Nebraska got some great news on August 15th as J.D. Spielman, a wide receiver/kick returner prospect out of Eden Prairie, Minnesota announced his verbal commitment to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Spielman, the adopted son of Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman, chose Nebraska over offers from Iowa, Minnesota, and Michigan. In this article we will look at J.D.’s strengths and weaknesses on film, while also looking at his future role with the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
The Eye Test
Spielman is listed at 5’8″ and 175 pounds on most recruiting sites. While he is short, Spielman isn’t small, as he has a very muscular build and very little fat on his body. Due to his lack of height, JD doesn’t have a ton of room to grow and add weight during his career, so I would expect him to top out in the 185-190 pound range.
Strengths on Film
The first thing that really jumps out about Spielman’s film is that he is a tremendous open field runner. Of all the 2016 recruits I’ve watched on film, none of them are as dynamic as Spielman when he has the ball in his hands, as he weaves through defenses with shocking ease on film. The only thing I could think of when watching Spielman play was Bo Jackson in Tecmo bowl, nobody could even touch him. He actually reminds me a lot of current Husker slot receiver and punt returner Demornay Pierson-El in that they don’t really have a ton of fancy cuts and jukes in their arsenal, but they have tremendous instincts and body control and are never hit squarely by opposing defenders. This allows them to simply slip through attempted tacklers on their way to the end zone.
The second thing jumps out when watching Spielman’s is that he has solid burst and speed. While he is like most smaller receivers in that he is more quick than fast, Spielman still displays solid straight line speed, as he is rarely caught from behind by opposing defenders and has tremendous range out of his safety position on defense. Spielman is also able to burst in and out of his cuts, which allows him to gain that extra yard or two of separation that he needs to get the ball.
The third thing that is impressive on Spielman’s film is that he has solid hands and is consistent with his pass catching technique. Spielman is a natural hands catcher on film, as he does a great job of attacking the ball when it is in the air and catching it with his hands away from his body, instead of trying to hug the ball in with his chest. This allows him to not only catch the ball more consistently, but also be in a more athletic position to run and cut after making the catch. Spielman also shows tremendous concentration and timing when going up for contested passes, you wouldn’t expect a 5’8″ receiver to win a ton of 50/50 passes, but he does with shocking regularity.
While the first three areas of Spielman’s game are great, the best aspect of Spielman’s game is that he plays with tremendous fire and aggression. Spielman definitely has some little man syndrome in him, as he plays with a huge chip on his shoulder and is always willing to mix it up with the bigger defenders he goes up against. Spielman seemingly goes out on every play looking to dominate the man across from him, and more often than not he succeeds.
Weaknesses on Film
The first thing that Spielman needs to work on is becoming more comfortable as a receiver and expanding his route tree. Right now Spielman is used more as a running threat out of the Running Back and Wing Tight End position, but he is much more suited to play the slot receiver position at the collegiate level. Spielman definitely has the potential to become a dynamic threat in the intermediate passing game, as he has the separation ability to consistently get open and the open field agility to be a nightmare to tackle after he catches the ball, so I would really like to see him get that part of his game refined.
The second thing that Spielman needs to work on is improving his ball security. Spielman has gotten away with some bad habits thus far in his playing career when has the ball in his hands. First, he tends to carry the ball away from his body instead of keeping it tight to his chest, this makes it much easier for defenders to punch or rip the ball free. Second, he has a tendency to constantly shift the ball from one hand to another when he is running without any reason. This bad habit not only slows him down while he is running, since he is concentrating on shifting the ball around instead of just running, but it also keeps the ball in a very dangerous area throughout the majority of the play, as the ball spends more time right in front of his chest than at any other position.
The final thing that Spielman needs to work on is to just keep adding good weight to his frame to make him a more durable performer. Shorter receivers can be very successful in college football, just look at James Rodgers, Tavon Austin, and Dexter McCluster. But those guys were also very well developed and muscular, meaning they were short but powerfully built players that were able to withstand the physical toll a season of football puts on the body. Spielman is on the right track, but he needs to keep adding good weight to his frame, I think he can add at least 10 more pounds to his frame, which would be ideal for him to remain effective and healthy over an entire college football season.
Final Conclusion
Nebraska got a great find in J.D. Spielman. If it weren’t for his lack of size, he would be one of the most sought after receivers of the entire 2016 cycle, as he has solid hands, good speed, and unmatched agility. Add in some fantastic football genes (he was raised by the GM of the Minnesota Vikings and his uncle is college football legend Chris Spielman), and I feel that Spielman is perfectly suited to excel at the collegiate level.
How Will Nebraska Use Him?
Mike Riley just found the perfect understudy for Jordan Westerkamp. Nebraska’s #1 receiver will be a senior when Spielman arrives in Lincoln and is the perfect teacher for him in terms of the minor nuances of the slot receiver position. While it would be best for Spielman to redshirt his first season on campus, I could see him playing early on special teams as a freshman if the Husker staff doesn’t want to overwork Demornay Pierson-El. In2017 I expect Spielman to be right in the thick of things for the starting slot receiver position, as the Husker coaching staff will need to decide between him and the faster but less agile Lavan Alston.
