Former UCLA Defensive End Visiting Nebraska

Nebraska football could benefit from a one-year rental of a Big Ten Conference foe's pass rush.

Anthony Jones, a 6-5, 265 pound defensive lineman, is set to visit Nebraska on Sunday. The pass rusher has played for four different universities during his college football career, and is looking for a new home for his redshirt senior season after spending the 2025 season with UCLA. Jones entered the transfer portal on Jan. 2.

Jones was a difference maker for the Bruins last season, playing in 11 games with 10 starts while leading the team with four quarterback hurries and tied the team-lead with 1.5 sacks. Nebraska should be aware of Jones' presence, having faced the defensive lineman on Nov. 8 in the Huskers' 28-21 road win - the final victory for the Big Red in the 2025 season. Jones would finish the contest with only one tackle against Nebraska.

Sep 28, 2024; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans defensive lineman Anthony Jones (8) tackles Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) in the first quarter at Spartan Stadium. | Dale Young-Imagn Images

Nebraska only saw Jones once during his two seasons in the Big Ten, as the defensive lineman spent his 2023 campaign with Indiana then followed up his redshirt sophomore year in 2024 at Michigan State. Prior to joining the Spartans for the 2024 season, however, Jones first committed to Oregon State in the 2023 winter window, spending his first stint of the off-season in Corvallis before transferring to Michigan State in April. Jones began his college football career in Oregon, playing in two games during his redshirt season.

In 2023 in Bloomington, Jones would play in all 12 games for the Hoosiers making four starts and recording 12 tackles with a half-tackle for loss and one quarterback hurry. The following season in East Lansing, the pass rusher would record a season-highs in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks, and quarterback hurries in 302 snaps for the Spartans. Once again, Jones would depart to a new Big Ten destination for UCLA in 2024.

Jones has amassed 58 total tackles over four seasons, adding 3.5 sacks with one pass defended during his tenure in college football. The defensive lineman was a three-star recruit by 247Sports out of Arbor View High School in Las Vegas, Nev., and was rated as one of the top prospects in the Class of 2022 out of the state.

Sep 2, 2023; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord (6) passes the ball over Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Anthony Jones (4) during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Nebraska football has lost its pass rush prominence since the graduation of defensive lineman Ty Robinson and Nash Hutmacher. The Huskers ranked 68th in 2025 in sack percentage, and were tied for 101st in sacks per game at 1.6. Nebraska's defensive sack leader was linebacker Javin Wright with three sacks on the season, with three defensive lineman tallying at least two sacks each between Williams Nwaneri, Kade Pietrzak, and Cameron Lenhardt.

The Huskers also had several depth pieces recently depart on its defensive line and pass rush units as Dylan Parott, Maverick Noonan, and Jaylen George announced their intention to enter the transfer portal. As of Saturday, Nebraska has yet to land a commitment in the transfer portal.

The Huskers continue their college football transfer portal plans for the 2026 season through the single window, as the portal closes on Jan. 16.

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