Juco recruit Ricky Henry could impress enough during the fall to stabilize this position.

Reason for optimism: Like the running back position, the offensive line is an impressive mixture of experience and talented youth. Burkes, Williams, D.J. Jones and Smith are all sophomores. The Husker line could be good for a long time.

Reason for concern: Last season, the line excelled in pass protection, but less “Husker-like” when the team needed to grind out a three-yard-gain. Part of this was Callahan play calling. Part of it was that the defense often put a lot of pressure on the offense to score quickly. The talent and coaching appears to be in place for this to be a good run blocking line, but they will have to prove it.

New blood: If he can learn the system fairly quickly, Henry can provide instant help at guard and center. With so much quality depth ahead of him, scholarship recruit Brandon Thompson out of Texas will likely redshirt. It also appears, for now, that 5-star recruit Baker Steinkuhler will start out on defense, though this could change.

What to expect in ’08: This could be the most talented and deep Husker offensive line since 2001. While the depth is fairly young, Williams, D.J. Jones and Smith are each entering their third year in the system. Murtha and Slauson have NFL potential, while Huff and Hickman are heady veterans. If this group stays healthy and lives up to its potential, a Big 12 title is not an unreasonable goal.