As we get closer to football season, I am going to go through every position group on our beloved Cornhusker squad and give a season preview to check out. It is time for us to preview our next position unit for the 2024 season. And today’s unit will be my probable favorite unit on the field,our defensive line led by Coach Terrance Knighton, “The CEO of Death Row”. This defensive line unit is one of the strongest in the country, not just the Big Ten.
This year’s defense is anchored by lots of returning starters and players playing key snaps from 2023. The 2023 unit was one of the best defensive front 7’s in the country, and Nebraska brings back SO MUCH talent into this year’s squad. All of that starts up front with our big boys, and today I will go over the key players and projected starters going into fall camp as we approach July.
Terrance Knighton is our Defensive Line Coach again this season, and I have to say, personally, he is one of my favorite coaches on staff. The energy he brings every day, the “CEO of Death Row” moniker, the way he develops players, he has won me over completely. It is crazy to think how much our defense as a whole improved, but especially up front and A TON of credit goes to Knighton for this. In the 3-3 scheme Nebraska has transitioned to with Tony White, having strong and versatile defensive linemen is key. Part of why Nebraska substitutes so many D-linemen throughout the game is to create fresh bodies in there to cause chaos every single play. One of the sayings from 3-3 stack defensive coaches is “you never get the same front twice,” which just goes to show how many ways you can bring pressure from different angles. Trust me, as someone who has coached against the 3-3 stack a few times, if you cannot identify and communicate effectively, the offense is in for a LONG game, feeling confused and helpless.
The good news with this group is not only do they bring back so much talent, there are really no weaknesses with this group, at least on paper. This defensive line unit is, in my opinion, the best position group on this team going into fall. Already a top 10 rushing defense team in the nation, bringing back all the key players is SO important in today’s world of college football. With some potential depth issues in the secondary, expect more pressure on opposing QBs this season to limit coverage breakdowns.
The whole “starter” and “backup” titles with this unit are somewhat meaningless (minus the potential Blackshirt) because, as I previously mentioned, there is a ton of rotation with this unit to keep fresh bodies terrorizing fatigued O-Lines. I expect Hutmacher and Robinson to be All-Big Ten guys, but with as much as we rotate, we might not get to see the stats from one particular player.
Ty Robinson is a lock for a defensive end starter, as a potential NFL guy and a favorite to make an All-Big Ten Team. Robinson is a star in Lincoln, and expect HUGE things from him this season, particularly in key moments. Nash “Polar Bear” Hutmacher is the key to this defense, in my opinion. Having a beast as the anchor of your defense is such a key, and having 8 TFLs last season is fantastic. Hutmacher is another guy I am excited to see on Sundays as I grow older. Our last starting D-End spot is the one I think is up for grabs, and I think it comes down to Jimari Butler and Cam Lenhardt. Lenhardt was a beast as a freshman until that injury hit him last fall, and then Butler came in and ended up leading the team in TFLs. Both are capable and will get tons of snaps, but I am leaning towards Butler at the moment, just because of how the 2023 season ended with his great production. Expect Elijah Juedy to be a dark horse making plays this fall. I am unsure if it is a Knighton or White decision, but he plays in a variety of spots, particularly on third down and when we identify a mismatch. Juedy is a versatile player and that is perfect for our defense. Riley Van Poppel is another guy to watch, playing in 11 games last season and will come in especially in short yardage and goal-line situations when we call in the extra big boys.
All in all, I expect big things from this “Death Row” unit. With so much experience coming back, plus the great production in 2023, I feel this unit is the key to keeping this defense on track. How GREAT is it to feel good about our big boys on defense coming into the season?
