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Nebraska Secures Commitment from a Top Portal Linebacker

Owen Chambliss, one of the Huskers' top targets in the portal, has committed to Nebraska with two years of eligibility remaining.
Trevor Tarr|
Owen Chambliss finished the 2025 season with 110 tackles, four sacks and 9.5 TFLs. He earned All-Mountain West first-team recognition as well.
Owen Chambliss finished the 2025 season with 110 tackles, four sacks and 9.5 TFLs. He earned All-Mountain West first-team recognition as well. | David Frerker-Imagn Images

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Nebraska CornhuskersSan Diego State Aztecs

The Huskers earned their third portal commitment of the 2026 offseason when linebacker Owen Chambliss, formerly of San Diego State, inked a deal Monday with the Big Red.

After big news on the offensive side of the ball Sunday, when Nebraska secured former Notre Dame quarterback Kenny Minchey to start its haul, it now appears the Huskers have a captain of the defense to match.

Chambliss, who has two years of eligibility remaining, was one of the most productive linebackers in college football this fall and will now bring his talents to Lincoln as he follows his former coordinator, Rob Aurich, to Nebraska.

Chambliss is one of many experienced San Diego State defenders linked to Nebraska's efforts in the transfer portal. As it now stands, the Huskers have secured visits with two former teammates of the linebacker, and one that got abruptly canceled over the weekend.

Those who have already been confirmed to arrive in Lincoln include safeties Dalesean Staley and Dwayne McDougle. Staley, a will-be senior, offers 138 career tackles and six interceptions, along with multiple seasons of starting experience at the collegiate level, while McDougle offers much of the same. With one year left before he tries his luck at the next level, McDougle has totaled 136 career tackles. an interception, and 10 pass breakups.

The one Aztec defender the Huskers have presumably missed out on is former San Diego State edge Ryan Henderson. The All-Mountain West defender had been scheduled to visit campus before he chose to swap it out with Texas A&M instead.

Things between Chambliss and Nebraska seemed to be heating up very quickly after the transfer portal opened on Jan. 2, with several members of the media logging predictions of the eventual result. Still, the news is no less exciting than it was before. The Huskers have now officially locked in a proven defender with the size and frame to help impact games immediately. He also comes in at a position of need, as Nebraska lost three starting-caliber linebackers this fall.

Soon-to-be teammates of his include sophomores Vincent Shavers, Dylan Rogers and Jacob Bower. The Huskers will also likely look to target at least one more proven linebacker to add to their ranks. As of Sunday, Nebraska had confirmed visits with two other scholarship linebackers from FBS programs.

Dexter Foster, formerly of Oregon State, offers multi-year eligibility and more proven production in college. To this point in his career, the Portland native has amassed 95 career tackles and 5 tackles for loss. The other known visitor has significantly less production — in fact, none. However, Will Hawthorne, who spent this fall at Iowa State, was a four-star linebacker in the 2025 recruiting class. He was heavily vetted by Nebraska as a prep recruit and could look to join the roster for next fall.

The Huskers' current recruiting profile seems to be all about size, length, and proving yourself on film. Of the three linebackers who have scheduled visits, none is smaller than 6-foot-2, 225 pounds. And yes, Hawthorne has yet to make an impact on a college field, but this staff doesn't seem willing to let a former four-star recruit slide out of their hands just because he didn't see the field in his first year out of high school.

Again, it's worth noting how much production at linebacker the Huskers are losing. Between the three senior linebackers Nebraska had in 2025, Aurich's defense is losing 146 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 5 pass breakups, and an interception. With Chambliss alone, they replace 110 tackles, 4 sacks, 5 pass breakups, and an interception. Were they to pair the former first-team All-Mountain West selection with Foster, that would add another 52 tackles and 2 pass breakups of production from 2025 alone.

Of course, that did not occur within the Big Ten, but the potential additions would help the Huskers in a big way next fall. Regardless, Nebraska now has gotten its top linebacker recruit to sign on the dotted line, and that's worth celebrating in its own right. As this staff looks to add more, expect news to come quickly over the coming days. The transfer portal is open until Jan. 16, but many of the top players available will be signed well before then.

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Trevor Tarr
TREVOR TARR

Trevor Tarr is the founder of Skers Scoop, a Nebraska football media outlet delivering original coverage through writing, graphics, and video content. He began his career in collegiate athletics at the University of South Dakota, producing media for the football team and assisting with athletic fundraising. A USD graduate with a background in journalism and sports marketing, Trevor focuses on creative, fan-driven storytelling in college football.

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