Nebraska Linebacker Owen Chambliss Ranks as Fourth-Highest-Graded Transfer

When Rob Aurich was named Nebraska's defensive coordinator, it came with the belief that the Huskers would land several players from his San Diego State Aztecs defense via the transfer portal.

NU not only did that, but they also managed to secure what was arguably the most impactful player on the field last fall. While will-be junior Owen Chambliss' stats back it up, so too do his PFF grades for the year, as he becomes the fourth-highest-graded linebacker transfer of the offseason. It's a big win for the Big Red, but, possibly more important than that, is his familiarity with Aurich's defensive system.

With a lot of work to do to come back from a season in which Nebraska ranked 96 nationally against the run and second-to-last in opponent redzone scoring percentage, having a former First Team All-Mountain West linebacker at its core is a great start. With that in mind, here's how the now-upperclassmen could look to lead the charge for the Huskers in year one under Aurich's guidance.

Highest Graded Transfer Linebackers this Off-Season🔥 pic.twitter.com/3YYZDfK53w
— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 14, 2026

Though the transfer portal class rankings won't suggest it, the 16 additions the Huskers made over the January window should help this team improve upon the areas they were deficient in last fall. Most notably, Nebraska needed to address the defensive side of the ball, and while the jury is still out in determining whether the line of scrimmage was properly reinforced, where the Big Red undoubtedly made progress was at linebacker.

After the season, the Huskers lost three senior players in linebacker coach Rob Dvoracek's room, and looked to be heading into 2026 with only one player who had started more than one game in their career. However, after making three additions to the unit via the transfer portal, Nebraska has since changed that dramatically.

Chambliss was the first addition, coming to Lincoln having totaled 142 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, five pass breakups, one interception, and one fumble recovery in his career. With two years of eligibility remaining, he's already earned playing time in 25 games, adding 20 starts.

Next was Dexter Foster, formerly of Oregon State, who spent two seasons with the Beavers before transferring to Nebraska. In 19 career games, the will-be junior has earned 11 career starts, while totaling 95 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, and one pass breakup. Though a slightly smaller sample size than that of Chambliss, Foster also appears to be in line for immediate playing time come the fall.

Nebraska also added will-be redshirt freshman Will Hawthorne to the mix once he entered the transfer portal following a coaching change at Iowa State after the regular season. The Iowa native has yet to see the field collegiately but was a top target the Huskers narrowly missed out on via high school recruiting in the 2025 class. A former four-star recruit, whether Hawthorne makes an immediate impact in games for the Big Red this fall is unknown. Regardless, he is a player this staff sees as a developmental piece with high upside down the line.

With that in mind, the three additions that were made were done so very intentionally. NU desperately needed reinforcements at one of the defense's most important positions, and the shift from a 3-3-5 to a 4-2-5 makes the players' roles in the room even more important than they were before.

That's exactly why securing a player like Chambliss appears to be so pivotal in 2026. Not only has he excelled at the college level for several years in a row, but he also brings immediate familiarity and proven success within the system the Huskers will install this offseason.

Don't forget about a player like Vincent Shavers Jr., either, who has played in 26 games while earning 14 starts in his career to date. In two seasons with the Big Red, the Miami native has been arguably the most impactful player the Huskers signed in the 2024 high school recruiting class, surpassing 86 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles to this point.

The combination of Chambliss, Shavers, and Foster has a combined 45 career starts and 70 games worth of experience, and all three will have two years of eligibility remaining to hopefully give Nebraska some continuity at the position group for years to come. What originally looked bleak has now become one of the most experienced units on the entire team, one that will be relied upon heavily to be the heartbeat of the Blackshirts defense next fall.

Getting back to Chambliss, the soon-to-be junior has the potential to make everything click early on. After leading the Aztecs in tackles last fall, he'll have every opportunity to do the same within the Big Ten. He also gives Nebraska a proven pass rusher as well. While the 4.0 sacks he earned in 2025 didn't lead the top 5 nationally San Diego State defense, it would've led the Huskers ' entire team. The California native has also thrived in pass coverages as well, which makes him one of the most complete players at the position in all of college football heading into next season.

The competition level he will face in 2026 will be drastically improved from that of the Mountain West, but if any player on Nebraska's defense is capable of figuring it out, early reports suggest it will indeed be Chambliss.

Sure, there's pressure to it, but the linebacker was also likely highly compensated to thrive in Lincoln despite it. Now comes arguably the most important season of his collegiate career. On the biggest stage of his life to this point, finding success within the Big Ten will not only open the door to a bigger payday in 2027 but also put him higher on draft boards than the Mountain West ever could.

With that in mind, he appears ready to reap the benefits of his previous hard work in his first season at Nebraska. As arguably the most high-profile addition the Huskers made on the defensive side of the ball, Chambliss will likely be expected to not only be a statistical leader, but a vocal one as well.

Heading into his fourth season of college football, the former First Team All-Mountain West selection has seen and done a lot within the sport. Now comes the time to round out his resume before taking a shot at the NFL. The stats already back him up, and now so too do his PFF scores, but a lead role on a team in the most physically demanding conference in football is sure to tell a lot.

NU has the luxury of being able to retain him for the next two seasons, but if all goes right, he may only be here for one. And while it's up for debate on what would ultimately be better for the program in the long term, it's hard to say that anyone would be mad if Chambliss produced a season worthy of becoming a draft pick a year from now. For now, that's a problem for a later date, and a potential good problem to have at that. 2026 will require him to prove it on the field, and all indications suggest he's gearing up to do just that.

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