3 Transfers That Could Be X-Factors On Nebraska's Defense

The Nebraska Cornhusker defense was a defense with two different extremes. The pass defense was among the best in the country, while the rushing defense was among the worst. This, of course, led teams to run the ball much more against the Huskers, resulting in Nebraska being beaten down by teams like the Penn State Nittany Lions and Iowa Hawkeyes. However, with a few new names in town, Nebraska is seeking to improve in the trenches while staying elite in the secondary.

The All Around Superstar: LB Owen Chambliss

Nebraska's new defensive coordinator, Rob Aurich, brought some of San Diego State's best defenders to Nebraska. Perhaps the best transfer Nebraska got from the portal was a linebacker Owen Chambliss, who posted impressive stats with the Aztecs last season. Chambliss racked up 109 total tackles and 68 solo tackles, with 68 solo tackles being the 3rd best in the entire country. Nebraska's LBs and DBs struggled to get tackles, and Chambliss will definitely help in that aspect. Chambliss also racked up four sacks, five passes defended, and one interception. These stats prove one thing: that Chambliss was perhaps the most impressive all-around linebacker last year in the entire country.

Simply put, Nebraska added someone who can defend the pass, get a ton of tackles, and even get sacks. Nebraska's leader in sacks was Williams Nwaneri, who had a rather pathetic 2.5 sacks, while Chambliss had four. Life will be harder in the Big Ten for Chambliss, but he should thrive in Lincoln. It won't be easy to run the ball against someone like Chambliss, and that is exactly what the Huskers want.

The Potential Sack Problem: DT Jahsear Whittington

Nebraska needs sacks and to stop the run; it is as simple as that. The Huskers just couldn't do anything like that last season, as they struggled mightily to be consistent in the Big Ten. And a fun fact: if you sack the quarterback, the chances are that the drive is going to end in your favor. Nebraska added someone who can definitely be effective in the pass rush and run defense: Jahsear Whittington. Nebraska's problems on the D-line stemmed from a unit that was both small and underexperienced, and Whittington fits both categories.

However, Nebraska has decent depth at the position, so the Huskers could try to use the young, agile pass rusher in specific situations. A defense that has sack specialists while also having big interior defenders is a huge threat for any offense, and Whittington fits the category of a pash rusher. Even then, though, Whittington was also good at just getting tackles for loss and being disruptive. If Nebraska wants to improve its rush defense and pass rush, they also need to get help for Nwaneri, the key to it all, who basically had zero help from the very poor D-line last season. Whittington can put pressure on any offense and help Nebraska balance its defense and make its defense elite.

The Scary Safety: S Dwayne McDougle

Dwayne McDougle, a great safety, transferred from Idaho to SDSU and performed quite well for the Aztecs. McDougle actually followed Aurich from SDSU, and, even more interestingly, the safety played with a Nebraska star cornerback, Andrew Marshall, at Idaho, who had an impact on Nebraska's great secondary and will return as Nebraska's No. 1 CB. McDougle managed to rack up four interceptions, three passes defended, one forced fumble, and 51 tackles. McDougle became a great player for the Aztecs in the secondary and is going into fall camp as Nebraska's clear No. 1 safety.

The expectations for McDougle are going to be pretty high as he replaces star DeShon Singleton and will be a big part of replacing Ceyair Wright, who was an extremely good corner at Nebraska in 2025. McDougle will simply be a huge part of a Husker secondary that Nebraska wants to keep elite. Having the second-best secondary in the country isn't likely to happen again, but being elite still could.

If Nebraska wants to be ranked, beat a ranked team, and have a successful season, they need a more balanced defense. Having an insane secondary and a terrible rush defense is just another way of losing. Of course, a lot of the season will still hinge on having a consistent offense, but if Nebraska really wants to be the team they want to be, they need the Blackshirts.

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