Strange days for the Huskers’ backfield

By Graham Schmidt  |   Tuesday, February 20, 2007  |  Comments( 3 )

Nebraska Cornhuskers
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On Jan. 15, Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Brandon Jackson announced that he would forgo his senior season and declare eligibility for the NFL draft. His decision came as a surprise to many and has been met with skepticism and controversy.

Jackson was the fifth-leading rusher in the Big 12 last season with 989 rushing yards and tallied an additional 313 yards receiving. His size and speed, coupled with consistent improvement over the last three years, have made him an attractive NFL gamble; however, had Jackson stayed for his senior year at Nebraska and his success continued, it would have almost certainly solidified him as a high-round pick in 2008.

Now recovering from a broken hand suffered in the Huskers' Cotton Bowl defeat to Auburn, Jackson needs to focus next week on the NFL combine, instead of taking his time and getting healthy for spring practice in Lincoln.

Adding to Nebraska's unrest is that the team's second-leading rusher from last year, Marlon Lucky, has been hospitalized since last week for an undisclosed ailment suffered at his apartment. The team and Lucky's family are keeping quiet about the cause of the illness, saying only that it was not alcohol or drug related, and he has since been released from the hospital.

Statistically, Lucky had a successful sophomore season, accumulating 728 yards on the ground and 383 more through the air. However, Lucky was also plagued by a nagging back injury and voiced his discontent when assistant coach John Blake left for North Carolina after the season. Blake had recruited Lucky in the 2005 recruiting class, and the two were said the have a close relationship.

Nonetheless, with Jackson out of the picture, Lucky has an opportunity to step into a leading role next season for the Huskers, most likely while sharing handoffs with Cody Glenn. Because of his recent illness, though, it's also plausible that Lucky may not put on his No. 20 Nebraska jersey again.

Juniors Cody Glenn and Kenny Wilson played supporting roles for Nebraska's backfield last season, combining for a total of 729 rushing yards and 705 receiving. They may see their playing time considerably increased, though, with the departure of Jackson and Lucky's health uncertainties.

Both backs showed promise in 2006 and would provide a good one-two punch as possible co-starters next year. Wilson showed good field vision and incredible speed, slashing through opposing defenses during his appearances throughout the season.

Glenn, on the other hand, would be the "yang" to Wilson's "yin," providing powerful, decisive running up the gut. A beefy back at 6-foot, 230 pounds, Glenn has the strength to muscle through most defensive lines, only having five rushes for a loss out of 111 attempts in '06. Glenn has also proven himself as a tailback who can be relied on in the clutch, providing a pivotal touchdown in the Huskers' overtime win at Kansas and a pair of TDs in the team's season-defining victory at Texas A&M.

Things may seem peculiar these days for the Huskers, but they aren't nearly as ominous as they appear. Callahan has loaded his roster with a number of talented running backs, all of whom are chomping at the bit to help the Huskers' ground attack.

Regardless of whether Lucky comes back for the '07 season, Wilson and Glenn will certainly get more playing time in Callahan's multiple-back system. The coach's philosophy of employing various tailbacks according to different game situations has begun to pay dividends for the Huskers, as they placed 14th in the nation for overall offense last year.

In all likelihood, though, fans won't see a real shakedown on the depth chart after spring practice. And with the competition at tailback being as fierce as it is, don't expect to see a starter named until around 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 1 (Nebraska's season opener against Nevada).

In the meantime, there is only one certainty in Nebraska's backfield -- things aren't going to get any more normal around Lincoln this offseason.

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CommentsComments: 3  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Craig		09:20 AM
02/21/2007
Lucky is probably going to be back for winter conditioning and I know that he will be back for spring ball. Saying that he wont ...
No.2
greg		05:52 PM
02/21/2007
Unless I missed it, you didn't mention that Wilson had a bone infection and Glenn injured his foot. We went from having four ...
No.3
Craig		09:18 AM
02/22/2007
Glenn might be ready for spring and will be ready for fall practices. Wilson will not be ready for spring training and maybe not ...
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