Stability is a beautiful thing in football and that Nebraska’s linebackers in 2022 will bring just that. The group was among the team’s best last season, with three Huskers in the top 16 in the Big Ten in tackles.
The heart and soul of the group was JoJo Domann, who was unsurprisingly drafted by the Indianapolis Colts following a second team All-American recognition from the Associated Press. Domann was elite in every phase of coverage last year but although it sounds far-fetched, there’s potential for the Cornhuskers to completely offset the loss of him.
The starting group is all but locked in, with Caleb Tannor and Garrett Nelson ever-present on the outside pairing with all-Big Ten honorable mention pick Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich on the inside. After switching from a 3-4 to 4-3 look this year, the Huskers may still find a way to put those four on the field for a majority of snaps. Barring injuries or outside circumstances, the quartet will constitute Nebraska’s hallmark this season, plain and simple.
With head coach Scott Frost being a former linebacker himself, former NFL star Barrett Ruud manning the inside linebackers and Mike Dawson, a 4-year NFL coaching vet, coaching the Huskers’ edge rushers, success is to be expected.
That crew went out and landed prized transfer Ochaun Mathis from TCU and his presence on the defensive line adds to the pressure felt by opposing offensive lines. The Huskers didn’t exactly have a edge rusher of his caliber last year and Mathis may line up as a linebacker in a two-point stance on some occasions.
Each starting linebacker brings something different to the table: Tannor is dependable, Nelson plays a large leadership role, Reimer is a tackle machine and Henrich is gifted in the open field. A number of 2nd stringers had impressive practices in the spring and fall so Nebraska’s linebackers may be as deep as they’ve been in years.