McKewon's Mailbag: Nebraska's run game, 2025 impact recruits and volleyball position battle

Sam McKewon will be providing mailbags throughout the summer, culled from questions on social media and the Husker Extra text chat system.

This mailbag covers Nebraska footballs run game, its bowl chances, a look at coordinators Tony White and Ed Foley and a look at NUs basketball rosters.

Does your opinion of season outcomes and bowl projections change? Where do you think the Huskers end up? Ranked/unranked and which bowl game? We predicted 8-4 before the season and that still looks like a reasonable goal.

That record would keep NU out of the Big Ten title and College Football Playoff berth hunt, and probably right on the edge of being ranked, but it still would net Nebraska a mid-tier bowl berth like the Music City, Dukes Mayo or ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, which still would love to have the Huskers.

In 2013 and 2016, Nebraska was edged out of what was back then called the Outback Bowl by Iowa, which beat NU in the last game of the regular season.

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28, 2024 What do you think is the rough equivalent to an 8-4 record in this modern age of college football in the Big Ten as opposed to say 25 or 30 years ago in the Big Eight or Big 12? Thirty years ago, 8-4 now is maybe 9-3 then.

But 40 years ago? Its 10-2.

Even though Nebraska had nominally harder non-conference schedules in the mid-to-late 1980s, it often played teams especially from the Pac-12 that couldnt compete physically, followed by a Big Eight schedule that had powerhouse Oklahoma and a couple trap games, at most.

Kansas State, Kansas and Iowa State didnt invest in football in the 1980s the way Indiana, Illinois or Minnesota do now.

Or, for that matter, the way KSU, KU and the Cyclones do now.

Nebraska chose football in the 1960s and stuck with it; for many decades, that prioritization kept the Huskers ahead of many peers in recruiting, strength and conditioning, nutrition and more.

Today, almost all Big Ten teams have caught up, and it's fair to say Ohio State is ahead off the field.

NU has invested in ways that should pay off in recruiting and recovery, for sure.

What are some areas of improvement that the current coaching staff can address this coming recruiting cycle? At this point, theyve largely been addressed; the early signing period is Dec.

4.

NU has 19 commits, the best of whom is Westside linebacker Christian Jones.

Immediate impact players in the class include Jones, receiver Isaiah Mozee, defensive end Kade Pietrzak, running back Jamarion Parker he get the best crack at playing and, if he sticks, 6-5, 217-pound athlete Jeremiah Jones, who could play receiver or safety.

Jones plays in Kentucky and may get some heavy SEC interest near the end of his high school career.

How is the basketball roster looking? I think they have a few nice newcomers.

Heres a brief overview of both the mens and womens rosters: Men: Nebraska had to and did rebuild its entire frontcourt, adding transfers Andrew Morgan (North Dakota State) and Braxton Meah (Washington), among others, to Juwan Garys toughest-man-in-the-paint routine.

The backcourt needs Utah transfer point guard Rollie Worster to be a pass-first, downhill-drive guy who can kick to shooters Brice Williams (hopefully back on the wing), Wisconsin transfer Connor Essegian and Rutgers transfer Gavin Griffiths, the high-upside X factor.

Women: Nebraskas deepest frontcourt in years (Alexis Markowski, Natalie Potts, Jess Petrie, Petra Bozan) needs balanced backcourt scoring in the wake of Jaz Shelleys departure.

If Allison Weidners return from 21 months of injuries, coupled with Callin Hake, Logan Nissley and Florida transfer Alberte Rimdal, covers the scoring, true freshman Britt Prince could be the new addition that stuns Big Ten foes.

This is a huge roster; the battle for minutes in non-conference play should be interesting.

What are the odds of Nebraska upping Tony White deal to keep him? White makes $1.6 million per year after receiving a hefty raise one year into the defensive coordinator job.

The high end for coordinators is roughly $2 million thats what Chip Kelly makes at Ohio State to call plays.

So Whites getting close to the money ceiling.

NU can pay him a little more, sure, but he wants to be a head coach, and will find a job that fits him over the next two years.

Ed Foley on the hot seat? Love his personality, but come on, man.

Are there assistant coach hot seats any longer? Unlimited assistants mean that guys could lose duties but not their titles or roles.

Of course, Foleys a coordinator though, again, thats just a title in the unlimited assistant era and NUs special teams has had several rough patches this year.

The snapping issues fall under his purview; Tristan Alvanos unfortunate groin injury doesnt, really.

Check back after the next two games.

If NU makes some special teams noise at Indiana and Ohio State, thatll tell you adjustments were made and the Huskers got their edge back in the third phase.

Nebraska was a good special teams unit in 2023 and Foley knows his stuff.

Is there any hope of winning two or more of our remaining games with this sorry running game? Is the plan to run a dozen jet sweeps per game? Remember that Nebraska rushed for 177 yards per game in 2023 using quarterback Heinrich Haarberg as a battering ram.

That approach led to a nation-worst 15 lost fumbles.

NU has lost one this year.

So its not too sorry yet.

Its also not where coach Matt Rhule wants it to be.

He believes his backs dont make enough defenders miss; that, when the line blows open a big hole, the gains are still too modest.

Hes right, though the only cure to it might be recruiting; Emmett Johnson is Nebraskas most elusive back, and he might be the only one.

The other three are tough dudes, especially in non-conference play, But theyre bruisers in a league full of 234-pound linebackers who can bruise back.

Jet sweeps and inside handoffs like the one with Janiran Bonner work as curveballs.

Nebraskas fastball needs to be a downhill run game that pops a big run when the chance is there to do it.

Why isn't (Lindsay) Krause starting ahead of (Taylor) Landfair? Both in their final year.

Is one winning the start vs.

the other? Landfair is not the same Minnesota player that tortured us, seems to me.

Landfair has another season after this one, a team spokesperson confirmed this week.

Its a common misperception that shes in her final year, though.

Her first season, played during COVID, didnt count against her eligibility clock, and she intends to apply for a medical redshirt related to her sophomore season, when she played just nine matches.

At any rate, shes earned more playing time, according to coach John Cook, and a couple starts over Krause, who played well in NUs sweep of Iowa.

So perhaps the pendulum will swing back to the Omaha Skutt graduate, who absolutely is in her final year.

Krause loves NU and went into her senior campaign knowing Landfair would be on the roster.

Whatever or whoever gets Nebraska the national title which may well be Krause in a starring role will make the entire team thrilled.

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