Nebraska offensive line coach Greg Austin said the next three weeks will determine much in not only who starts along the Husker offensive line, but how the two-deep shakes out behind what’s shaping up to be a veteran top five.
However, he also broke down where things stand in the competition at each spot along the line during a Thursday Zoom chat with reporters.
So, why waste any time?
Left tackle: Senior Brenden Jaimes is the starter with freshman Turner Corcoran behind and redshirt freshman Brant Banks and senior Christian Gaylord also getting reps.
Left guard: Senior Boe Wilson out front with junior Broc Bando and sophomore Colorado State transfer Nouri Nouili behind.
Center: Sophomore Cameron Jurgens is the entrenched starter with junior Trent Hixson and sophomore Will Farniok behind.
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Right guard: Senior Matt Farniok is manning the position with a host of players, including redshirt freshman Ethan Piper, Hixson and junior Matt Sichterman competing for the two-deep.
Right tackle: Redshirt freshman Bryce Benhart is out front with Banks and Gaylord also getting reps.
Got all that?
There aren’t many surprises on the top line. Wilson is a veteran and Austin has said in the past that keeping him healthy is the key to a bounce-back 2020 season.
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The biggest development, perhaps, is Corcoran, a true freshman and former four-star recruit, pushing for the No. 2 job behind Jaimes.
“Turner Corcoran has emerged as a young, valuable player right now, especially considering this year, in the NCAA's eyes, does not count (toward eligibility),†Austin said. "So you don't have to worry about a redshirt vs. non-redshirt year for him."Ìý
The only new starter in that top five would be Benhart, a 6-foot-9, 300-pound Lakeville, Minnesota, native. Jurgens, though, said he thinks the learning process is going well so far.
“He’s just got to use his abilities,†Jurgens said. “He’s very talented. He’s going to be a great player. He just needs to be confident and go hard with everything he does. He plays hard, he’s going to be a great player. He’s got all the tools, all the ability and we’re seeing some things out of him.â€
For Austin, much of the intrigue comes after the top five.Ìý
"We're very interested in the starting guys, no doubt, but how much depth can you build?" Austin said. "You talk about a time like right now, it's about depth, because you could get a guy that gets sick. And if a guy gets sick, who's the guy that's behind him that's going to give you as much or keep the production going?Ìý
"We're looking at this in a holistic way, just like you always have to do, but even more emphasis on the holistic picture from the top to the bottom of the roster per position to make sure that you're straightened out," Austin said. "The other thing that we look at to add to that is position flexibility. Can a guy play guard and tackle? Can a guy play center and guard? You want guys that have position flex and also guys that can play multiple sides as well."Ìý