Former NFL scout heaps praise on Nebraska pass rusher Ochaun Mathis

Nebraska was one of the most active Big Ten teams in the transfer portal, bringing in 15 new faces. One of them is former TCU EDGE Ochaun Mathis, who garnered some big-time praise from a former NFL scout this week.

Jim Nagy, who worked as a scout in the NFL for 18 years and currently works as the executive director of the Senior Bowl, said Mathis could jump-start the Nebraska defense. He put up some good numbers at TCU, and Nagy thinks his addition is massive for the Cornhuskers.

“Almost every team in CFB hit the portal this offseason to find role players but @HuskerFBNation got a potential difference-maker in ex-TCU EDGE Ochaun Mathis (@OchaunDevon),” Nagy tweeted. “His early-round rush talent will have immediate impact for Huskers’ defense.”

Last season, Mathis had 45 total tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks. But he had a monster 2020 season, finishing with 12.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks as a redshirt sophomore. While back to that production would be a major boost for Erik Chinander’s defense, Nagy said Mathis can still make an impact away from the box score.

“Scouts always use descriptive terms to paint an accurate picture of prospects’ tools/skill-sets and one word that sums up TCU [to] Nebraska transfer Ochaun Mathis’ sack reel is ‘abusive,'” Nagy tweeted. “@OchaunDevon is the most physical finisher at the QB we’ve seen draft cycle.”

JD PicKell: Defense is winning fall camp so far at Nebraska

Much has been made about the Nebraska offense this offseason. It makes sense considering Scott Frost is taking a step back to let new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple run more of the show with new quarterback Casey Thompson.

But On3’s J.D. PicKell thinks the defense is winning training camp so far — for an understandable reason, too.

The Cornhuskers are in a unique spot in camp since they not only have a Week 0 game on Aug. 27, but they have to go to Ireland to play it against Northwestern. Considering how fast that game is approaching and the fresh faces on offense, PicKell argued the defense, anchored by Big Ten Media Days attendees Garrett Nelson and Quinton Newsome, is likely to keep winning training camp for Nebraska.

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“As it stands right now in fall camp, the defense is winning the fall,” PicKell said, in part, on The Hard Count. “And if you’re saying, ‘Oh my gosh, here we go again. Gosh dang it.’ Relax. Because in fall camp, that’s usually how it goes. It’s not overwhelmingly surprising that the defense will win fall camp, especially considering that they have a first-year offensive coordinator in Mark Whipple and a first-time quarterback in Casey Thompson for the first time working together.”