Nebraska Defensive Tackle Riley Van Poppel Speaks From the Heart About His Team and Himself

Nebraska rising junior defensive tackle Riley Van Poppel didn’t like what he saw from the Huskers’ defense in 2025. And as one of the team's leaders, he's in position to do something about it.

The Huskers’ 7-6 season, which matched last season’s record, once was rolling along at 5-1 after an Oct. 11 win over Maryland. Nebraska went an unpleasant 2-5 the rest of the way.

Nebraska’s defense was spotty, not spot-on. Its rushing defense struggled and going into the Las Vegas Bowl against Utah, it ranked 95th in the nation (out of 136 teams), allowing 171.2 yards per game.

Utah, which won the bowl game on New Year’s Eve , 44-22, rushed for 225 yards on 45 carries. The Utah game was preceded by a 37-10 Nebraska loss at Penn State, and a 40-16 loss to rival Iowa at Memorial Stadium.

So, the Huskers allowed an unacceptable and alarming 121 points over the last three games, and what looked like a step-forward season for the program simply collapsed.

‘What needs to be done’

In a postgame Las Vegas Bowl news conference, Van Poppel spoke from the heart about the Huskers … and himself.

“It’s not at all what we wanted,” said Van Poppel, a 6-foot-5, 295-pounder from Argyle, Texas. “I think everyone in that locker room knows what needs to be done …

“We know for whoever is coming back, they want to be here. And that’s what we want. We don’t want you to be spaced out. We don’t want you to think about going somewhere else.

“We have the mindset: Our big message this week was ‘a team.’ I just wish I could have done more for those seniors. For my part, they have been here since my first day. Some of those guys were my host on my official visits.

“So, it hurts. But again in that hurt, with everyone coming back, you can see what needs to be done. We know what we have to do starting Jan. 12, right when we get back.”

Potential for improvement

Without knowing what the transfer portal will eventually bring and how much upheaval it will cause, Nebraska's defensive line is perhaps an area that will show improvement in 2026. Head coach Matt Rhule talked after the bowl game about how many young players saw playing time.

The Huskers’ defensive performance, particularly down the stretch, was a factor in the firing of defensive coordinator John Butler after the Iowa game. Rhule installed Phil Snow as the interim defensive coordinator for the bowl game. Rhule then hired Rob Aurich from San Diego State. Aurich hired Aztecs edges coach Roy Manning to join him in Lincoln.

Aurich and Manning arrive with a new system. At San Diego State, the Aztecs led the nation with three shutouts and ranked fifth nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 12.6 points per game.

Utah’s dazzling quarterback Devon Dampier exploited Nebraska’s defense with 310 passing yards and 148 rushing yards. He passed for two touchdowns and ran for three touchdowns.

“He was good and I think they’re in a real good offense for his skill set, too,” said Van Poppel, whose sack of Houston Christian quarterback Jake Weir led to a scoop-and-score for the Huskers' Williams Nwaneri back in September. “Those little speed options, you think they’re going to hand it and boom, he can pull it and find a seam and go.

“He’s fast and he has a good arm as well. It’s a little bit different than what we played. I think we’ve played very good quarterbacks this year especially with their feet.

“It got us ready for that but his skill and along with their offense brought a little bit of something different that we haven’t seen.”

Building for the future

Van Poppel spoke about next season and what he would like to see from his defense.

“I hope the identity is: You eat what you kill,” Van Poppel said. “Rhule says that to us a lot. I want to get back to, and I want to do what I can in my part as a leader, to get back to that Blackshirt mindset.

“I’d like, if you step on the field with us, you don’t deserve to be there. You’re not going to play as hard as we are and you’re sure as heck not going to last four quarters with us on the field.”

Van Poppel, the son of former Major League Baseball pitcher Todd Van Poppel, said he is growing into one of the team’s leaders.

“Especially last year after Ty [Robinson], Nash [Hutmacher] and Jimari [Butler] leaving, I had to take over that role,” Van Poppel said. “Me, Cam [Lenhardt] and [Elijah] Jeudy kinda started to be leaders on the D-line, and leader on the defense. Obviously, I got voted single-digit by the team which is a huge honor for me.”

Nebraska defensive lineman Elijah Jeudy (16) pursues USC running back Woody Marks. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Van Poppel’s apology

“Talking about some of the guys, there was a point in the season where I apologized,” Van Poppel said.

“I wish I could have done better. Talking with Coach Rhule, you look back, I had a year you don’t want to talk about. It’s a lot of growth and I think it sets me up for next year.

“And it was a lot of learning. College football is so much different than high school. It’s to learn how to lead a locker room of 130 guys where they can listen to you, you can connect to them. A lot of learning curves. I love every single person in that locker room. I go talk to anybody.

“It excites me just to know next year, I’m going to step into that full force and I’ll be ever better because I put that responsibility on my shoulders.

“So, when I think I didn’t live up to what I wanted to do, I’m going to come back and double it next year.”

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