Nebraska assistant coach Jovan Dewitt has both able bodies and question marks at his outside linebacker position through six spring practices.
Able bodies in that he’s got at least eight healthy guys learning his scheme and praise for just about every one of them.
Question marks in that 2017 staple Luke Gifford is out for the spring while recovering from hip surgery, Ole Miss transfer Breon Dixon’s eligibility for the coming fall is not yet known and four-star prospect Caleb Tannor does not arrive on campus until the summer.
So what’s a rocket scientist to do?
“What we’re trying to do is match those guys up as different pairs or units,†said Dewitt, a former math and physics major at Northern Michigan. “There’s not a defined one, two, three or even four right now. So one day it’s a set of ones, then the next day it’s another set of ones to try to get those guys matched up with each other and figure out who flows best with who.â€
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During about 30 minutes on Tuesday morning that were open to the media, Dixon worked opposite junior Alex Davis and sophomore Pernell Jefferson opposite junior Tyrin Ferguson.
Dixon still has not heard from the NCAA whether he will be immediately eligible — several former Rebels who left that program this winter have petitioned for that after Ole Miss was hit with sanctions — so there is a bit of a balancing act in managing his spring workload.
“You want to make sure he gets the reps he needs and he’s prepared so that, should he be pronounced eligible, he’s ready to go and he’s got a bank of reps,†Dewitt said. “All we’re trying to do right now is build a bank of reps where everybody can learn and understand what we want to get accomplished.
“You don’t want to build too big of a bank of reps if he’s not going to be eligible, but you’ve got to give him enough of an opportunity to get prepared in case it should happen.â€
Dixon played defensive back at Ole Miss and is one of the few players in the position group that Dewitt says is a natural in space. Several of the others were recruited as defensive ends for a 4-3, so rushing quarterbacks comes more naturally than coverage responsibilities.
“Having good spatial awareness when you’re out in space, to the field especially, it’s really about being able to see multiple things and having good peripheral vision and not just locking in on one aspect of it,†Dewitt said. “So good space players have the ability to see multiple things happening at the same time and understand how they adjust to it. Players that look like they struggle in space tend to lock in on one key the entire play and that’s all they look to follow, so they look a little stiff and robotic at times in space.â€
Defensive coordinator Erik Chinander said the goal was to get Dixon about equal reps for now, "then once we figure out his official status, we’ll make some adjustments."Â
Ferguson also falls into the minority of the group, where space is more comfortable than backfield disruption. He appeared in only five games in 2017 and battled turf toe. Add in a 2016 redshirt, and it’s been a long time since the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder from New Orleans has been on the field regularly.
“He’s probably got the thickest set of notes of anybody in the meeting room,†Dewitt said. “He’s always up in my office trying to ask extra questions, get extra film work. … You can tell when someone’s really adopted a learner’s philosophy is when they come in with specific questions about specific plays. He’ll text me throughout the day, ‘Hey, play 24 in team, they lined up in this, what was I supposed to do there?’â€
Dewitt on Thursday spoke highly of several others. Redshirt freshman Guy Thomas, estimated to be at 235-240 pounds, hasn’t put it all together, “but boy when he goes, he goes,†Dewitt said. “He’s got a real opportunity to be a really dynamic player for us.†Redshirt freshman walk-on Jordan Paup is “as good as anybody we’ve got in terms of strength numbers,†and is currently best-suited for the point of attack. Sophomore Quayshon Alexander had his best practice so far on Thursday.
Don't forget that sophomore Collin Miller came on late in his redshirt freshman season to see increased playing time down the stretch.
The picture won’t be fully painted by the time spring ends. Dixon’s status could become clear at any point, but Gifford, who Dewitt says has “kind of become like a coach on the sideline for me,†likely won’t participate at all. Tannor, listed at 6-3 and 225, said he chose NU in part because of the prime opportunity to earn early playing time and will begin that quest this summer. So, too, will David Alston (6-5, 225), the top 2018 recruit from the state of Minnesota.
“At this point in spring, it’s really more about developing the guys that we currently have,†Dewitt said. “But as we progress through spring and we’re able to figure out what we have that’s an asset, what we may have that’s a liability, that’s when I start to incorporate (Dixon and those not currently participating) and start to single out roles for some of the guys that we currently have, understanding and knowing and planning for the future of where we may be deficient in one spot or another.â€