Jury still out on NU's new tackling transition

Much has been made about Nebraska’s new “rugby style” tackling approach it’s incorporating this offseason, but through the first 10 practices, the jury is still out on how the transition is actually going.

The idea behind the new technique is focused primarily on head placement, with defenders trying to lead with their outside shoulders at the ball carrier’s inside hip while limiting contact with the helmet.

So far, defensive coordinator Mark Banker thinks the change has gone over well, all things considered.

But the reality is that because the Huskers have held so few live contact scrimmages and drills this spring, it’s hard to gauge exactly how much progress has been made.

“In the drills, we’re good,” Banker said. “I’m looking forward to the live opportunities to see what kind of progress we make when the lights go on and you have to make a snap decision as opposed to doing it in a drill.”

Senior safety Nate Gerry may have been as big of an impetus as anything for Nebraska to make the tackling change.

After Gerry was ejected for targeting in back-to-back games vs. Iowa and then in the Foster Farms Bowl against UCLA, the Huskers knew they had to try something to adapt to the changing landscape of college football.

Gerry admitted the switch has been difficult at times, considering he had spent his whole football life learning to tackle by wrapping up and driving his helmet across the midsection of a ball carries.

“It’s tough learning a whole new way to tackle, especially when you’ve learned the same thing for the past 20 years or whatnot,” Gerry said. “To kind of switch on a dime like that, it’s been tough. But it’s something that you have to learn now with the evolution of football. I think personally and as a defense, a lot of people are picking up on it.”

Gerry echoed Banker’s sentiments by saying he can’t truly say how well the adaptation to the new tackling technique has gone because the defense hasn’t been able to hit much at all this spring.

That said, Gerry acknowledged that while it’s been an adjustment, the transition should make him a better player going forward.

“Any time you can learn new techniques and different approaches to football, it’s always good to have more tools in your toolbox,” Gerry said. “I think with the scientific method of all this, it’s beneficial.

"So far it seems pretty productive, but we haven’t really had many live tackling periods in practice, so it’s whole different ball game from just going through it in slow motion and things like that.”