The Nebraska Cornhuskers‘ 4-1 start has been highlighted by two similar aspects. The offensive and defensive lines both struggled against all the teams they’ve faced. And while the offensive line still has a lot of questions to be answered, the defensive line looked way better vs. the Michigan State Spartans. It was headlined by potential NFL talent Williams Nwaneri.
Williams Nwaneri Was the No. 2 DL in the 2024 Recruiting Class
For those that don’t know, Williams Nwaneri was the No. 6 overall recruit of the 2024 class, one spot ahead of Dylan Raiola. Nwaneri committed to Missouri and didn’t see the field much in 2024. When he did, he didn’t perform too well, recording just one sack and a few tackles. Nwaneri decided to transfer out of Missouri in December of 2024 before committing to Nebraska. He is 6-7, 270 pounds, and an absolutely insane edge rusher.
Despite not being seen much by the nation over the last few seasons, the ceiling for Nwaneri is very high. The commitment was a massive victory for Matt Rhule, who had to replace an experienced and talented defensive line that was set to disperse after 2024. Out of the players playing the D-line now, Nwaneri has by far the highest ceiling.
Finally, Nwaneri Had a Breakout Game and Led a Great Defense Against MSU
Against the Spartans, the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ rushing defense finally came alive. Nebraska allowed just 86 yards on the ground, and they recorded five sacks. Nwaneri led the charge with 1.5sacks and a pretty impressive 6 QB hurries. The Huskers were in the backfield all day against MSU, barely allowing Aidan Chiles to breathe. Before that, Nebraska struggled massively to stop the run.
The Huskers allowed 202, 113, 93, and 290 rushing yards in the first 4 games of the season. The Huskers were allowing too many QB scrambles and big runs against all of the teams they had faced. The only reason the defense even survived was because of the video game numbers put up by the secondary. Hopefully, with the help of Williams Nwaneri and others, Nebraska can establish the run defense just as much as they did for the pass defense. The Blackshirts are in need of a player like Williams. With his help and in the future, Nebraska wants to become the Top 25 team they can be.
Nebraska Has an Interesting Slate of Teams On the Schedule
This is Nebraska’s Remaining Schedule:
@Maryland (very winnable)
@Minnesota (also very winnable
Vs. Northwestern (a potential blow-out)
Vs. USC (a true test)
@UCLA (also winnable)
@Penn State (perhaps the hardest remaining game, but they can win)
Vs. Iowa (just score points, Iowa’s offense will do the rest)
Nebraska could definitely lose a good portion of these games. Their loss against Michigan wasn’t very good looking, not to mention the first three quarters against Michigan State made the Huskers look extremely average. However, if the Wolverines are truly a good team, and the same thing for the Cincinnati Bearcats, then the Huskers are a pretty good team. Nebraska destroyed their weaker opponents, and another win could set them up for a good run.
In 2025, Nebraska hopes to compete. They can lose just as much as they can win. However, with such a good secondary, if Nebraska can fix the run defense, they can have one of the best defenses in the country. This IS the best defense Nebraska has had since the days of Ndamukong Suh. Williams Nwaneri can make it even better with good performances in the upcoming weeks. A couple of games on the schedule will test this team. But can Nebraska finally pass the test? The questions remains.
Main Image: © Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
