Terrance Knighton reveals which Nebraska players are pass rushers

Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive line coach Terrance Knighton is looking to make his lineman as versatile as possible. What he wants from them this season is for everyone to have the ability to rush the quarterback from anywhere on the field. Knighton already has a list of a handful of players that have been executing his expectations during spring practice. And during a recent press conference, the Cornhuskers defensive line coach revealed which Nebraska players are capable of pass-rushing from multiple positions.

“All our guys that stand up can put their hand in the dirt,” said Knighton. “Princewill (Umanmielen) can do both, MJ Sherman can do both, Jimari (Butler) can do both, (and) Maverick Noonan. We have a lot of guys that can line up at linebacker, line up at d-end, sometimes bump down to the three-technique where Kai Wallin has done it; Princewill has done it, which they probably never done in the past. And they’re tough enough to do it. So, right now, that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Knighton takes over a Nebraska defensive line that came into last season with the expectation of wreaking havoc in the opposing offenses’ backfields. With their talent on the roster and the individuals they pulled out of the transfer portal prior to the year, many expected the Cornhuskers to have one of the more elite pass-rushing units in the country. Unfortunately never came to fruition.

After transferring from TCU ahead of the 2022 season, defensive end Ochaun Mathis was expected to lead the Cornhuskers’ defensive line in being a disruptive force throughout the season. Sadly he and the rest of Nebraska’s defensive line failed to be impactful in many of the games last year. Mathis would go on to finish the year with just 3.5 sacks.

Nebraska, as a team, ranked near the bottom in total sacks in the country, only registering 21 sacks on the season or just 1.75 per game. Still, they weren’t the worst teams in the Big Ten Conference when it came to getting after the opposing team’s quarterback. Minnesota, Northwestern, Indiana, and Rutgers all finished the year with fewer sacks than Nebraska.

With the talent that Nebraska has along the defensive line, for the second season in a row, they should be impactful in 2023 when it comes to rushing the quarterback. And their defensive line coach has the plan to ensure that that happens and has the right players to turn his vision into a reality.