Monday, August 22, 2011

Burkhead ready but Huskers need a running mate


Much of the discussion of any potential improvement from Nebraska's offense has centered around the return to health and form of sophomore quarterback Taylor Martinez along with the ability of new offensive coordinator Tim Beck to establish a true identity that the unit has lacked for the past decade.

However, another important factor will be junior running ack Rex Burkhead's ability to handle to role of featured runner and the Huskers finding a complimentary backfield mate. Burkhead filled that role for Roy Helu, who has since graduate. Burkhead filled role pretty well as he amassed 346 yards on 81 carries and three touchdowns as a true freshman in 2009. Burkhead's role expanded a year ago as he tallied 951 yards on 172 carries and seven touchdowns. The question now is that with Helu gone, can Burkhead handle the role of being the bellcow?

That statement is not necessarily a negative against Burkhead but more of an appreciation for Helu, who was a stable prescence for an offense that couldn't find an identity to save its life. Burkhead possesses outstanding talent and I believe has the ability to enjoy a breakout season. Keep in mind the junior from Plano, Texas, nearly surpassed the 1,000 yard mark despite splitting carries with Helu.


Burkhead, however, is an unproven commodity as the true featured back and, let's face it, at every level of football the number of runners that carry the ball 30 times per game is a thing of the past.


The question is not necessarily can Burkhead handle taking the majority of the carries? Say 15-20. The question is, who can Nebraska rely on to spell Burkhead for say 10 carries?


The candidates are Aaron Green, Ameer Abdullah, and Braylon Heard. Green and Abdullah are both members of this year's recruiting class, a class in which Green was considered one of the best running back prospects available. Abdullah has been impressive in workouts, and many people believe the coaching staff is going to have to find a way to get him on the field.


Heard originally committed to the Huskers as a member of the 2010 class, but was unable to qualify academically. After finally achieving the requisite scores, Heard is ready to finally see the field for Nebraska.


It would appear as though Green is the runaway favorite to be Burkhead's running mate but Heard was nearly as highly touted as Green coming out of high school and was one of the best running backs in his class.


Heard also has the advantage of being a year older and more mature from everything he had to go through just to be allowed to play for Nebraska. His perseverance to become a Husker shows a desire for football and for the program that cannot be overlooked. Any rust Heard might have from the year away from football should be quickly shed.


The odds would appear to be in Heard's favor to emerge from the pack as Burkhead's running mate. Whoever emerges from that pack will essentially play the same role Burkhead has played the last two years.

No comments:

Post a Comment