1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Austin Oerman joins the show to break down current Nebraska roster: January 6, 11:25am

Episode Date: January 6, 2026

If Nebraska had to play a football game today, what would the lineup look like. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Back to one-on-one with D.P. Sponsored by the Downtown Lincoln Foundation on 93-7, the ticket. Okay, Bach, let's go back one. If you don't mind, sir, we need to pay some bills. So, Bach, if you would, please, sir, pay the bills. Pay the bills. Yeah, today's show sponsored by Hamilton Telecommunications, bringing the latest quality technology and communication services since 1901,

whether it's residential or business. Hamilton has the answers. Visit Hamilton-Tales.com for more info today. Thank you, guys, sir. Greatly appreciate it. TechSline, we're going to go down a path here. We're going to talk basketball, but at some point, I mean, we've got a full day. We're only going to be on 18 hours a day, so I think we'll cover everything we need to cover. But it struck me that we're trying to go with what, as Stephen R. Simple likes to say, what we know versus what we think we know.

and we're trying to figure out what do we know about players who are we think are returning to a Husker football and if a game was being played Friday who would be favored or maybe we project into the space so we brought in Austin Ormond as well and kind sir thank you for joining us Thanks for the invite. I appreciate it. If we said offensively that, you know, we got a phone call, right?

And they said, listen, Nebraska, Oregon can't make a game. So we need you to pass you up and fill in. Who would be the starters on offense based on what we know versus what we think we know? Now, we only know what we know. We don't know what we don't know. But from what we know, existing players and considerations, in your mind, Austin, Norman. And text line, you can play along with us at home.

Get your pad and pencil out. Austin quarterback position. T.J. Lateef. Is there a backup? Is there a backup? Like I said, T.J.L.O.T. for Bodie Sukup. I don't think there's a backup. There's an echo in that quarterback room. Hello. Hello. Hello. There's an echo in that. Is there anybody there? And they go, no.

No. Running back room. I think McKinnellson probably gets the nod. I would lean that direction, not just based off bowl game performance, but I think they're still trying to figure out what to do with Mosey, and I think Ives is just going to have another soft tissue injury of some sort again.

Like the dude just can't stay healthy and get on the field consistently. So I think McKinne Nelson wins the battle of attrition. We're basing this on what we know. And listen, until he gives us something else to digest. we can only consume what we've seen. So not a fault receiver position. I feel confident about one of those spots,

and that's an Isaiah Hunter. Okay. I am still not 100% convinced to Cory Barney's on the roster next year. If he's around, he's a starter. And then it's a bunch of we'll see. I think as we were discussing it, we probably would see Quinn Clark right now. If like in your example,

Nebraska's filling in the college football playoff, almost assuredly it would be Quinn Clark. yeah maybe there's room for cortez mills maybe there's room for jeremiah jones potentially and those are the guys that are on the the roster so i think that's where nebraska would be so i don't go hunter clark and and barney right what do we do with carter nelson right now i think he's tied in two tied in two yeah he and luke are also potentially would get january and bonner back but it wouldn't be today right but right for next yeah yeah i would he but you got to start him the slot over Barney then would you do that or tight in two pullback slash Hback Nelson played

more in the bowl game than I remember him playing in the regular season I think the month off is good for him I did they get him the ball they did not get him the ball remember remember last year all the hype about Carter Nelson I kept telling before that I kept telling people chill and they were like no he's I was like oh man yeah got a big block that sprung open that Nelson run. They're very Carter Nelson blocking tight end is exactly what we're like to make the main.

Look at Bach coming through. Exactly. Look at Bach coming through Carter Nelson, man. Carter Nelson is going to. He's going to hug you later on for coming through. Offensive line. This is probably the most settled position on the team after today's news.

You'll start Pritchett at left tackle. Justin Evans at center. I think Brandon Baker, no, Brandon Black. Nick and I were talking about Brandon Baker. Brandon Baker would be nice. Target, right. Brendan Black at right guard and then presumed tree Babelade,

the new commit for Nebraska over there at right tackle. So I think that you're still grasping for a left guard at this point. Maybe Gatula slides inside. Maybe same sledge is ready at guard. I think Gibson Pyle is the inside guy as well. So I think probably three-man competition there. But I would say the offensive line is probably. Probably the most settled position on the team outside, maybe tight end at this point.

I said settled, not not best to be fair. Don't put words in my mouth, text line. What is the personality of that group of players? We haven't seen them. We don't know, right? Right. I mean, is this run first? Is this a run first unit?

Is this a past first unit? Is it up to that unit or is up to the offensive coordinator to do what the head coach tells him to do? What, what is the Dana Hoagerson office? offense look like. We're still waiting. Remember, I'm just asking questions. You know, Bach, what do you think of that offensive group, sir? Well, I mean, you got some other, you know, Grant Briggs, Brock Knutson, you know,

those guys are going to, going to fit in there and try to compete. I mean, it's, it is kind of what Nebraska offensive line has been for a long time. It's not spectacular. It's, it's there. And it's got some upside, though. I mean, I do, I do, I would say, you know, Eliza Pritchett, we'd see if he could become in Nebraska's had a few lines with that, right? the Cam Durgans of the world.

You've had some guys shine through, but it's a starting place, like kind of like Austin's saying. It's there. It's at least, you know, hopefully they can do a little bit more in the portal to get a few more additions to,

to compete and maybe get a little bit better of an offensive line out of it. We have five minutes. Let's jump to the other side of the ball. Up front on the defensive line is probably the most unsettled part of the team. Austin, Ormond, don't do that to people's stomach right before lunch.

I got to do it, you know? We're in the business telling the truth, are we not? Yes, we are. I think at this point, you would be pretty settled with Lennhard on the outside and Williams-Munary on the other side of him in some former fashion. And then a bunch of who the heck knows there in the middle. I mean, if you had to make me Sharpie or, you know, Expo Marker, some guys in, I would probably put Sue Lofoto and Gabe Moore right now.

You can tell how confident I am. by my tone of voice. Uh-huh. So, again, I think there's a lot of competition there in the middle of that, that new four down front. No RVP, huh? Another guy I'm not convinced this on the roster. If he's here, you probably slide him in over,

over Gabe Moore. But is Riley Van Popple and inside guy or an outside guy. You know, kind of, I think he's in that Keona Davis sort of realm where I think Nebraska used him inside. Maybe he's a little better outside. I don't know what his body looks like when it said it's best. But you know what, Bucky. you raise a good point. I'll put Riley Van Popple on the inside with a question mark for me.

Linebacker Owen Chamble committed. You paid him. He's familiar with the scheme. I think he's locked in. That second linebacker spot, though, might be the fiercest and most notable competition of camp if both guys stick around. Vincent Shavers and Dawson Merritt. I think he got two guys for one spot there. And Shavers has a lot of potential, as does Dawson. Merritt haven't seen consistency from either one of those guys. Of course, Merritt was just a freshman. Shaver's been good for a splash plate or two here or there. But figuring out that other linebacker spot, I think is another big deal for Nebraska.

Do we know what the secondary looks like or is just? I feel pretty good about the secondary. Andrew Marshall is going to have one corner spot. I think that they'll run Rex Guthrie back out there at one safety spot. And then the next three... How do you feel about that also? I hope he's better as a sophomore. That's how I feel about it.

Is that fair? Yeah, that's fair. Then the other three spots, what they would do today and what I hope they do over the off season are a couple different things. We saw in the bowl game

it was some Jemir Khan at Nichols and inside especially when a Sierra Wright went out he had Justin Rett playing safety if it wasn't Marquis Puford or Rex Guthrie.

Then he had Donovan Jones out on the perimeter corner as well. What I would do if I were Addison Williams which I am not, if I were Rob Ork, which I am not, I would replace Deshawn Singleton

with Donovan Jones. I would move him to that kind of box safety rover type role and then figure out what you have, whether it's at maybe cons it, nickel, or you can move him back to the outside. I don't know. Who's the coordinator? Rob Warwick. What's his mantra? What do we know about his philosophy?

We don't know much about it right now. But I've been on the Donnie Jones to rover slash box safety train for like a year and a half now. Maybe it's just my hobby horse, but I think there's an argument for it. I'm open to anything at this book. Anything that doesn't make me pound my forehead with my fist. Anything, Bach, am I, am I, what say you with that lineup of available talent, what say you, how do you feel about this? Well, I don't think a whole lot better than what you feel about the last time we,

last couple of times we've seen it, right? I mean, I think so far, you're early in the transfer portal, at least as far as additions, have filled up a few spots there on the offensive line. obviously not that quarterback. We build in somebody in there on the defense. But I think you feel like that feels kind of like you're a building year, not rebuilding, a building year. And so I, you know, I think you're kind of stuck in seven and six purgatory or less right there,

unless you can bring in some big time athletes. Or here's them an all idea. Maybe that you could develop some of these guys to become. even better than what we see now and project now. Who's going to develop? Did we hire a development company? Yeah, we need to go back to the old Nebraska. We need to hire guys than to teach guys out to tackle

instead of the actual coaches that we hired to teach guys out of tackle. If we want to go through special teams as well, I mean, Qanan's back, Archie Wilson's back. Isaiah, Mosey and Kenneth Williams, a kick returner, and Jacori Barney returning punts. pretty good group there so Echler's the highlight again Echler for the save

still wearing a cape yeah good heaven did Bach tell you how many yards per punt Archie Wilson average this year 38 38 39 39 he's trending up and both legs and both legs

and both legs important and people don't start listening me when I tell you that I knew we were in trouble when you tell me that the biggest story was your punter. And hey, if those two kickers

and those returners are the highlights and the most surefire bets of your roster, happy long winner, everybody. It's worked for Iowa. Where they were at

as a program and we learned some things. Yeah, but we don't have perfect. Yeah. We'll join the, awesome. Thank you, guys. Bark and I will close it up.

Get you set for the big guy Adam Kirkker in the space.