August 2024 | 21
HUSKERS PREVIEW
chart despite good flashes in 2023. Syracuse transfer Stefon Thompson, a proven player with over 150 career tackles, sits with a 79 overall in a linebacker group that has similar skillsets. Sixth-year senior John Bullocks is the best of the bunch with an 80. Javin Wright plays better in real life than his 79 rating. The offensive line is a talking point. Bryce Benhart is the best in the room with an 85 rating; Teddy Prochazka is right behind (81). Micah Mazzccua and Ben Scott both received 78 overalls despite producing solid seasons and are middle-tier offensive line- man in the game. Turner Corcoran is solid with a 79. Running back Gabe Ervin does not ap- pear in the game. Instead, Emmett Johnson, Dante Dowdell and Rahmir Johnson are all 79 overalls with diversified skill sets, simi- lar to what they all have showed in their ca- reers. Johnson is the main tailback in game and probably the easiest to play with out of the three. What I liked Relatively speaking, Nebraska is an in- teresting pick in the game despite its lack of top-end talent in the game. Tony White’s 3-3-5 defense is an inter- esting look for opponents and matches up well with the overall fast pace of the game- play. With great secondary players in Gif- ford and Hill, there are opportunities to get stops against pass-happy offenses. The pass rush, one that had varying amounts of success in 2023, definitely plays better than its ratings show. Raiola is a really solid quarterback who can make the necessary plays with his legs to go along with the cannon of an arm that he has. Match that with the speed of Coleman and Lloyd on the outside, and the Husker offense can create big plays with a playbook that has more downfield oppor- tunities than the one the team has. Still, even with Nebraska’s given pro- style scheme, the offense can hold its own against stout defenses and can keep up with some explosive offenses too. For dynasty players, the game’s most- played mode that allows users to take con- trol of the program, the Huskers offer all the amenities to bring in top-ranked recruits and are an exciting team to develop over multiple seasons. Among other teams, Georgia, Ohio State and Oregon are powerhouses in the game and are dominant on both sides of the ball. No surprise, given that trio could make up the top three in the polls all season and have great shots at winning the College Football Playoff.
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All told, Nebraska is an exciting team to use, and one with plenty of potential for players that love to play the “Dynasty” and
“Road to Glory” modes, the latter being centered on a created player a user makes and plops onto a team of their choice.
What I didn’t like The running back room, sans Ervin, is awkward to play with. An auto-generated player named Mychal Beckwith steals a lot of reps at the position, and will also line up out wide, to take the excitement out of playing with fan favorites at the position. A fan favorite position among Husker fans, the fullback position is difficult to play with considering the speed at which the game plays. For players that love to grind teams out on the ground, Janiran Bonner — who is the team’s primary player at the position despite converting back to wide receiver — is not the best blocker and transfer Barret Liebentritt boasts a 58 over- all that makes it difficult to play him in most situations. The report card All things considered, Nebraska offers a solid squad for fans to use in the game. And, with the game’s long-awaited re- lease, the presentation and gameplay is perfect for a school in the monstrous Big Ten. Conference games are a bear with the noisy environments and feel as tough and grinding as they are on the real football field. As a player who loves to use other teams and different playbooks and schemes, I give Nebraska a B rating. It’s a modest pick, given the Huskers’ are considered among the second pack in the Big Ten in various preseason polls.
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