Who catches on for the Big Red?

I hope you like the new look for Going Deep With Doze. It is time to take a look at who will be a factor when Nebraska tries to stretch the defense with the passing game. With a strong running game that the Huskers appear to have in 2011, the play-action passing attack could really open up some opportunities for the offense.

Nebraska has a pair of proven commodities at the receiver spots. First is wide receiver Brandon Kinnie (6-feet-3, 225 pounds, Senior). Kinnie really developed as the season moved on in 2010. He is a strong receiver that can go across the middle, take the ball away from a defensive back in traffic and crush a corner to spring a long run for the I-back. Brandon also shows good leadership qualities to a group of receivers that otherwise are fairly inexperienced.


The other top talent in the passing game is tight end Kyler Reed (6-3, 230, Jr.). Reed is a difficult matchup for a safety and a total mismatch for a linebacker in down field pass coverage. He really gets open down the seam of the defense that often leads to big plays. Reed reminds me of Matt Herian, the former Husker that was a favorite big-play target for Jammal Lord in 2002. Ben Cotton (6-6, 255, Jr.) can be a devastating blocker on the end of sweeps and catches the ball well for a man with good size. Jake Long (6-4, 240, So.) may also contribute at tight end.

The rest of the wide receivers will fight it out for playing time. Veterans like Tim Marlowe (5-10, 175, Jr.) and Khiry Cooper (6-2, 195, Jr.) will battle with players like Quincy Enunwa (6-2, 210, So.), Stanley Jean-Baptiste (6-3, 220, So.) and explosive freshman Jamal Turner (6-1, 180) for precious playing time. These players and a couple more on the depth chart must learn Tim Beck's new offensive system quickly if Nebraska is to be a more balanced and effective offensive team in 2011.

The receivers must be aggressive blockers and yet be speed demons running through the secondary of the opponents. The dual threat of good size with quickness always makes a defense nervous. This group of largely untested Huskers will have to be ready for battles by the time Big 10 Conference play comes along. I think this group will come along slowly, but can make a difference to the team late in the year. Let me know what your thoughts are in the comments section of the blog. Thanks as always for reading.