Offensive line recruiting is a huge emphasis for Nebraska's 2019 class. That means new Huskers o-line coach Greg Austin is busy finding the right players to target during this recruiting cycle.
As a former Husker offensive lineman himself, Austin knows what it takes to succeed in Lincoln as what types of players will flourish under Scott Frost's offense. It can be easy to get wrapped up in recruiting the biggest and strongest linemen, but Austin says he places a premium on certain intangible traits like intelligence, competitiveness, and toughness.
"They have to be smart, they have to be tough, they have to be able to communicate well," Austin said about the traits a lineman must have to play for him. "They just have to have a competitive drive in everything that they do. Everything. Like, everything. I'm talking about like walking next to somebody. If there's a marker down there, be ready to go (race)."
Austin went on to give a small example of what he's looking for by explaining a competition that he recently had with Nebraska head strength and conditioning coach Zach Duval at lunch.
"Me and Zack Duval, we were sitting at the table the other day at lunch, and you know those napkin holders that they have out there?" Austin explained. "We told Jovan Dewitt, ‘Hey, give us the hut.’ Boom! Who can grab the napkin quickest? You've got to be a competitive SOB. You have to, that's the way the world is, it's a competitive world. Compete, what are you doing?"
Size and strength will only get you so far as a player if you're not competitive according to Austin.
"I will tell you they have to be this tall and this big, but guys come in many different shapes and sizes," Austin said. "Certainly, I can't recruit a midget to play offensive line. No disrespect to midgets or anything.
"I could give you a whole bunch of dimensions and all of that. But intangibly, they've got to be tough, they've got to be a competitor, and they've got to be ready to freaking fight. That's it. If you have that, you got a little bit of size with you, size to you, then you're going to be a good offensive lineman. No doubt. But if you don't, if you're just, 'Hmm,' and you're a passive guy- I don't know how good of an offensive lineman you can be. You’ve got to have grit."
It's not always easy finding players that are ultra-competitive. Even harder, according to Austin, is separating real tough guys from the fake ones.
"Some of these kids nowadays they're fake tough guys," Austin said. "They are fake tough guys, that’s what they are. They knock the crap out all of these high school kids, then they get to college, or they have to come to college and actually have to do a little work, and they are like, 'I didn’t sign up for this one. I’m a five-star, I didn't sign up for this.'
"Sometimes it’s actually harder trying to decide if this kid a real dude or is he a freaking sheep in wolf's clothing. You get what I’m saying? Sometimes that’s the hardest thing to assess."
