Nice spin job. Lets see Soul Glo pass for 450 on LSU and 350 on USC. Then come talk. Arizona State had no offensive line, no running game and no defense to compliment Sam. And Rudy didn't play against anyone with a pulse after Keller injured his thumb.
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On Friday, USC defensive end Lawrence Jackson will stop by to take your questions in chat. Jackson was named to ESPN.com Ivan Maisel's preseason All-America team.
Mike P Hebron,Ct: Out of all the college quarterbacks you have played against, who is the best you've ever seen?
SportsNation Lawrence Jackson: It definitely has to be Vince Young, because he can pass and run the ball, so you have to be alert on defense. As far as passing quarterback, I have to say Sam Keller or Brady Quinn.
Rival coaches see no flaws in Keller
BY DIRK CHATELAIN
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
LINCOLN - Year Four of Bill Callahan's revolutionary era at Nebraska got a dose of intrigue Wednesday.
With apologies to the Huskers' 2006 campaign, which begins nine days from today, Sam Keller's addition abruptly shifts attention to September 2007, if only for a few days.
National experts find Nebraska the trendy pick this fall to rise above the mediocre heap in the Big 12 North. Don't be surprised if talk next August shifts to NU unseating Oklahoma and Texas while challenging for a national title.
"Not only did they find a ringer, so to speak, they got a fifth-year senior (in 2007) who's proven himself at the highest level," said SI.com college football columnist Stewart Mandel.
"To have that kind of kid walk in to your program with his ability, they've got to be ecstatic," said Northwestern defensive coordinator Greg Colby, who watched a year ago as Keller torched his defense for 409 yards and four touchdowns. "Everybody hopes somebody like that walks in the door."
Keller, projected as a first-round NFL draft pick by some publications, may tout the highest profile of any transfer in the country. Add him to Callahan's depth chart, in which most playmakers are sophomores and juniors, and NU could be poised to complete its resurgence in '07.
That season's roster is far from etched in stone, but it may improve from '06 at every position except defensive line, where the team figures to lose four starters, including All-America candidate Adam Carriker.
A deep, skillful linebacking corps will be a year older. A suspect secondary should get Zack Bowman back, while newcomers like Andre Jones, Rickey Thenarse, Major Culbert and Anthony West will have had time to mature.
On offense, four young, dynamic running backs are expected to return. The same goes for each of the top receivers. Meanwhile, Dennis Wagner will have had another year to develop his young tackles and build depth.
The biggest 2007 question mark before Wednesday: quarterback. Joe Ganz and transfer Brian Hildebrand seemed destined to compete for the job after Harrison Beck left the program this month.
But Keller's addition replaces the question mark with an exclamation point, according to coaches who have faced him. The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder may affect Nebraska's hopes in 2007 the same way Rhett Bomar's departure damaged Oklahoma's chances this season.
"I didn't see any asians in his armor," said Colby, the Northwestern coordinator. "He's got the physical tools to be a great one."
Northwestern faced every Big 10 school but Minnesota and Indiana a year ago. Keller, according to Colby, is a better pure passer than Ohio State's Troy Smith and Iowa's Drew Tate. He reminds Colby of Michigan's Chad Henne in terms of size and talent. But Henne didn't have Keller's numbers.
By all accounts, Keller throws with power and precision.
"He was just playing at a really high level," said Oregon State defensive coordinator Mark Banker, whose defense allowed 365 yards and four touchdowns during Keller's September 2005 blitz. "He knew where to go with it, and he delivered it."
Banker said Keller has the intangibles, too.
"He's got pocket presence," Banker said. "He's a tough kid. He can get whacked and handle the blitz. He'll find a way to get it done."
Callahan's West Coast offense helped attract Keller to Lincoln. Mandel said Keller will be "an interesting litmus test" for the West Coast offense. Many skeptics say the West Coast is too sophisticated for the college game.
"If Sam Keller struggles in it, that tells you it's too complicated," Mandel said.
Colby said it would be difficult for a quarterback to pick up the West Coast in just one year, but Nebraska shouldn't worry about Keller's intelligence.
"When you watch him, he made all the right decisions," Colby said. "There weren't many times he threw to the wrong spot."
Banker, the Oregon State coordinator, said a lot of young quarterbacks who haven't played in intricate systems freeze up at the first sniff of complexity. They anticipate a blitz and look for the closest run audible.
"He's just been exposed to more," Banker said. "He knows defenses. He knows how to recognize a two-deep, whether it's a squat corner or a press corner."
That knowledge base should expedite Keller's learning process. Many quarterbacks during a transfer year would split time between learning the offense, studying coverages and mastering fundamentals. Keller can focus on the playbook.
"He'll have a step up on most kids," Banker said.
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