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Nebraska Secures Transfer Commitment of Former Four-Star Defensive Lineman

Jahsear Whittington played in 16 games at Pitt. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Trevor Tarr|
Jahsear Whittington totaled 14 QB pressures, including nine hurries, four QB hits, and one sack in 2025.
Jahsear Whittington totaled 14 QB pressures, including nine hurries, four QB hits, and one sack in 2025. | Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Nebraska CornhuskersPittsburgh Panthers

Day 11 of the transfer portal's 15-day window races on as schools look to lock in commitments from their top remaining recruits over the final five days of the legal period.

For Nebraska, which has secured commitments from 14 players since the opening on Jan. 2, it continues to evaluate and host visitors at the remaining positions of need before the start of the spring semester.

With quarterback, offensive line, wide receiver, linebacker, and safety addressed, the most notable position remaining is none other than defensive line. However, in recent days, the Huskers have begun to address that as well. And after obtaining their third commitment to the position group, here's the latest on new defensive line coach Corey Brown's newest player in the room.

Jahsear Whittington was a four-star recruit (Rivals) in the 2024 class. Out of high school, the Pennsylvania native chose Pitt over schools like Michigan, Nebraska, and Ole Miss.

In 2024, Whittington managed to see the field in three games, preserving a redshirt. That fall, he totaled four tackles and a tackle for loss. Despite being limited in the reps he saw, heading into his sophomore year, he was one of the most high-upside players on the Panthers' entire roster.

This fall, the 6-foot, 270-pound lineman's role grew. As a redshirt freshman, Whittington played in 11 games for Pitt and made his first collegiate start vs. East Carolina in the Military Bowl. Having clear momentum heading into the 2026 season, the soon-to-be sophomore will have three years of eligibility to make an impact at Nebraska. To this point in his career, Whittington has tallied 15 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, one sack, and a forced fumble.

Though Whittington is still raw, in terms of production, the 2025 season saw him earn a total of 250 snaps. And what he lacks in size, he makes up for in motor. On paper, he is the smallest addition to the room the Huskers have made, yet he has the potential to make the biggest impact over time. Still an underclassman, Whittington will have three more offseasons to grow into the player he was projected to be coming out of high school.

With the ability to earn a role for the Big Red, without the pressure to start, his development in Rob Aurich's 4-2-5 system could be accelerated over the coming months. While that would be a welcome sight for many fans, of the Huskers' 19 scholarship defensive linemen in 2025, a dozen of them will be back in the fold next fall. That gives time for a player like Whittington to develop, if needed.

His contribution to the Panthers' defense is well noted, so it does leave room in the conversation for him to see an even bigger role at Nebraska in 2026. However, as of now, players like Riley Van Poppel, and even underclassmen such as Malcolm Simpson and Tyson Terry would be more heavy additions to the interior of the line.

The Huskers also managed to sign two other defensive line prospects over the past 11 days, giving this staff several new options to place along the line of scrimmage. The first add was Anthony Jones, formerly of UCLA. Jones stands at 6-foot-5, 270 pounds and looks to be on the fast track towards vying for a starting defensive end spot opposite of a player like Williams Nwaneri. He brings to Lincoln one final year of collegiate eligibility after spending his entire career at various schools throughout the Big Ten.

On Sunday night, Nebraska also secured a commitment from JUCO All-American Andy Burburija. With two years of eligibility remaining, he will make the step up from a noticeably smaller division of football, but is easily the most proven player in Nebraska's 2026 defensive line room. In two seasons at Iowa Western, the 6-foot-3, 295-pounder notched 78 tackles and 14.0 sacks.

While it's still unclear if the Huskers will continue adding players to the room over the final days of the portal window, for now, Nebraska appears to have done a solid job at bringing in reinforcements to the group. Improvements needed to be made ahead of 2026, and at least on paper, they seem to have added several players who will make an impact as early as game one.

There are five more days to go, and it's fully expected that the Big Red will continue to do what they've already done. Aggressively pursuing talent is exactly what this staff needed to do, and if the first 11 days of the portal window are any indication, they'll stick with doing just that.

Expect more news to be had, particularly along the lines of scrimmage. And even if Whittington is the last defensive lineman included in the haul, he almost certainly will not be the final as a whole.

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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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