As we approach the start of Fall Camp for Nebraska, we take an inside look at each position group for the Huskers.
Today we take a look at the offensive line, which despite some inexperience has a chance to be the best yet of the Scott Frost era.
Related: QB | RB | WR | TE
It’s taken four years of recruiting and development, but Nebraska’s offensive line is finally near the point head coach Scott Frost said it needed to be during his first season in Lincoln.
There’s no player with senior eligibility in the unit (though there are three fifth-year juniors) and only three returners who played more than 106 snaps last season.
But when it comes to size, potential, depth, and recruiting profile, the 2021 o-line is well on its way to being the best Frost has had with the Huskers.
Cam Jurgens is back as a third-year starter at center, and if he can get his snapping figured out, he has all-conference athleticism. Ethan Piper played 515 snaps last year as a redshirt freshman, and he looks set as the No. 1 left guard.
Bryce Benhart also played 579 snaps as a redshirt freshman in 2020 at right tackle. He’s paired opposite of second-year freshman Turner Corcoran, who only saw 106 snaps last year but made his first start at left tackle in the finale at Rutgers.
Right guard looks to be the last spot still open for competition going into the summer, but fifth-year junior Matt Sichterman seemed to make a strong push this spring, but Brant Banks is still very much in the conversation.
Broc Bando, Trent Hixson, Nouredin Nouili, and Ezra Miller are all possible rotation options as well. Down the road, true freshman Teddy Prochazka opened some eyes as an early enrollee this spring.
In other words, not only does Nebraska’s offensive line have talent, but it also has numbers. That’s something it hasn’t been able to say in far too long.
Nebraska finally started releasing some of its top winter conditioning testing results after the end of spring ball, and you couldn’t help but notice some of the eye-popping numbers Jurgens put up.
At 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, Jurgens ranked in the top-six on the team’s strength index with a hang clean of 405 pounds and a squat of 723 pounds. But, maybe most impressive was that he also registered a top-10 vertical jump on the team at 34.5 inches.
Jurgens has the size, strength, and athleticism to be an All-Big Ten player on NU’s offensive line, which is why Frost moved him from tight end during his first season in 2018.
However, one reasonably important aspect of playing center that Jurgens has failed to master over the past two seasons is snapping the ball.
Jurgens’ snapping problems have been lamented repeatedly, to the point where some question whether he will ever be able to figure them out and become reliable and consistent enough to play the position.
He seemed to limit the snap mistakes toward the end of last season to his credit, and there wasn’t much conversation about it this spring or even after the Red-White game.
But until Jurgens proves he can get the ball to the quarterback accurately and regularly, there will be a worry about whether he’s genuinely the all-conference center Frost banked on him being.
Left tackle
1. Turner Corcoran, Fr.
2. Nouredin Nouili, So.
Left guard
1. Ethan Piper, RFr.
2. Broc Bando, Jr.
Center
1. Cameron Jurgens, So.
2. Trent Hixson, Jr.
Right guard
1. Matt Sichterman, Jr.
-OR-
Brant Banks, RFr.
Right tackle
1. Bryce Benhart, RFr.
2. Ezra Miller, So.
Other notables to watch: Jimmy Fritzche, RFr.; Teddy Prochazka, Fr.; Henry Lutovsky, Fr.
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