DB Anthony West, 6-0, 200, Sr.

The odd man out at corner once Alfonzo Dennard got healthy toward the end of last season, West is nevertheless a solid backup whom defensive coordinator Carl Pelini thinks has much as talent as anyone else, if not confidence. West probably could have been a suitable safety once upon a time, remains a good tackler/infrequent blitzer.

As a coverage man -he’s the guy opponents choose to pick on. West can be beaten on a deep ball, doesn’t always fight for position, and reacts a little late. He lacks Prince Amukamara’s size and Dennard’s instincts, as well.

Still - at this point, West knows the defense and will see the field in some capacity. In games vs. Baylor and Kansas State, West was tested - and he came through.

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In the summer and fall, Husker Locker created its “50 Huskers to Know” list for the 2009 season. We now review our list by examining production, injuries and depth chart position.

We’ll present these in five-player increments. Here we go!

No. 25 Anthony West: Started at field cornerback to begin the year, then was replaced by Alfonzo Dennard. Since Dennard struggled with a shoulder injury, though, West was counted upon throughout the year - and rarely let NU down. He earned a Blackshirt, covered Kansas State’s Brandon Banks on some key pass patterns, and filled in where necessary. Quiet guy who’s quietly had a fine career at NU.

No. 24 Rickey Thenarse: Got hurt just in time, so to speak, to earn a fifth year of eligibility. Thenarse tore his ACL in the Lafayette game on a special teams play, but should be back for action in 2010. He was always encouraging of his teammates for the rest of the year, and is one of those players who, given his background, feels fairly blessed to be in Lincoln. Now that NU’s secondary is so good, Bo Pelini can have some fun with an athlete like Thenarse and put him situations that allow for success. He’ll fight for the free safety job, as well.

No. 23 Pierre Allen: A steady, solid year - 51 tackles, 5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss - played through more pain than Allen - who didn’t talk to the media but once during the year - obviously let on. He was a key member of NU’s front four for a second consecutive year, and one of Carl Pelini’s favorite players for picking up defensive concepts so quickly. Played brilliantly vs. Virginia Tech in containing Tyrod Taylor and did the same in the Big 12 Championship game vs. Texas. Allen will get a long look at Big 12 Conference honors in 2010.

No. 22 Ricky Henry: He had his dumb penalties - a key holding call at Virginia Tech, a personal foul vs. Texas Tech, a couple cut block penalties throughout the year - but Henry exceeded expectations in other ways, rarely missing the play and often serving as NU’s most dominant run blocker on pulling plays. Intense as the day is long - but not out of control as some thought he’d be - Henry is one of the anchors of the 2010 line.

No. 21 LaTravis Washington: What were we thinking here? Who knows. Well, we thought Shawn Watson might use Washington as a Wildcat quarterback - still think he should have - but Washington was nothing more than a mop-up late in a handful of games.

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Not surprisingly, my column in the wake of Nebraska's 17-3 win over Kansas State – which clinched the Big 12's North division - caused a little dust-up among Cornhusker fans, who were feeling good and not willing – for one second – to even think about that name. Bill Callahan.

The point was to be in a gracious mood. A five-course prix fixe at a three-star Michelin joint doesn't come to the table by the head chef's talents alone, does it? There's the sous chef, the sommelier, the front of the house and, crucially, the buyer of the produce. He or she has to import the best ingredients, and know whom to tap for those items.

We're simply saying this: Everything else being even, Callahan gave Bo Pelini a much better product than Ron Prince gave Snyder. NU beat KSU by 14 points, and those two touchdowns were reflective of talent, not coaching.

Sometimes, just the opposite is the case. The Brothers Pelini thoroughly outcoached Oklahoma's offensive staff two weeks ago – you remember our hosannas then, right? - and did the same to Clemson in the Gator Bowl. Other weeks, the coaching battle was a wash.

Variables change from week to week.

All of it belongs in the narrative, folks. Fewer hacks were harsher critics of Callahan than I, but let's keep a little perspective here. Whatever his and Kevin Cosgrove's faults were, they didn't bilk the university for millions with some secret deal like Prince, they didn't run the program into scholarship limitations and institutional control issues like Gary Barnett, and they didn't leave the program reeling like Mark Mangino will. They left a messy house, but it wasn't condemned.

Pelini, to his distinct credit, kept continuity on offense, and went to work whittling away at the unpolished gems on defense. What you're seeing now is nearly two years of Bo's labor bearing fruit.

Now, as I've written before, Pelini will have to make hard choices about the offense – the staff, the personnel, the identity, the scheme – in the offseason.

But, with the advance counsel of Tom Osborne, Pelini didn't screw up like Callahan did in 2004. He gave himself the best chance to succeed.

So – you put the ingredients together with a good chef who learned at some of the best culinary schools, and you get a North division title – and a shot at Texas, which is, let's see, the biggest game Nebraska's played in nearly a decade.

OK, now I'm done. Thwack me.

On with the review!

Five Players We Loved

Safety Larry Asante: He's always been a good hitter and sufficient in run support. But Asante, minus a few mistakes, has become a good coverage artist, too. Part of his growth is Pelini's willingness to plug P.J. Smith into the game whenever Asante isn't up to snuff.

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh: No. 93 has been curiously unemotional over the last two months. We're fine with that – the man has work to do. We bet that, in December, when the awards shows roll around – his achievements and success at NU will hit him all at once. With time, Suh will appreciate what's he done as much as the fans do. Some hardware will help, of course.

Wide receiver Niles Paul: He's made some nice adjustments and catches over the last two weeks. He's averaging nearly 20 yards per grab for the season. That's pretty sweet.

Cornerback Anthony West: Prince Amukamara is the better player, but West has been clutch in relief of Alfonzo Dennard for the better part of a month now. He stayed stride-for-stride with KSU's Brandon Banks on a couple deep throws.

Punter/kicker Alex Henery: Part of it's skill, and part of it's just plain good fortune, but Henery downed two punts inside KSU's 2-yard line. We'll take that and a side of hash browns any day.

Three Concerns We Have

Backside blocking: If you're going to run an option game, you have to account for blitzes and defensive ends trailing behind the play. The Wildcats blew up several plays – including an open option pass – because NU's offensive line couldn't execute on the backside.

Shoddy tackling: It's creeping up at the wrong time. KSU quarterback Grant Gregory and running back Daniel Thomas both notched their share of yards after contact because the first defender couldn't pen them in. The preeminent key to beating Texas: Tackling.

Iffy decision-making: Zac Lee was cruising along until the middle second quarter, when he again turned into “that guy,” who holds the ball too long and waits for the last receiver to pop open. To his credit, he copped to his mistakes after the game, but the kid has to learn: Tuck and run and live to get points on the board.

Reviewing the Five Keys

To the Banks: NU's special teams unit had little trouble with KSU's Brandon Banks, thanks to kickers Henery and Adi Kunalic. Nebraska's defense let him get loose for 66 total yards, but the Blackshirts marked him pretty well inside the red zone.

Power Play: Kansas State successfully ran the ball with Daniel Thomas in the first half. In the second half, KSU was forced to alter its gameplan after falling behind two touchdowns, which meant a lot of four-wide receiver sets and gadget plays. Nebraska certainly tried to run power, but executed inconsistently. We're still not seeing the option plays working, other than to set up a single pass.

Front Four: Nebraska's defensive line lost a few battles but won the war, drawing timely holding penalties – KSU's line gripped and grabbed all night – and eventually overwhelming the Wildcats in the fourth quarter. It's not a very deep unit – just six guys, really – but hopefully Terrence Moore can step into a starting role next at nose tackle.

Zac Attack: Lee's not a permanent solution at quarterback, but he takes a hit pretty well. Aside from an bad five-minute stretch, he was a strength of the Huskers' offense, not a weakness.

The Snyder Factor: Bill brought his boys perfectly prepared, and Kansas State exploited some intriguing weaknesses – namely, NU's tendency to vacate the short middle when stretched vertically – to move the ball. Snyder has zero good options at quarterback. Not this year. And really not next. Plus, he needs to keep Daniel Thomas around for another year. There's no guarantee of that. He's a first-day NFL pick right now, in my estimation.

Three Questions We Still Have

How hard does NU have to work to beat Colorado? We like Nebraska by a couple scores in Boulder. But, of course, the Huskers' depth and health would be better served by the Buffaloes surrendering their pelts at halftime. It's hard to say just how hard CU will play for Dan Hawkins.

What can Rex Burkhead's return add to the offense? Other than being a breather for Roy Helu – which I'm not sure Helu always needs. Burkhead, to us, is perfect for third down situations, and needs to be given the touches during the two-minute drill – instead of Helu, who is more of a gifted runner.

Can Nebraska's secondary really keep this up? They've been tested every which way, benefited from some crucial drops in the Baylor and Kansas games, and just keep making plays near the goal line. Does the luck run out in Boulder? In Dallas?

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Bo Pelini called out his Nebraska football team after Wednesday’s practice. After Thursday’s , Bo’s brother, defensive coordinator Carl Pelini, said the Cornhuskers answered the bell.

NU pushed through with more aggression and concentration, he said, as fall camp nears an end, and Nebraska begins prep for Sept. 5’s season-opener vs. Florida Atlantic.

“You put in two hard weeks of camp, school starts, it’s not game week yet,” Carl Pelini said. “It’s always a week where, as a coach, you’ve got to anticipate you have to push them a little bit and they’ve got to find a way to motivate themselves. They’ve got to find a way to do it, and today they did.”

The Huskers seem to be narrowing on the guys who play significant snaps at linebacker, Pelini said.

Redshirt freshman Will Compton – a name heard more often last year than this camp – is currently No. 1 at the MIKE spot, while Phillip Dillard closely on his heels. Colton Koehler, who had been No. 1 at the start of camp, was not mentioned by Pelini.

“Every day he just gets better,” Pelini said of Compton. “More aware of what his responsibilities are. He’s communicating better with the front four and the secondary. Still not perfect, but we’re happy with his progress.”

Sophomore Mathew May and junior Blake Lawrence continue to have a “good battle” for the starting role at WILL. Pelini said May’s athleticism is impressive, but he needs to “slow down a little bit” in executing his assignments, while Lawrence knows the defense well.

“Both guys will see significant playing time,” Pelini said.

In the secondary, expect several cornerbacks and safeties to play – at least in the first couple of games. Pelini and secondary coach Marvin Sanders said Dejon Gomes and Alfonzo Dennard continue to press starters Anthony West and Prince Amukamara, whom Pelini said is “not quite 100 percent.” At safety, Larry Asante and Matt O’Hanlon should get the starting nods, but P.J. Smith and Rickey Thenarse should get some snaps, as well.

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It was the second straight season that zero Nebraska players were taken on the first day of the NFL Draft and only three were taken overall. It served as a death rattle for the Bill Callahan era.

Will the trend change in future years? We look at the potential Draft prospects of current Huskers:

2010 Draft

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh: If Suh stays healthy and continues to improve his technique – whether or not his statistics are comparable to 2008 – he’s a sure-fire first-round pick, and possibly a top-ten or top-five pick, depending on team need. At 6-foot-4, 300 pounds, Suh probably isn’t a 3-4 nose guard – those guys are usually squatter and, well, fatter – but he fits into a 4-3 scheme as a 1, 2 or 3 technique, depending on how a defense chooses to play him. He already makes the flashy plays behind the line of scrimmage, and has since his sophomore year.

Defensive end Barry Turner: Teams will look over Turner’s broken leg injury, and since we’re not doctors or insurance specialists, we couldn’t say whether that would prevent Turner from getting selected. As an end, Turner has a good first step and can beat slower linemen to the corner. He’s not as adept at swim and rip moves as he should be. On the flip side, Turner’s received average coaching at best from John Blake. He’s got room to grow.

Center Jacob Hickman: He’ll be helped by his versatility to play either guard spot or center. Hickman, 6-4 and 290, is agile when pulling and skilled at getting to the second level. Probably not the nastiest guy on the planet, but he’s smart, and he knows a number of positions. You could see some team taking him with a late-round pick and developing him as a valuable reserve.

Strong safety Larry Asante: Depending on whether some NFL team thought they could put 20-30 pounds on Asante, he could play linebacker at the next level. Asante hits hard, and he’s generally decent in run support. Where’s he’s struggled is in the passing game. As a safety, we’d see him as a free agent; Clemson’s Michael Hamlin, a much better college player, lasted until well into the second day in the 2009 Draft.

Wide receiver Menelik Holt: Longshot here, but one never knows. Holt has the speed, and he’s a good enough blocker. Nobody knows if he can catch balls and get open consistently, however. He’ll get only one year to prove it and he’d better have big-time numbers. Otherwise, he’ll be a free agent, if that.

For now, we don’t consider middle linebackers Phillip Dillard and Colton Koehler, free safeties Rickey Thenarse and Matt O’Hanlon or receiver Chris Brooks as likely selections, although they may sign as free agents.

2011

Left guard Keith Williams: At 6-5, 305, Williams has the size and strength to become a very good NFL guard. He needs to get more consistent, and cut out wasteful penalties. He’s quicker than recent draftee Matt Slauson and he’ll get two more years of coaching under Barney Cotton. Too hard to project a specific round right now, but Williams would be in the Draft.

Safety Eric Hagg: Could be a quality safety for some NFL team; his size and anticipatory skills are a good fit. Nebraska coaches finally seem set on putting Hagg at safety and letting him blossom there. Two years of good development puts him right in the crosshairs of being drafted. Sometimes, though, it seems like Hagg isn’t aware of how good he could be.

Running back Roy Helu: We fully expect Helu to play four years at NU, if he stays healthy. As a pure runner, Helu is instinctive, quick and hard to bring down. He’s a decent pass-catcher and should improve his blocking. If you were projecting way out, you could see Helu getting picked in the 3rd-4th rounds, maybe even the first day.

Tight end Mike McNeill: We could definitely see a guy like McNeill taking that Dallas Clark role with the Indianapolis Colts. McNeill is sure-handed and athletic, and pretty fast for a tight end. His best skill is open-field running. In two years, he’s a 4th-6th-round selection, and better if he improves his blocking.

Defensive end Pierre Allen: Very good sophomore campaign could lead to big things in 2009 and 2010. Allen needs to keep grinding away as a pass rusher so that he can fit into a 4-3 system, which requires good pass-rushing skills out of its ends. He’d need to gain 20-30 pounds to play end in a 3-4.

Kicker/punter Alex Henery: If he continues to kick like he did in 2008, he’ll be one of a handful of kickers selected in the Draft. Henery’s punting skills may also help him make a roster. The kid’s a bit of a kicking savant; many of his field goal tries are perfectly shaped into the middle of the goalposts, looking like a Phil Mickelson wedge shot.

Running back Quentin Castille: Credit where it’s due: Castille has lost enough weight to be a viable player in a one-back, one-cut outside zone NFL system. No the lead guy, necessarily, but a bruiser type. He gets downhill quickly, strides nicely for a big guy, and seems more comfortable in the open field than he does traffic. Blocks and catches pretty well. Hasn’t shown himself to be a great short-yardage back, but he could develop into one. Castille isn’t a fullback, and NFL teams will quickly notice that watching him on film. The right team with the right need could draft him.

Cornerback Prince Amukamara: If this kid picks up the red the courtesy phone and figures out the position, he’s as intriguing a prospect as any on NU’s team. Naturally gifted, huge vertical leap, tall and fast, not afraid to tackle. Amukamara’s stumbling block isn’t physical stuff. But can he play, drive after drive, without mental errors?

Cornerback Anthony West: Steadier than Amukamara, not quite as gifted, and not quite as big. Gambled and lost a couple times in 2008. Needs to close better and be more aggressive to the ball, as his allowed touchdown in the Red/White Spring Game showed.

Wide receiver Niles Paul: Needs to play more often, and more consistently. Paul would be a slot receiver in the NFL, so route-running, savvy and elusiveness would be important to develop.

Guard Ricky Henry: Strictly a project right now, but the clay is there to be molded. We’ll see.

Cornerback Dejon Gomes: See Ricky Henry.

Quarterback Zac Lee: Too early to tell. The skillset and height suggests he’ll fit into the Joe Ganz category.

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Nebraska's football team walked slowly off of the Hawks Center practice field Wednesday, clearly feeling the weight of another intense workout, one of the toughest of the spring, as the Cornhuskers will now taper down in preparation for Saturday's Red/White Spring Game.

"They're sore right now," defensive coordinator Carl Pelini said. "They're tired. It's been 'full go.' Physical football every day. But they battled through that. They practiced hard today."

Pelini spent the rest of his session recapping the progress of his young-but-talented defense.

*On the defensive line, sophomore Jared Crick "has a good handle" on the top spot at defensive tackle alongside senior Ndamukong Suh. Crick and Suh will rotate positions at times, however, with sophomore Terrence Moore and redshirt freshman Baker Steinkuhler serving as backups.

"We're going to move those guys around a lot," Pelini said. "The four of them are going to rotate."

*Defensive end Barry Turner is "still not changing direction the way you'd like him to" but his upfield burst is strong.

"He's a lot further along than I thought he would be," Pelini said.

*Linebacker competition remains fierce. Pelini rattled off the names of every linebacker in the two-deep - excluding Phillip Dillard - as fighting hard in the Spring Game.

*In the secondary, Pelini lauded Prince Amukamara, Anthony West, Alfonzo Dennard and even Anthony Blue, fighting back from a knee injury. As a unit, the cornerbacks have been "more aggressive" in practice, snatching more turnovers.

"We need a lot of depth there," Pelini said. "That makes you better at the nickel position."

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