Nebraska Football Spring Position Preview Series: Linebacker

Two days from now, Nebraska football's 2026 spring practice period officially begins, and the Huskers are set to have all but three incoming freshmen on next year's roster on hand to prepare for the season ahead.

After making 16 transfer portal additions and seeing another 11 high school recruits sign over the offseason, NU's roster has welcomed nearly 30 scholarship players onto next year's team. With every unit seeing change, it's time to go position-by-position to take a look at who's gone, still here, and new to each room. Up next are the linebackers.

Previously Covered: Quarterback, Running Back,Wide Receiver,Tight End,Offensive Line,Defensive Tackle, EDGE

The Huskers' most notable returning linebacker from last year's team is Vincent Shavers Jr., who will head into his third season within the Nebraska football program. As a member of the 2024 recruiting class, Shavers is a shining example of what both development and program continuity can mean. In the transfer portal era, the fact that the Big Red was able to retain him over the offseason is nothing short of vital, as he looks to play his best ball yet in 2026.

To date, Shavers has played in 26 career games while earning 14 starts, and is by and far the most experienced player returning from 2025 at his position group. In his career, the Miami native has totaled 86 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. As a soon-to-be junior, the 6-foot-1, 225-pounder will look to remain a mainstay within Dvoracek's room and will be asked to further shoulder the load on the defensive side of the ball, possibly as a captain next fall.

In the Huskers' new 4-2-5 scheme, Shavers may have a bit of a learning curve, but if his statistical performance to date is any indication, it won't matter much. With that being said, expect the single-digit earner to continue to make a positive impact on the defense in his third year on campus.

Another former high school addition, Dawson Merritt, is expected to factor into the rotation heavily as well. As a true freshman in 2025, the Kansas City native played in eight games while earning the first two starts of his career. He's followed a similar career path to that of Shavers, but of course, he is a year behind. Now, he will likely be asked to step into a more consistent role in Aurich's defense this upcoming season.

His first year on campus saw the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder chip in eight tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss. Those numbers will likely be inflated next fall, as Merritt battled through rehabbing an injury he suffered before the start of the year. Healthier than ever, the former four-star recruit will have as good a chance as any underclassman to see the field early and often in 2026.

Merritt was a late addition to the 2025 class, but one that required the Big Red to battle the likes of Alabama for. In the end, he chose to call Lincoln home, so making that decision pay off for all parties involved likely looks to have him step into a bigger rotational role. As it currently stands, he appears to be on the outside looking in, in terms of earning a starting spot, but will undoubtedly be one of the top players within the position group throughout the year, assuming he is available to play.

Perhaps the biggest addition NU made over the offseason, on the defensive side of the ball, was Owen Chambliss, formerly of San Diego State. Following Aurich to Lincoln served as a big win for Nebraska at the time and may continue to grow even larger over the season to come.

In 2025, the then-sophomore earned All-Mountain West First Team recognition after totaling 110 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 4.0 sacks. He also managed to break up five passes thrown his way, further showing his multifaceted talents at the second level of the defense. To this point in his career, Chambliss has played in 25 games with 20 starts, making him the most experienced player within the room that the Big Red have heading into the upcoming season.

Another positive storyline is his experience having played in the 4-2-5 scheme under Aurich last fall. Not only did he earn 13 of his starts in the system in 2025, but he excelled within it. He'll look to start as early as game one and can serve as a player-coach while on the field as well. As far as additions go, he may prove to be the biggest one of the offseason when the year is said and done.

Nebraska also added another experienced linebacker via the transfer portal in Dexter Foster, formerly of Oregon State. The soon-to-be junior has played in 19 games to this point in his career while earning 11 starts. In total, the former Beaver has chipped in 95 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, and one pass breakup through the first two seasons of his career.

As a Husker, Foster appears to have been brought in to compete for a starting role. With the experience he's already gained, in combination with his statistical performance, he will factor in heavily at the very least. Listed at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, the Oregon native is a sizeable addition as well, something the Big Red could've used desperately last fall.

For now, the top three linebackers within the room are Shavers, Chambliss, and Foster. However, in a 4-2-5 scheme, only two of those players will start. Regardless, all of them will be relied upon consistently in 2026, and with the experience each has gained throughout their respective careers, there's a sizable gap between them and the rest of the group. Still, there's arguably more reason for optimism now than there was for last year's unit.

Former four-star recruit Will Hawthorne also signed with Nebraska over the offseason and will have four years of eligibility remaining to make an impact. As an in-state recruit, the Cyclones were ultimately able to lock him down, but the Huskers pushed hard for his commitment out of high school. After the coaching change that was made in Ames after the end of the regular season, NU was able to rekindle the relationship they had previously built to bring him in the second time around.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, Hawthorne is already game-ready as far as his physical frame is concerned, though he'll fight an uphill battle to earn playing time in year one. That doesn't mean he can't achieve that goal, just that there are several other, more proven players in the room ahead of him.

In his first season, the Iowa native did not see the field and redshirted. For Nebraska, he will likely be a mainstay on special teams in 2026, while earning a rotational role at linebacker. Regardless, Hawthorne's long-term trajectory seems to be about as positive as any underclassmen within the unit, and if he sees the field in a meaningful way this upcoming fall, it would not be all that surprising.

Jase Reynolds was the lone linebacker commit in the 2026 class, but his athletic profile is something that stands out right away. As one of the state’s top players for Elkhorn North High School last fall, Reynolds' 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame stood out on film compared to the competition.

He'll likely redshirt in 2026, in an attempt to add some weight to his body before being asked to consistently see the field on the defensive side of the ball, but also could factor in on special teams in year one. Regardless of what his first season looks like, Reynolds could be one of the most under-the-radar additions to the Big Red's 2026 class when his career is said and done.

Projected Depth Chart

LB-

Owen Chambliss | Junior
Dawson Merritt | Sophomore
Jacob Bower | Junior

LB-

Vincent Shavers | Junior or Dexter Foster | Junior
Shavers or Foster
Will Hawthorne | Redshirt Freshman

Others in the room to watch: Christian Jones | Redshirt Freshman, Gage Stenger | Senior, Pierce Mooberry | Redshirt Freshman, Jase Reynolds | Freshman

Departures in the room

Javin Wright | NFL Draft, Graduation
Marques Watson-Trent | NFL Draft, Graduation
Dasan McCullough | NFL Draft, Graduation
Michael Booker III | Graduation
Rahmir Stewart | Transferred
Roger Gradney | Transferred

The Big Red saw three of its top four snap-earners careers come to an end following the Huskers bowl game against Utah on New Year's Eve. That meant Nebraska would likely have to dip into the transfer portal for instant replacements, and that is exactly what they did. Javin Wright led all Blackshirt defenders in tackles last fall (86), while McCoullough earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten recognition in his lone season in Lincoln. Watson-Trent was expected to have a big year as a Husker, but injuries limited the impact he was able to make.

Still, they lost several players who were trusted continuously in 2025, and the group that will now replace them will need to step up. On paper, it does appear as if the unit is better suited than it was a season ago, but their play on the field will ultimately mean more than stats earned at other schools ever will.

Overall, Dvoracek's room appears to be arguably the strongest on the defensive side of the ball ahead of 2026, and that is good news for the only defensive assistant that has been retained since Rhule took the Nebraska job back in 2023. Still, a lot of the production that the unit has totaled was earned at schools not named Nebraska, and it comes with question marks about those players' ability to translate their performances to the Big Ten.

On paper, they replaced the experience the room lacked before the transfer portal window and added several players with physical frames that are noticeably heavier than the players in the room last fall. That seems to have been done with intent, as the Huskers are looking to become more competitive at the line of scrimmage in 2026. If that is able to happen, the linebackers will be a big reason why.

For now, they have a lot of momentum and optimism within the group, but their play on the field will tell more than their height and weight. Expect this group to be improved in 2026, but of course, performance is more important than potential every day of the week.