What the Rob Aurich 4-2-5 defense looks like and the projected starters

The Nebraska Cornhuskers remain the college football blue blood that hasn't quite put things together in the college football playoff era. However, things could definitely change, especially with the defense Nebraska is rolling out in 2026. The new defensive coordinator, Rob Aurich, brings a new defensive scheme, 4-2-5, as the Huskers look to improve. Luckily for Aurich, he definitely has a ton of talent to work with.

What the 4-2-5 defense brings for Nebraska

Before, Nebraska had a 3-3-5 defense, which would prevent a pass-heavy offense but was susceptible to the run. Nebraska, with an underexperienced and undersized D-line, struggled mightily to stop the run with the 3-3-5 defense. With the 4-2-5 defense, the goal is simple: stop the run and the pass. There will be four defensive linemen instead of three, two linebackers, a hybrid personnel, and still multiple defensive backs. Essentially, a hybrid is a mix of a defensive back and a linebacker, and Nebraska has multiple players who could play that position very well. Nebraska last season was elite against the pass, but couldn't stop the run or put decent pressure on the QB.

The 3-3-5 defensive scheme lacked the ability to get sacks and run stops, making Nebraska an easy team to defeat. The 4-2-5 will try to keep the passing defense elite while making runs a lot harder- and of course, Nebraska seeks more sacks. Nebraska's sack leader, Javin Wright, had only three sacks, which is just not good. If Nebraska wants a good defense, they need to rack up more sacks, put pressure on the QB, stop the run, and, of course, still be good at stopping the pass. The good news is that they can do all of this with their projected starters.

The projected starters

Defensive Line:

The two starting edges are probably UCLA transfer Anthony Jones Jr. and potential superstar Williams Nwaneri. Nwaneri, as a freshman, got just 2.5 sacks but showed flashes of brilliance. The good news for Nwaneri is that he now has more help and experience, making it easily attainable to get 6+ sacks. Jones might have to share the load with Cam Lenhardt, but at least Jones adds experience and size. Lenhardt has not lived up to his potential so far in his career, but he still can after getting two sacks last season. Another potential star at the position is Kade Pietrzak, who, in limited action, recorded two sacks and seven tackles for loss.

The interior defensive line, meanwhile, will be a battle. Nebraska returns Tyler Van Poppel and Dylan Parrott, two potential difference makers. Poppel recorded 16 tackles, one forced fumble, and 1.5 sacks, and showed some potential, while Parrott is an example of a massive D-lineman who could be a defensive force. Two transfers are also very intriguing: Owen Stoudmire and Jahsear Whittington. Stoudmire is good when healthy, but has had major injury issues. The Pitt transfer, Whittington, was a freshman who showed good potential last season. Whittington is small, only 6'0'' and 275 lbs, but he has shown great potential as a player who could get sacks.

Whittington could be a sack specialist and even start on the D-line, given how coaches have liked him. Nebraska has work to do on the D-line, but Nebraska also has a lot to work with.

Linebackers:

Nebraska will definitely start San Diego State Aztec transfer Owen Chambliss, who wasn't good last season- he was great last season with four sacks, 109 tackles (68 solo), five passes defended, and an interception. Chambliss was great in the passing game, got four sacks, which is awesome, and missed very few tackles. Simply put, Chambliss was one of the best all-around linebackers last season. The other projected starter is Vincent Shavers Jr., who is, in all likelihood, the other linebacker in the 4-2-5 defense. Nebraska likes Shavers Jr.'s potential, as he has the ability to be a game-changer.

The hybrid starter is basically up for grabs, but there are a couple of front-runners heading into fall camp. Dawson Merritt, the No. 7 linebacker in the 2025 class, is probably the frontrunner. Merritt has had some injury issues in the past, but he has enormous potential. The Oregon State Beaver transfer, Dexter Foster, brings experience and the ability to play as a hybrid linebacker. Nebraska also has Christian Jones, Dylan Rogers, Will Hawthorne, and Jacob Bower as notable contenders for the position. At the very least, Nebraska's depth at the LB position is strong, and they have a lot of options for their hybrid.

Defensive Backs:

The two starting corners are, in all likelihood, going to be Andrew Marshall and Donovan Jones. Marshall, who played under Aurich at Idaho, was very good for Nebraska in 2025 and will be the top corner. Jones, meanwhile, as a freshman, played very well and should be the other starting corner. Jones was quite talented at getting tackles with 40 solo tackles and was also great in the passing game with five passes defended. The two starting safeties are also probably Dwayne McDougle and Rex Guthrie. McDougle transferred from Idaho to SDSU with Aurich before transferring again with Aurich to Nebraska, meaning he has played with star corner Marshall before. McDougle racked up four interceptions and can be a game-changer in Lincoln.

Guthrie, like Jones, played a lot as a freshman and can also stack tackles, getting 63 total tackles. Nebraska would probably like Guthrie to improve in the passing game, but he is still a great returning talent at safety and is favored to start. The competition for Guthrie might be Jamir Conn, who has stood out as a potential star at the safety position. Another potential name to look at is Jashin Shiggs, a safety who transferred from Townsend and can be pretty good. In a 4-2-5 defense, the free safety has massive responsibilities, so the starter definitely needs to prove himself in fall camp.

For now, all of this is speculation. But the good news is that Nebraska has a lot to work with. Nebraska has some of the most returning talent from last season, losing only 17 transfers while also gaining 17. To put it simply, Matt Rhule has his most talented team yet at Nebraska, but the question remains: what can he do with it?

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