Nebraska’s defense will look a little different against Boston College. The Huskers lost Jimari Butler and James Williams to the transfer portal. Linebacker Princewill Umanmielien will leave Lincoln to join Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. This leaves the door open for several Huskers to make a name for themselves in New York.
Which Nebraska Players Make An Impact
Riley Van Poppel
In his time at Argyle High School in Texas, Poppel was dominant at the defensive line position. In his senior season with the Eagles, he totaled 80 tackles with 10 sacks. This led him to make an instant impact as a true freshman in Lincoln. During the Cornhuskers 2023 campaign, he tallied five tackles and had a quarterback hurry. However, he didn’t get a chance to build on his production this season. Instead, the redshirt sophomore totaled two tackles. His lack of production on the defensive line is a bit concerning. But, Poppel has plenty of opportunities to rewrite this narrative against Boston College. Sophomore Cam Lenhardt is sure to be in the rotation too. The former honorable mention All-American has continued to stay consistent in Lincoln. In every game this season, the former IMG Academy defensive end was able to rack up 13 solo tackles. A nice bonus was his half-sack against Colorado in Memorial Stadium.
Jaylen George
The Georgia native comes to Lincoln with plenty of experience under his belt. As a sophomore at East Tennessee State this season, George earned first-team all-conference honors as a Buccaneer. This was largely due to his 33 total tackles this season. He also has a unique ability to stop the run. In this department, the defensive end had six tackles for loss. He’ll primarily be a run-stopper when he gets to Lincoln. But if NU’s coaches want him to, he’ll be able to blitz opposing offensive linemen. Will this strategy work for Nebraska’s defense against Boston College? Or will George be a player that the program can lean on in 2025? It wouldn’t make sense for Matt Rhule to put him on a big stage immediately. It would make more sense for him to find a role against Akron or Houston Christian.
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Vincent Shavers
Before starting his career at Nebraska, Shavers established himself as one of the top linebacker prospects in the 2024 recruiting cycle. It’s easy to see why. Throughout his high school career, he totaled more than 170 tackles and had 20 sacks. He hasn’t been able to recreate most of these numbers as a freshman. But Shavers has been dependable in his first year with the Big Red. In just 12 games under linebackers coach Rob Dvoracek, he’s been able to record 19 tackles. He was also awarded an honorary Blackshirt during the team’s practices for the Pinstripe Bowl. It’s a sign that he’ll have an increased role in Nebraska’s defense against Boston College. But how much will he contribute? He’s been the backup to John Bullock throughout the season, and MJ Sherman has had a significant role as well. These two options make it pretty hard for new defensive coordinator John Butler to start him. Willis McGahee IV is a better option. Along with having nine tackles, the freshman also led Nebraska in forced fumbles this season.
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Blye Hill
The sophomore cornerback had a rough start to his Husker career. An injury to his kneecap limited his availability for the first three months of the season in 2024. He eventually came back to the playing field. But he didn’t have a big effect on the Big Red’s outcome. Against UCLA and Wisconsin, he recorded two tackles. Luckily, he has another year in Lincoln to develop under the guidance of NU’s newest defensive backs coach Addison Williams. In his time at St. Francis, he had 21 tackles along with two interceptions.
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