Nebraska gained a bit of a reputation for being a throwback football team late in the Osborne era and throughout the Solich era. While college football teams looked for more ways to spread the field and open up passing lanes, Nebraska stuck with their simple but effective power run scheme. It wasn’t until 2003 that Nebraska attempted to get with the times, hiring Bill Callahan and implementing a complicated West Coast offense that was about as different from what Nebraska was used to as it could get. The Callahan experiment failed on most fronts, but it was successful in helping the Cornhuskers evolve on offense, as the Huskers have had a nice run on the offensive side of the ball in the past few years. Stars like Taylor Martinez, Ameer Abdullah, and Kenny Bell have excelled in the more wide open Husker offenses.
Another monumental change may be on the horizon for the Cornhuskers, only this time on the defensive side of the ball. The Nebraska defense employed a 5-2 base defense for most of the 80’s, which made sense due to the three yards and a cloud of dust style of offense prevalent for the first half of that decade. By the 1991 Citrus Bowl however, it was clear that the 5-2 didn’t work anymore, as the Huskers were shredded by Georgia Tech’s offense in a 45-21 loss. Coach Tom Osborne and Defensive Coordinator Marty McBride made the decision to shift to a 4-3 base alignment with a focus on speed. After a few early issues transitioning in 1992 , the Blackshirts settled into their new scheme and dominated for the remainder of the 90’s, helping the Cornhuskers capture three national championships in that decade. The defense continued to employ a 4-3 base scheme despite McBride, Craig Bohl, Bo Pelini, Kevin Cosgrove, Carl Pelini, and John Papuchis holding the post at defensive coordinator, but that might not be the case for long. Recent developments with Nebraska’s recruiting approach could be indicating a change in Nebraska’s defensive scheme from a 4-3 to a 3-4 base set. Here are a few reasons why the 3-4 defense could be a perfect fit in Lincoln.
#1: Nebraska will be stacked at Linebacker in 2016
Nebraska’s linebacker corps was in bad shape during spring ball, as Josh Banderas, Marcus Newby, Dedrick Young, and converted safety Luke Gifford were the only scholarship linebackers available to play at the start of spring ball. To help counter the lack of depth, Nebraska linebacker coach Trent Bray closed the 2015 recruiting cycle like a mad man, reeling in Adrienne Talan, Tyrin Ferguson, and Mohamed Barry to join the already enrolled Dedrick Young to form an impressive four-man linebacker class. Coach Bray hasn’t slowed down in the 2016 cycle either, as he has reeled in Jojo Domann, Greg Simmons, Quayshon Alexander, and JUCO transfer William Johnson thus far in the recruiting period. By the looks of things he isn’t done hunting either, as Nebraska recently hosted highly touted Georgia commit Jaleel Laguins, and reportedly will be hosting 2016 linebacker prospects Nehemiah Augustus and Elysee Mbem-Bosse. Add in the breakout season of sophomore walk-on Chris Weber and the return of Michael Rose-Ivey from injury and Nebraska could have as many as 14 scholarship linebackers in fall camp of next season. It doesn’t make sense from a numbers perspective to have 14 scholarships devoted to just three positions, so I think its is logical that the Huskers will shift to a three-man front.
#2: Nebraska is still lacking Defensive Speed with their 4-3 scheme
When Nebraska debuted in the Big 10 way back in 2011, one of their perceived advantages heading into the season was their defense’s superior speed compared to the plodding Big 10 schools. It only made sense after Nebraska had excelled in the ultra fast-paced, spread offense dominated Big 12 conference the past two seasons. But then something weird happened, Nebraska started looking slow on defense. Despite the presence of stars like Lavonte David at linebacker and Jared Crick at defensive tackle, Nebraska struggled to defend Big 10 offense, especially spread offenses like Michigan, Northwestern, and Ohio State. This problem continued to escalate under Bo Pelini, eventually coming to a head in the 2012 Big 10 championship, where the 7-5 Wisconsin Badgers made the Huskers linebackers look like they were stuck in quicksand on their way to a 70-31 victory. Nebraska can increase their team speed by replacing a down lineman with a stand up linebacker while also truly embracing Coach Banker’s “spill defense” philosophy.
#3: Nebraska already has D-Line personnel that fit in an odd front.
Nebraska’s star defensive tackle Maliek Collins is often compared to former LSU Tigers star Glen Dorsey, who dominated college football but flopped early in his NFL career at defensive tackle before finding new life when Kansas City moved him to defensive end in their 3-4 scheme. Collins struggled early this season playing exclusively at defensive tackle. It wasn’t until the Illinois and Wisconsin game, where Collins moved all over the line, that he truly started to show his All-American level talent. Junior Vincent Valentine is the prototypical nose guard and would be perfect in a three-man front over the center, where he can use his 320 pound frame and awesome strength to wreak havoc in the middle. Greg McMullen has never had a 4-3 defensive end’s body type at 6’3″ and 280 pounds, but he would fit perfectly into a three-man front as a defensive end. 2015 recruit Daishon Neal is exactly what teams look for in a 3-4 d-End, as the young man is 6’7″ and 275 pounds. Add in Alex Davis and the Davis twins and you have five very capable options as d-ends in a 3-4 scheme. The only defensive end that isn’t a fit for this defense is Freedom Akinmoladun, who at 6’4″ and 255 pounds could easily transition into an outside linebacker/rush end position similar to what Vic Beasley did for the Clemson Tigers. Behind Valentine at nose guard, Kevin Maurice and Kevin Williams are slightly undersized, but Mick Stoltenberg is perfectly suited to be a nose guard with his massive frame. It just makes too much sense to me from a personnel perspective not to consider a shift to a three-man front.
#4: It makes Nebraska Different
The 3-4 defense has gradually gained traction in the collegiate game, as USC, Florida State, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Clemson have all adopted 3-4 schemes and flourished in the past few years. While the 3-4 has gained popularity, the Big 10 conference has yet to catch on, as only Wisconsin currently employs a 3-4 scheme. Adopting a 3-4 scheme makes the Huskers more difficult for opposing teams to prepare for, as they are used to practicing against the 4-3 and are forced to adapt players recruited to play a 4-3 in order to give their offense a look. Much like how Navy and Georgia Tech gain an advantage due to their offense is difficult to prepare for, Nebraska can gain a tactical advantage by having a unconventional defense.
Only time will tell if the Huskers will adopt a new 3-4 scheme or keep things the same by sticking with the 4-3? Comment with your opinions below.
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