Alright, let’s talk about piecing together this 2024 Nebraska football depth chart. It’s something I find myself doing every year around this time, mostly just to get my own head straight about where the team might be heading.
First thing I always do is grab last season’s final roster and the depth charts from the last few games. You gotta start with who’s actually supposed to be coming back, right? I just make a rough list, position by position. Who played significant snaps? Who was listed as a backup?
Then comes the less fun part – figuring out who’s gone. I check the lists of guys who declared for the draft, seniors who graduated, and, of course, the transfer portal. Man, that portal keeps things interesting, doesn’t it? You really have to keep track of who’s heading out because that obviously opens up spots.
Sorting Through the Players
Okay, so now I have a list of returning players and the holes left by departing guys. Next up, the newcomers. This takes a bit more digging. I look at the latest recruiting class – who are the freshmen coming in? What positions do they play? I usually read up on their high school careers, maybe check out some highlights if I can find ’em, just to get a feel for their potential impact early on.
And then there’s the other side of the transfer portal – the guys Nebraska brought in. This is huge nowadays. I spend some time looking up where these transfers came from, what kind of playing time they got at their old schools, and try to figure out where the coaches might see them fitting in right away. Sometimes a transfer looks like an obvious plug-and-play starter, other times it’s more about adding depth.
Putting Pen to Paper (Sort Of)
Once I’ve got all that info swimming in my head, I actually start mapping it out. I usually just use a simple document or even a spreadsheet. I’ll list out the positions on offense, defense, and special teams.
Offense
- Quarterback
- Running Back
- Wide Receiver (X, Z, Slot)
- Tight End
- Offensive Line (LT, LG, C, RG, RT)
Defense
- Defensive Line (End, Tackle, Nose)
- Linebacker (Edge, Inside)
- Defensive Back (Cornerback, Safety, Nickel)
Then, based on everything I gathered – returning experience, departures, new talent, maybe some early spring practice whispers if any reliable news is out – I start slotting names in. I’ll put who I think is the likely starter, then the main backup (the 2nd string), and maybe even a third option if it seems clear.
It’s important to remember, this is all just educated guessing at this stage. Especially before spring ball really gets going and you hear more concrete reports. Guys get hurt, freshmen impress unexpectedly, transfers don’t adjust as quickly as hoped – lots can change. But doing this exercise helps me get familiar with the names and the potential strengths and weaknesses heading into the season. It’s just part of getting ready for Husker football, you know?
So yeah, that’s pretty much my process. Go through who’s back, who’s gone, who’s new, and then try to piece the puzzle together. It’s never perfect, but it’s a good way to get the conversation started.
