Paul looks to add 'splash' to return game
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Niles Paul comes across as an upbeat, excitable young man. Perhaps somebody who can give some life to Nebraska's return units.
“It should be an explosive year as a return game,” the sophomore wide receiver said Friday.
Paul is the No. 1 punt returner, where senior receiver Nate Swift will also see some action. Paul and junior safety Larry Asante are the two main kickoff return men.
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Potter: O-linemen leaders of offense
The Husker offensive line and its depth are as good as have been advertised, according to senior defensive end Zach Potter, who knocks heads with those big boys every day.
“A lot of the guys that are on the 2’s probably could be starters somewhere else more than likely,” Potter said of the offensive line. “They’ve worked really hard in the offseason. They’re the leaders of the offense. The whole game of football starts up front with the O-line and D-line, and I think both of our roles are really taking shape and it’s really helping our team.”
“I know we can make a splash on returns," Paul said. "We’ve got explosive guys back there — me, Larry, Swift. Whoever’s going to return the ball, it’s going to be a show.”
Paul said he's been focusing on ball security, particularly on punt returns.
“At the beginning, I had a problem," he said, "because every time I broke down and juked, I kind of let the ball out. But never fumbled. Just working on keeping the ball high and tight.”
Asante said he's the dominant return man on kickoffs, but that he and Paul are interchangeable.
"It depends on the situation," Asante said. “We switch off on dominant returners depending on who has more energy and has been off the field more.”
Wideout outlook: Judging by Husker offensive coordinator Shawn Watson’s Friday comments, it appears that Nate Swift, Todd Peterson, Menelik Holt and Paul will emerge from fall camp as the top four receivers. The coach said he and receivers coach Ted Gilmore are still making final decisions on the depth chart, but noted that Swift and Peterson will obviously be starters and “you’ll see a lot of Niles, you’ll see a lot of Menelik Holt. Then from there, we’re still evaluating.”
Watson said Paul has had a great camp, his physical nature helping him stand out. "He, I think, brings that attitude now that he's assured. That's coming out of him."
As for the true freshmen receivers, Steven Osborne and Tim Marlowe are looking at redshirts, according to the coach, but Khiry Cooper is still “part of the mix.”
This and that: With fall camp ending Saturday, Watson said there's no hint of backing the workouts down with the season opener coming fast. “It's a hard game to tone down. We've been playing ball," Watson said. ... The Huskers finished their final two-a-day of camp on Friday. ... During the morning practice, Asante said the defense came out focused and strong. "It was ones versus ones, and everybody was in their right fits and their right gaps, making their right reads. We were just flying to the ball," he said. ... Asante said the offense managed a field goal in the first series of Thursday's scrimmage, but that coaches allowed the offense to keep going even after the defense stopped them on three downs. "Coach gave them more plays," Asante said. "It’s kind of unfair, but we should’ve shut ‘em out on all three-and-outs, all three times, but they ended up kicking a field goal.”
Scouting report: RB, Quentin Castille
Watson praised sophomore running back Quentin Castille, who he said is “absolutely” in the rotation with running backs Marlon Lucky and Roy Helu Jr.
"His style is a different style than the other two,” Watson said. “I think this year, more than last year, he's better at his blitz pickup, and that's really enhanced his game for us. He's very physical. He'll wire his hands and he'll light you up. ... I look at Quentin as a thumper. He's a guy you just pound people with."
Castille said pass-protection blocking is something he really made a focus going into this season.
“I was tired of quarterbacks getting in my face, ‘Ah, man you missed a block...’ I feel way more comfortable with the playbook than I did last year.”
Opponent watch: Western Michigan
Watson said the Husker offense worked some on Friday against defensive schemes it expects to see against season-opening foe Western Michigan.
The Broncos return all 11 starters on defense from a team that went 5-7 last year, but did knock off Iowa 28-19 in Iowa City.
Giving a quick scouting report on Western Michigan, Watson said the team “has a really good defense in terms of keeping things bottled up. ... I’m really impressed with their two ends. ... And their linebackers, they're probably the most underrated people in their defense because they allow the other people to play. They're good gap players.”
Just asking: Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini has said he thinks the defensive line can be the strength of this defense. Is that taking shape?
“We’re definitely going to be a strength of the defense. We’re the leaders of the defense, I think,” senior defensive end Zach Potter said. “Obviously you got Phillip (Dillard) at (linebacker), who’s the voice of the defense. But I think up front ... we’re the most experienced group out of the whole defense. So we’re definitely trying to take on a leadership role.”
Potter said senior Barry Turner especially looks ready to roll at the other end spot.
“Barry, he gained a little too much weight last year, but he’s slimmed down, he’s chiseled again,” Potter said. “He’s done a lot of good things in camp this year. His pass rush is back to the form I think a lot of people saw freshman year and I think that’s going to make a lot of people happy. And I think ultimately we just understand the game a lot more than we did in the past.”
— Brian Christopherson and Brian Rosenthal
