Defensive lineman Keona Davis
***
Keona Davis said his biggest growth this fall had been in his technique. Much of that has been developing go-to pass rush moves. He said “double-swipe” was the move he’d worked on the most.
***Davis said
Cam Lenhardt,
Riley Van Poppel, Juedy, and Nwaneri had all made noticeable jumps this offseason and all in their own ways.
***On Pietrzak, Davis said he’d seen “a lot of great things” since the freshman arrived on campus. Much of that has come with Pietrzak gaining confidence and taking on a bigger voice on and off the field.
***Davis said his main personal goal this season was to reach double-digit sacks.
***Davis said he was “hyped” to see the black alternate jerseys. “Those things are cool… Our whole d-line was hyped.”
Linebacker Jordan Ochoa
***Ochoa said playing in the bowl game “opened my eyes a little more about how fast the game goes.” He said he’s built upon that experience ever since.
***Ochoa said using multiple Jack linebackers on the field at once opened up a lot of things for Nebraska’s defense.
***Ochoa said Simpson “pushes me like I’m one of his kids.” He praised Simpson’s passion, saying, “He’s taught me a lot of things beyond football.”
***On McCullough, Ochoa said his leadership was what made him such an important piece on Nebraska’s defense. He said McCullough “moves like a pro” in everything he does, and Ochoa wants to model himself after that.
***Ochoa said he arrived at 250 pounds but gained 12 pounds of muscle over the offseason.
Defensive back Jamir Conn
***Conn said he was bigger, faster, and stronger since arriving at Nebraska. He raved about how NU’s facilities and resources had taken his game to another level.
***Conn said he and the other FCS guys have “had to work for everything we’ve gotten… That gives us a chip on our shoulder that we feed off of every day.” That leads to him “going full speed on every play” and maximizing every opportunity he gets on the field.
***Conn said
Jamar Mozee “means everything to me.” He said without Mozee, “I probably wouldn’t have gotten to college.” Mozee put Conn’s name out there at every opportunity, and “he gave me a pathway to get here.”
***While he’s a smaller defensive back, Conn said his advantages were his speed, quickness, and ability to bend and get low in ways taller DBs can’t.
Linebacker Dasan McCullough
***McCullough said he feels “back at home” now playing on the line as a Jack. He said it “didn’t take long” for him to get back into the “mindset” of playing in the trenches. The biggest adjustment was “getting my body back in that condition” to hold up physically.
***McCullough said it was his responsibility to hold the Jack room up to their “standard” every day and to ensure all of them are “playing like starters.” He added that Simpson was “the perfect coach for me” for his final college season.
***On guys like Conn and George, McCullough said they bring a different mindset and appreciation for the opportunity players have at Nebraska.
***McCullough said, “It’s looked really good” when Nebraska uses multiple Jacks on the field together. They’re still working on the mental side to get everyone on the same page, but the pass-rush talent is undeniable.
Linebacker Marques Watson-Trent
***
Marques Watson-Trent said it feels like his career has come full circle after playing his first college game with Georgia Southern and now being a Husker.
He remembers how confident his GSU team was in that game, and his performance “gave me a lot of confidence” to play like that on that stage.
***On Nebraska’s facilities, Watson-Trent said, “There’s nothing like this place in the world.”
***Watson-Trent felt like he played well in Nebraska’s second fall scrimmage. He liked the defense’s effort and execution.
***Watson-Trent said he loved NU’s inside linebacker room. The room’s depth and experience have pushed everyone all offseason, including several young guys who have impressed.
Dawson Merritt was the first freshman ILB he mentioned.
----RW