Meredith catches the coaches' eyes

Life in the Red
 E-mail Story
 Print
  Share

 digg it!
 Facebook
 del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit

Text Size: 

By the Lincoln Journal Star

As Nebraska looks to develop depth at defensive end, keep an eye on redshirt freshman Cameron Meredith.

Defensive ends coach John Papuchis said after Friday’s practice that the 6-foot-4, 260-pound Meredith has “stepped up his play” this spring.

“I’ve been very excited about the development of Cameron Meredith,” Papuchis said. “I think he’s going to be a really good player for us.”

[+]Enlarge

Meredith, from Santa Ana, Calif., played in one game last season but received a medical redshirt after being injured. 

What specifically does Papuchis like about Meredith’s play?

“Two things,” he said. “I think he plays the run well, because he’s physical and he uses his hands.

“And I think he’s a deceptive pass rusher. He doesn’t look explosive coming off the edge, but he understands how to rush the passer, how to work his moves that suit him well. He does a good job.”

Happier mood: After a sluggish Wednesday practice left Bo Pelini disgusted, the Huskers had “good energy on both sides of the ball” Friday, according to offensive line coach Barney Cotton.

Chris Brooks was back on the field after an injury, but I-back Roy Helu remained out because of a hamstring injury suffered last Saturday.

Line switch: There wasn’t much change from Wednesday in regard to the shakeup on the offensive line that had Jacob Hickman moving to right guard and Mike Caputo working with the top unit at center.

“We felt that our best five guys (involved) putting Caputo and Hick on the same line and that’s the way it stands right now,” Cotton said. “Ricky Henry got a little better reps with 1s today at the right guard spot, with Hick back at center, so it’s kind of an ongoing thing throughout spring and fall camp and we’ll see how it all plays out.”

Depth at tight end: Arguably Nebraska’s deepest position is tight end, where the Huskers return junior Mike McNeill after a season in which he set a school record with 32 catches.

And not to be forgotten are Dreu Young and Ryan Hill, who played extensively last year. Then there’s Ben Cotton and Kyler Reed, motivated after redshirt seasons.

What’s tight ends coach Ron Brown to do with all those guys?

The coach said he wouldn’t be opposed to playing four or five guys in a game if they’re up to it.

“I like the situation. I like competition. I like playing a lot of guys if they can all play,” Brown said. “And I like challenging guys to say, ‘Hey,  You wanna be out here? You get out here and you do the little things to excel and be good at, and make sure you’re the most dominant guy in each particular realm of the game.’”

— Brian Christopherson and Brian Rosenthal