Reed and Cotton together could be dangerous

While comparing the 2012 Nebraska offense to the New England Patriots is a reach at best, Sam McKewon’s recent story in the Omaha World Herald suggests that perhaps the Huskers will, or should, employ more double tight end formations involving Kyler Reed and Ben Cotton much like the Patriots use their two-headed tight end monster of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez:

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120316/BIGRED/703179925/-1#nu-may-use-healthy-reed-ben-cotton-together

While I despise the Patriots, if Cotton and Reed can even be a faint shadow of the Pats' pair, look out Big Ten. Keep in mind, New England head coach Bill Belichick was a recent visitor to Husker spring football practice. If there is a position where Nebraska is truly set going into the 2012 campaign, it’s tight end. In 2011, Reed recorded 15 catches for 257 yards and one touchdown but Reed still ranked among the top 50 receivers in the Big Ten (third among tight ends). Cotton was No. 5 with 14 grabs for 189 yards. Both also made some clutch third down grabs throughout the season.

With Tim Beck replacing Shawn Watson at offensive coordinator, the Huskers were trying to master the basic installments of their offense last season but it should also be noted that Reed was slowed by ankle and hamstring injuries last season.

Since Nebraska fired Frank Solich after the 2003 season, the tight ends have been a hit or miss element of the offense. Tracy Wistrom was the go-to man until graduation in 2001. Matt Herian looked like the second coming of Brent Jones but suffered a broken leg in 2004 and while he miraculously returned to action he was a shadow of his old self. Mike McNeil looked primed for a big senior year in 2010 after a 32-catch junior year in 2009 but as a senior caught just 21 passes and disappeared down the stretch.

I hope the Huskers are able to effectively use two tight ends, it puts more pressure on the defense and chances are someone is open if you have five viable receiving options on any given play, you become harder to defend.  

2012 Position Outlook: Tight End

One story in a Wine Country Husker series, looking at position breakdowns for the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the 2012 season. Today, we look at tight end:





Looking back: The Huskers made a return to running the triple option, which means the tight ends were involved quite a bit as blockers. However, when Nebraska ran any variation of the option the tight end was always a significant threat in the passing game.

While Kyler Reed and Ben Cotton occasionally made plays in the passing game, they also went long stretches without being involved. Reed caught 15 passes for 257 yards and one touchdown that did not come until the regular season finale of a 20-7 win over Iowa. Cotton caught 14 balls for 189 yards with nary a touchdown.

Looking ahead: The running game remains the Huskers’ staple but Reed has the speed to get behind defenders that Nebraska wants, and needs, to utilize in the passing game. The Huskers need to do so if for no other reason that for residual effects of opening up more running lanes.

Cotton can be a threat in the passing game but his strength is blocking on the perimeter for the Huskers running game.

With both Reed and Cotton being seniors, the Huskers are in good hands at tight end.

2009 Nebraska football position outlook: tight ends

One story in a Wine Country Husker series, looking at position breakdowns for the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the 2009 season. Today, we look at tight end:

Looking back: The Huskers entered the 2008 season looking to make the tight end position a more integral part of the passing game as well as establishing a physical presence in the running game. Nebraska succeeded on the former but the latter is a work in progress and will likely remain such in 2009.

Nebraska brought back Ron Brown to coach the tight ends. Brown was Nebraska’s wide receivers coach from 1987-2003 but was let go when Bill Callahan replaced Frank Solich as head coach in 2004. Husker receivers were particularly known for physical downfield blocking in Brown’s time as an assistant coach.

In 2007, Nebraska tight ends caught 25 passes for 355 yards and four touchdowns with Sean Hill accounting for 18 of those receptions. In 2008, Nebraska tight ends nearly doubled the pass catching output by hauling in 47 passes for 618 yards and eight touchdowns with Mike McNeill accounting for 32 of those catches.

While the tight ends were a bigger part of the passing attack, they were not as much of a factor in Nebraska’s running attack improving from 144.4 yards per game (4.2 per carry) in 2007 to 169.8 yards per game (4.5 per carry) in 2008. As far as the passing game was concerned, Nebraska’s scheme had much the same appearance of the West Coast Offense from the Callahan era. The running game, however, had most of its success out of the Spread formation but not out of the I-formation that fans clamored.

Looking ahead: With Todd Peterson and Nate Swift graduating, the wide receiver position takes a hit. Those departures open the door for McNeill, who enjoyed a breakout sophomore season in 2008, to be the go-to receiver in the passing game in 2009. Nebraska will need McNeill since it will be breaking in a new starter at quarterback with the loss of Joe Ganz to graduation

The only loss at the tight end position will be Hunter Teafatiler. Everyone else, however, returns more experienced with McNeill, Dreu Young and Ryan Hill along with redshirt freshman Ben Cotton.

McNeill will be at the top of the depth chart but as good as he and Young are as receivers, they need to progress as blockers if the Husker ground game wants to establish a physical mentality. Hill is a hybrid wide receiver tight end. Cotton and fellow redshirt freshman Kyler Reed should help as blockers.

The Huskers should continue to have strong threats as receivers at this position with Brown’s influence continuing to take effect in developing physical blockers.

Regardless of what Nebraska takes on from a formational perspective, McNeill is likely to be the lead man of this unit.