Nebraska Fall Camp Preview for 2024: Linebacker
Matt Rhule’s second fall camp at Nebraska is right around the corner. The HuskerOnline team dives into what to expect from the Huskers with our position-by-position fall camp previews.
We continue the series with Nebraska’s linebackers, which might be the Blackshirts’ biggest question mark heading into the fall.
Related: QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL
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What we know right now: There are big shoes to fill, but Nebraska has options
The departure of two of Nebraska’s most seasoned defenders left linebacker as arguably the most significant concern on the defense entering the offseason. While the Huskers lost plenty of experience and production in Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich, it also returned several ‘backers poised to make big jumps in 2024.
Getting sixth-year senior John Bullock back was critical for NU, as the former walk-on safety shined in his move to ILB last year. He led the unit in snaps played and was second in tackles and sacks.
Another converted safety who thrived at linebacker was Javin Wright, whose 51 stops led the unit while adding two interceptions. Mikai Gbayor was a pleasant surprise last season and should be entrenched in the rotation.
Then there’s Stephon Thompson, a transfer from Syracuse who seemed to be a frontrunner to push for a starting job upon his commitment to Nebraska. After a slow start, Thompson seemed to find his footing by the end of spring ball.
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At Jack, NU hopes former Georgia transfer MJ Sherman rebounds following a quiet debut campaign in Lincoln. Princewill Umanmielen flashed serious potential as a true freshman pass rusher when he was healthy and has breakout potential.
Key stats and numbers from 2023:
| Player | Snaps in 2023 |
|---|---|
| John Bullock | 413 |
| Luke Reimer* | 409 |
| MJ Sherman | 360 |
| Javin Wright | 353 |
| Nick Henrich | 289 |
| Princewill Umanmielen | 250 |
| Mikai Gbayor | 242 |
| Chief Borders* | 147 |
| Grant Tagge* | 13 |
| Kaine Williams* | 8 |
| Garrett Snodgrass | 5 |
| Player | TCK | TFL | SCK | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javin Wright | 51 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 |
| John Bullock | 50 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 |
| Luke Reimer* | 48 | 7.5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Henrich* | 42 | 4.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Mikai Gbayor | 24 | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Princewill Umanmielen | 22 | 4.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| MJ Sherman | 16 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Chief Borders* | 9 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Garrett Snodgrass | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grant Tagge | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Biggest question: Will the ILBs make the jumps Nebraska hopes?
Nebraska should be at least seven deep at its three linebacker spots this season. However, the feeling surrounding that depth largely depends upon several players making big jumps in 2024.
Bullock and Wright are by far NU’s most proven players at the position, but even they have room to grow, especially in taking on significantly larger roles this season. Beyond them, the rest of the linebacker rotation remains to be seen.
Gbayor showed he could hold his own last year, and Thompson could vault up the depth chart if things finally click with him in Lincoln. There’s also a chance that true freshman Vincent Shavers Jr. earns a seat at the table after an eye-opening first spring.
The Huskers lost considerable production and leadership in Reimer and Henrich. The returning unit’s offseason development will be critical in answering how well Nebraska fills those voids.
Projected Fall Camp Linebacker Depth Chart
Top groups:
ILB
John Bullock
Javin Wright
Mikai Gbayor
Stephon Thompson
Vincent Shavers Jr.
JACK
MJ Sherman
Prince Umanmielen
Names to watch
Maverick Noonan
Gage Stenger
Dylan Rogers
Willis McGahee IV
