By Brandon Cavanaugh
Basic elements of Tim Beck’s new offense were unveiled in April to the Cornhuskers’ adoring public. Just what Beck’s plans are past page one are anyone’s guess. One thing that isn’t difficult to predict is the talent with which he will try to get the Big Red Machine rolling. If these ten pieces of the puzzle don’t fall into place, the wheels may fall off of Beck’s invention entirely.
No. 1: Nebraska’s Quarterback
While an obvious selection, that doesn't make it any less accurate. With the removal of Cody Green and Kody Spano from the depth chart, this leaves Taylor Martinez, Brion Carnes, Ron Kellogg and walk-on Tyson Broekemeier. Due to uncertainty over who will be the eventual starter, if that person can hold onto said title and if they can command the huddle, this position is the ultimate x-factor.
The potential is there for Martinez to have a huge turnaround from the well-documented rise and fall of last season. There are plenty of positive signs for 2011 already. He’s giving interviews, palling around town with teammates and simply being sociable which is something we'd yet to see from him. He’s bonding with his team and that can only lead to production on the field through trust and mutual respect.
If Martinez is called to the sideline, while Brion Carnes doesn’t have the experience that T-Magic has, he does have the athleticism necessary to equal his efficiency. He’s displayed as much in the past. While Ron Kellogg's shown that he can be serviceable, his place on the depth chart isn't safe.
Broekemeier hasn’t faced the stiffest competition that the national high school ranks has to offer, but he’s no slouch. He accounted for over 2,000 yards passing while throwing 31 touchdowns and only three interceptions during his senior year. He also added 630 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns on the ground. He’s not the second coming of Tommie Frazier, but the football IQ of Brook Berringer would win ball games and that’s what he can develop.
Regardless which of these four young men gets handed the keys to the Big Red Machine’s offense, the engine will either purr like a kitten or be flooded beyond repair. The good news is that should it stall and Nebraska’s quarterback has issues early on, there are likely a few safety nets in place thanks to Beck.
No. 10, No. 9, No. 8, No. 7, No. 6, No. 5, No. 4, No. 3, No. 2
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