Next, we will look at the defensive line as well as the linebacker group—the front six.
Defensive Line
Get old and stay old.
We’ve been hearing that mantra for a while.
The formula for success. It is especially true in a rugged conference like the B1G. I think it is also especially true when talking about your offensive and defensive lines.
Let’s talk defensive line.
Back in 2022, we were awfully young . . . and awfully bad. And not particularly big either.
It was the kind of a DL that gets coaches fired.
And fired was exactly what happened. First, the head coach. Then the DC. And then the whole shooting match.
That DL had Nash Hutmacher and Ty Robinson, btw.
Hutmacher was so bad, people were declaring him a bust. Some even had the gall to suggest he would be better served on the OL. Ty Robinson would flash once or so every 3 or 4 games, but was quiet otherwise. These guys weren’t exactly pups. But they weren’t old either.
Fast forward two years, and both were “old dudes” and the foundation of one of the best DLs in the country (opposing coaches’ words, not mine).
We had successfully gotten old.
But we couldn’t stay old.
Last year in the 3-3-5 (running mostly four man fronts), we started . . .
A redshirt freshman at one end.
A true sophomore at the other end.
Neither player had been a starter.
The tackles consisted of a redshirt sophomore and a redshirt senior who had never been more than a role player before.
We did have a true junior—playing more snaps than he ever had before. And for a change of pace, we brought in a true freshman—not only a true freshman but a fall-enrollee, true freshman.
There is only one word I can come up with to describe this scenario.
YIKES!
Add to that a new DC—coaching a “gimmick” defensive concept he had only seen for one year . . . and a VERY late-add DL coach—who just didn’t seem to be all that excited to leave the NFL for college football.
Gasoline on the roaring fire, folks.
There were portal exits in addition to the tough graduation loses—largely fueled by the DC and DL coach leaving for the FSU promise land. And those loses weren’t just the DL, our linebacker group took some direct hits as well.
There was virtually zero experience on the defensive line coming into last season. In a league like the B1G, you rarely can get away with all that.
Well, the DC got fired. The DL coach was toast before the bread was loaded into the toaster—maybe the worst coach in the last 50 years at Nebraska—and now we are running a 4-2-5 with a young upcoming DC and a new DL coach and lots of other changes.
But don’t call it a reset.
But fans still aren’t happy.
Somewhere in all this, NU fans began a new chant. No, not get old and stay old. It was more like, “all good defensive linemen have to be at least 320 lbs.”
Or . . . “Where’s the beef?”
Where did this come from?
I am not sure why so many fans have bought into this mantra. Yes, we need more umph on the DL, but demanding a half-ton defensive line?
Nebraska has made many changes to address the DL. But cynics still are . . . well, cynical.
I read one comment that said, “how can anyone expect improvement with the EXACT same players as last year?”
Good question. The answer is threefold.
First of all, it is not the EXACT same players as last year. There have been some additions. More on that in bit.
Second, defensive line truly is one of those positions where players get better as they get older and gain experience. Last year’s team was a bit small, I admit, but the experience was pathetic. A lot of young players went through the grind of a B1G season for the first time. Like Hutmacher and Ty Robinson, hopefully, they will get better.
And third, new coaches and a new scheme. A scheme that fits the players so much better. Last year it seemed that everyone was playing out of position. Just a bid deal all around.
It was the perfect storm.
Also, one last thing . . . I think people are confusing the quality of DL portal acquisitions with the previous year’s portal haul . . . Jaylen George and Gabe Moore. George and Moore were cheap, last second, depth piece add ons. This year’s group is light years different.
Okay, who are those players? Nebraska grabbed three players, Anthony Jones, Owen Stoudmire, and Jaysear Whittingham.
Of course, none of them were 320 lbs so none of them can be any good, right?
There were a couple of 320 pounders in the portal. One was a mediocre oft-injured guy asking for a million dollars . . . and the other was a backup Oregon player who signed with someone else before we could get a visit. By the way, his stats were nothing to write home about.
So now, we have two new starting DTs. Owen Stoudmire played against Nebraska in the Pinstripe Bowl a couple of years back. He’s a good player. No, he will not sack the QB 10 times but he has a solid reputation as a good run-stuffer—exactly what the doctor ordered. Weighing in at a petite 300 pounds, he may not meet that magical 320 mark, but he is a handful. He is consistent—not necessarily flashy.
The key with Stoudmire is health. He missed much of last year with injuries. He is a key piece to the puzzle and it is imperative that we keep him relatively healthy.
If skeptics think that Stoudmire is small, I hate to even mention Jaysear Whittington. After camp, he boasted that he is UP to a whopping 275 pounds. He has also admitted that he has played around 250 or so in the past. The heat on Saturday alone could drop him back down again.
But I really, really like this guy. I’ve been wrong before, but I feel like some fans are overlooking this guy. He has a motor. Coaches love his attitude and his quick twitch quickness. Remember all those “small” Miami defensive linemen that gave Osborne fits? Whittington loves to get into the backfield and create havoc. That is his game. But on film, he shows again and again that he can hold up to the run as well. He’s a junior, keep putting beef on this guy and he could be special.
Plus, I rarely look at sacks from internal DL position players. But Whittington looks like a guy that can create some pressure inside. We do need to make sure he doesn’t wear down too much during the season though.
We’ll stay on the inside a bit before looking at DE. Some fans were surprised that Riley Van Poppel isn’t on the first team. But in my mind, Stoudmire is definitely the more proven run-stuffer, something that Van Poppel has yet to prove. In many respects, Van Poppel is a bit of a tweener between the two portal DT’s. He is listed at 305, so he can still develop into an effective run-stuffer, but he can also use his quickness for the “off-tackle” position to be effective. I see him backing up both positions. Not a bad situation.
I love Van Poppel but the clock is ticking. The time is now for him to make his move. He has a full year of heavy playing time under his belt and he is about where Nash Hutmacher was when Nash made his move.
It has been said that the DL coach would like 6 DTs ready to go.
Okay, the first three are set. The next three?
Hmm.
We have heard repeatedly, that senior Sua Lefotu has really had a great camp (Spring and Fall) and is making a move. He’s listed at 315 pounds so he is oh so close to that magical 320 barrier. Honestly, until I see it in a game, not sure I can say one way or another however his size and age suggest he might be a pleasant development. His lack of experience up to now is my main caveat. He played only 56 snaps last year but 29 of them were in the Bowl Game.
Tyson Terry is certainly a name fans enjoy hearing. The sophomore is coming back from a lost season due to injury, and now that he is healthy again, he has hit the ground running. Weighing in at 300 lbs, he is only 20 pounds short of the magical 320. Don’t expect miracle play from Terry this year . . . a season similar to Pietrzak last year would be a more reasonable hope and/or expectation. But Tyson Terry has the look of a guy who is going to be a mainstay on the defensive line for years to come. And being a wrestler doesn’t hurt in most people’s eyes either.
Speaking of large, 6’7” David Hoffken is a man among boys, literally. He is 27 years old out of Germany and built like a brick house. Agility seems to be his issue and getting off the ball on the snap. But for sheer size, he could be useful. Now a junior, he played 78 snaps last year and could be in line for more action in 2026.
Well there is the six guys on the depth chart. There are a few others to keep an eye on if not this year, then in the following years.
We have to start with the new freshman, Dylan Berymon. There is no getting around Berymon, . . . literally. Berymon reported to fall camp at a whopping 350 pounds. That is 30 pounds over the magical number. He was expected around 320. Folks, that 30 extra pounds isn’t muscle. The funny thing is, even with the extra weight, Berymon still impresses with his quickness for a man that large. However, stamina is the issue here, just typing this sentence probably is enough to wear him out. It is hard to imagine that Berymon won’t at least be used in some situations throughout the year. Some fans have unrealistic expectations though due to his girth. Relying on true freshmen (especially a fall enrollee), overweight or not, is not a sound expectation. But get this kid into the nutrition program and the sky is the limit. The kid has skills.
Similar to Tyson Terry, highly touted Malcolm Simpson sat out his freshmen year with an injury. Fans have high hopes but the word is that he is struggling a bit learning the defense and may need more time. 2026 probably will not be his year.
And Gabe Moore is back for his senior season. As much as fans ridiculed his addition to the team last year, he isn’t really so bad. He is a dependable depth piece. Just don’t expect too much from him beyond that. A slight injury may delay his 2026 debut a game or two, but he should see some action.
Lets take a look at the Defensive End position. Whereas DT took a lot of heat from fans last year, the DE position may have been just as bad. Failure to properly set the edge was a constant problem last year. Fans tend to want sacks from the DE and sometimes overlook their importance in doing other things than making QBs horizontal.
So, to address this issue, Anthony Jones was brought in. NU will be his fifth B1G school in five years. Can’t say he doesn’t love our conference.
Immediately fans looked at his sack production. In 2026, he tallied a whopping 1.5 sacks for UCLA. Of course, his one full sack was a smoosh of then UNLV QB Anthony Collandrea—small world, right? Couple this with the loss of Keona Davis to the portal and it sure didn’t look like much of a pickup.
Of course, Keona Davis had his share of issues. He is a good young player and will likely do well, but his 2025 season was pretty forgettable but to be fair, I thought he was playing out of position.
In any case, Anthony Jones will most certainly NOT be playing out of position. What is his strength?
If you guessed rushing the passer, you’ve missed the point of the transaction. Don’t feel bad, you’re not alone.
His strength is setting the edge against the run. This is something that was identified as a critical need in the offseason. Any sacks he gives us will be a bonus. The coaches feel there is some potential in that regard, but he is here to stabilize the edge.
On the other side? Right now, it looks like senior Cameron Lenhardt. Like many of our lineman, Lenhardt is a bit of an enigma. A freshman All American, his sophomore year was largely a disappointment. Then last year, it was decided that he was better inside than our inside players. So he played inside, and our inside players played outside.
Do we wonder why last season was such a mess?
Now, he is playing outside again and he seems rejuvenated and re-motivated. He demonstrated some sack moves as a freshman but we haven’t seen that in a while. Maybe the new edge coach, Roy Manning can help Lenhardt to rediscover that part of his mojo. If so, Lenhardt could be a key piece in the DL turnaround this year.
Once again, the Edge coach has stated a goal of having 6 guys ready to go. Finding six guys at DE is actually surprisingly easy. First of all, both the projected starters faced a heated battle for first string honors. Secondly, the change in defense has left NU with a “glut” of DEs and Edge players suddenly thrust into the same group.
Lenhardt barely beat out junior Williams Nwaneri. To be fair, I am not sure he actually did beat him out altogether. Nwaneri had a bit of an injury late in camp which probably was the difference. Like our LT, Nwaneri looks like an easy NFL first rounder when stepping off the bus. But success has come a bit slowly for the former 5* super-prospect. But to his credit, he has continued to work and now has a full year’s experience behind him.
Last year, there was a time when he looked dominant. That was relatively early in the year but he largely disappeared the second half of the season. Was there an unrevealed injury holding him back? Did he wear down a bit?
Nwaneri changes the whole conversation at DL if he starts to turn some of those flashes into consistent production. He is probably NU’s best hope for a dominant pass rusher. If NU fans could wish for one player for the light to turn on . . . Nwaneri is probably at the VERY top of the list. Even the sky isn’t a limit for this young man.
At the other end position, now sophomore Kade Pietzak is poised to play and play often. Having gone through his first Spring Camp (very important for young players—see Carter Nelson), he is said to have had a strong Fall Camp. Pietzak will not be a reserve for long. If he cannot supplant Anthony Jones this year, next year he will likely command a spot on the starting DL. His freshman year was full of promise but he had his downs as well as some ups. But the fact he was able to compete at that level at all as a late enrollee freshman speaks to his ability. He has a chance to be as good as anybody on our roster.
After the first four, I think there is a bit of a drop. But there is some talent there.
Speaking of talent, super-sophomore Jeremiah Jones is now a DE (from WR) and the move looks like it is going extremely well. Oozing with raw talent, Jones is a lab specimen of a ball player. The debate of rather his enormous talents are best served as a WR or rush end have been put to rest. Give him some time. Fans, it is okay to dream a little on this one. Our next 10 sack pass rusher may just be a year or so away.
The sixth DE on the depth chart is Sophomore Jordan Ochoa—a former LB. Ochoa just keeps coming. He keeps overcoming the odds against him. He keeps exceeding expectations. He’s young but has a chance to be a steady player for NU down the road. He is the opposite of Jeremiah Jones—not the super stud athlete but more of a lunch pail guy that refuses to give in.
Some folks were a little surprised that junior Willis McGahee did not make the two deep. I was not surprised at all. McGahee entered the portal last year but then jumped back out. He is a bit of a tweener. He looks great rushing the QB, but glaring mental mistakes keep eroding the trust from the coaches. Did I mention he looks great rushing the QB? Surely, the coaches can find a role for someone with that needed skill. Stay tuned.
Junior Mac Markway is now a DE (From TE). Another project that by most accounts is going pretty well. This position is deep so a recently converted player—as gifted as he is—has a steep hill to climb. Markway is super talented but injuries have completely derailed any momentum he has ever been able to build for himself.
Fifth year Dylan Parrott is another who might snag some playing time somewhere on the DL.
Okay. If you read all that analysis with an open mind, you might have drawn one conclusion . . . many of these guys are just beginning to reach their potential. In fact, Stoudmire is probably the only player on that list that actually has reached his potential. There are some scary high-potential guys I just named off.
But can they reach their potential? Can they be developed?
Last year’s staff, I think we all know the answer. Now, those familiar with me know that I am not “FIRE THE COACH GUY.” I find those people obnoxious, conceited, and boorish. But if ever a group of coaches needed the heave-ho, those guys were it. I’ll just say that last year’s Dline coaching was near criminally bad.
By 2027, the DL could easily be considered the strength of the team. Look at the potential. We lose only Stoudmire and Anthony Jones. Stoudmire will likely be replaced by an upcoming Terry along with Van Poppel. Jones is just a stop-gap until Pietrzak, Nwaneri, and possibly Jeremiah Jones can take over. Whittington will be a senior (and maybe 275 is in the rear view window by then and he is a dominant force in the middle).
And we have a good group of freshmen coming in.
And did I forget to mention 350 pound Berymon won’t be a freshman anymore? And hopefully not 350 punds.
In 2028, we lose Lenhardt. By then, the room is either developed and stocked, or we have bigger fish to fry.
We have been recruiting well at the DL level but . . . it just takes time. We grew old, and then were suddenly so young again.
Two things to leave you with.
One, I obviously don’t believe in the suddenly mythical 320 lb magical weight number, but we could stand to get some more size.
Second, with so much focus on stopping the run, I am still not convinced we have the needed pass rush for 2026. Projecting beyond that is a matter of faith that Nwaneri and Jeremiah Jones, et al will develop. That is something to watch closely in 2026 and beyond.
