We started off our spring position previews with QB, which I feel really good about. We turn the page to RB, which has us seeing our leader in rushing touchdowns from 2024 bolting for Kentucky. A tough blow, especially with how thin we already were at the position. With that said, would Dowdell have really thrived in the Holgerson system? Certainly Emmett Johnson was going to be Coach Holgo’s workhorse. I think it’s a big loss losing him, but we were going a different direction offensively.
Behind Johnson you have a plethora of unknown. Ives is the only returning scholarship player, and we have walk-ons Mekhi Nelson and Kenneth Williams back as well. Combined, they have less than 10 rushing attempts and less than 20 yards rushing. That’s extremely tough when you know that you are going to go through a B1G season where Johnson will get banged up from time to time and need some people to get him breaks.
Nebraska did a great job with their RB class giving some differences with the 2 RB recruits they have committed. Conor Booth is a local kid that showed great promise at camps he attended with his testing numbers, and absolutely dominated Class C football in Wahoo. He could be a Dowdell replacement, but again, he’s going to be a true freshman. Then you have your star recruit Jamarion Parker out of St. Louis who is a composite 4 star recruit coming in. I don’t think he’s the type of kid that comes in and waits his turn. They find ways to get him involved early in his career in Lincoln. The problem is, Parker has been sitting out some with injuries early in spring camp.
I mean this next part with all the respect in the world to Johnson, but our RB room is not elite. Johnson is going to have a very nice season, but I think that will be mostly due to his skillset and OC Holgerson’s offense. He doesn’t have breakaway speed, he can make a guy or two miss, but he lacks some other things that are required to be a big time game changer. I say again, Johnson will be a very good back for us, but all I’m getting at is it is not difficult to be a feature back at a school and have a good season. Wisconsin didn’t even make a bowl game and still had a 10 touchdown RB that was close to 1,000 yards.
We need an elite back, I think Parker can possibly be that when it’s his turn here. But I also expect us to take a look in the portal for another RB to help out that will be similar to the Dowdell situation. We promised Johnson a lot, so it won’t be a starter-type. But it will be someone that maybe was in a log jam that is looking for a place with not much behind the starter to get some snaps. We can point to what we did for Dowdell in that situation.
Overall, I worry quite a bit about this spot. We are one injury away from having someone with 0 carries have to shoulder a pretty big load for us. I didn’t think I’d ever see where Nebraska was a little thin at RB, but here we are. I want to stress, again, that if we can keep Johnson healthy that this is all a moot point. But we are going to need some help. I love EJ and his skillset for a lot of things, but going against B1G defenses every week will take their toll.
Join us tomorrow where we go over the revamped WR room! Next week we will get into OL where I am really excited to see what transpires.
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Johnson reminds me of Burkhead, I know Burkhead was much more physical. But Burkhead never had elite speed either, but they both are shifty and always seem to make the right cut, the right play at the right time.
I am comfortable with him as our lead back, I am definitely worried if he gets hurt and lack of a bigger change of pace once the cold weather hits.