2024 Defense v. 2025 Defense Position by Position - Upgrade or Downgrade?

[Kaladin]

Below is a comparison of our 2024 defensive starting lineup for game 1 and our presumed 2025 defensive starting lineup. Do you believe that we have upgraded or downgraded at each position? I am unsure of some of the starters for 2025 so I added multiple names.

I think we have upgraded at 7 positions and at least 2 positions there is little difference. I count Ceyair Wright as an upgrade because Tommi Hill missed most of the year and I think Ceyair was just as good by the end of the season. And I counted DeShon Singleton as an upgrade because he's had a year of experience at the position. We are downgrading at DE and NT so I understand the concern there but if Van Poppel is solid then I think this defense will be just as good if not better than last year. I also think Lenhardt has higher upside than Butler.

Position​	2024 Defense​	2025 Defense​	Upgrade or Downgrade or Neutral​
DE	Ty Robinson	Riley Van Poppel	Downgrade
NT	Nash Hutmacher	Elijah Jeudy	Downgrade
DE	Jimari Butler	Cameron Lenhardt	Neutral
LB	John Bullock	Marques Watson-Trent/Vincent Shavers	Upgrade
LB	Mikai Gbayor	Javin Wright/Vincent Shavers	Upgrade
Jack	MJ Sherman	Dasan McCullough/Willis McGahee	Upgrade
CB	Tommi Hill	Ceyair Wright	Upgrade
CB	Marques Buford	Andrew Marshall	Upgrade
S	Malcom Hartzog	Marques Buford	Upgrade
S	DeShon Singleton	DeShon Singleton	Upgrade
Rover/Nickel	Isaac Gifford	Malcom Hartzog	Neutral

 

[Jim14510]

Below is a comparison of our 2024 defensive starting lineup for game 1 and our presumed 2025 defensive starting lineup. Do you believe that we have upgraded or downgraded at each position? I am unsure of some of the starters for 2025 so I added multiple names.

I think we have upgraded at 7 positions and at least 2 positions there is little difference. I count Ceyair Wright as an upgrade because Tommi Hill missed most of the year and I think Ceyair was just as good by the end of the season. And I counted DeShon Singleton as an upgrade because he's had a year of experience at the position. We are downgrading at DE and NT so I understand the concern there but if Van Poppel is solid then I think this defense will be just as good if not better than last year. I also think Lenhardt has higher upside than Butler.

Position​	2024 Defense​	2025 Defense​	Upgrade or Downgrade or Neutral​
DE	Ty Robinson	Riley Van Poppel	Downgrade
NT	Nash Hutmacher	Elijah Jeudy	Downgrade
DE	Jimari Butler	Cameron Lenhardt	Neutral
LB	John Bullock	Marques Watson-Trent/Vincent Shavers	Upgrade
LB	Mikai Gbayor	Javin Wright/Vincent Shavers	Upgrade
Jack	MJ Sherman	Dasan McCullough/Willis McGahee	Upgrade
CB	Tommi Hill	Ceyair Wright	Upgrade
CB	Marques Buford	Andrew Marshall	Upgrade
S	Malcom Hartzog	Marques Buford	Upgrade
S	DeShon Singleton	DeShon Singleton	Upgrade
Rover/Nickel	Isaac Gifford	Malcom Hartzog	Neutral

I'm not sure healthy Tommi Hill to Ceyair Wright is an upgrade. Me a year ago today would have said you're bonkers. If Wright and Marshall stay healthy I do think that's an upgrade to what we had over 12 games last year.

 

[Cornicator]

I'm not sure healthy Tommi Hill to Ceyair Wright is an upgrade. Me a year ago today would have said you're bonkers. If Wright and Marshall stay healthy I do think that's an upgrade to what we had over 12 games last year.

Are we talking about Tommi Hill in week 2 or week 3 and beyond? Because Nebraska never really got much out of Tommi Hill following the CU game.

 

[Jim14510]

Are we talking about Tommi Hill in week 2 or week 3 and beyond? Because Nebraska never really got much out of Tommi Hill following the CU game.

That's what I'm trying to say. He got hurt and sucked but prior to the injury he was a day 2 draft pick. Maybe it wasn't all injury but that coincided with the timeline.

 

[2010sarenevercomingback]

Are we talking about Tommi Hill in week 2 or week 3 and beyond? Because Nebraska never really got much out of Tommi Hill following the CU game.

I'm still very interested in an insideher who can provide some insight into whatever happened with Tommi. Because he may have been had some health issues, but looked for all the world like there was some mental or off the field issue, & fell off the scene to the point where he barely even got a sniff from the NFL in spite of having obvious early round draft level physical skills.

 

[Baron Winnebago]

Up everywhere except Ty's spot. Two years ago Nash would be down. Last year Nash, meh.

I ain't wild about Hartzog but he's better than Whifford

 

[Mavsker]

Feels like trying to talk ourselves into reasons why the defense will be better. But reality is, you replace your well-respected coordinator and 75% of your starters, you're taking a step back 9 times out of 10. Simple as

 

[redzoner]

Up everywhere except Ty's spot. Two years ago Nash would be down. Last year Nash, meh.

I ain't wild about Hartzog but he's better than Whifford

I still don't know what happened to Gifford last year. I thought he was really solid the year before and then he seemed to struggle with taking good angles and missing tackles last year.

 

[Baron Winnebago]

Feels like trying to talk ourselves into reasons why the defense will be better. But reality is, you replace your well-respected coordinator and 75% of your starters, you're taking a step back 9 times out of 10. Simple as

I appreciate your well reasoned take, but lmbh

 

[Lionsfan93]

Up everywhere except Ty's spot. Two years ago Nash would be down. Last year Nash, meh.

I ain't wild about Hartzog but he's better than Whifford

Hartzog should be in a more natural position at the nickel.

Aand I agree that, on paper, our DL should be taking a step back. But this DL group is in much better shape than the 2023 DL room, and that group ended up being salty as hell. Everyone was worried about the DL going into 2023 - it was supposed to be a major issue. I think Rhule is just really good at having a solid DL. I believe we will reload.

 

[Baron Winnebago]

My only real argument for why the D as a whole might not take a step back is that we didn't lose a bunch of NFL players off it. We just lost dudes to graduation, Ty excluded. Now it's possible that Nebraska is just out of the business of having NFL dudes and the D will take a step back, but if Matt Rhule isn't a total fraud feels like year 3 is when we should start to see some NFL dudes emerge.

 

[Blakejc]

Thought Deshon was playing Rover?

Either way, I think you’re being generous with a couple of those upgrades. Jack is neutral until proven otherwise. CB with Andrew Marshall neutral or downgrade until proven otherwise. Safety with Buford neutral.

Nash to Jeudy should be neutral. Nash didn’t do much last year as it sounds like he was playing at about 60%.

 

[cwessel76]

My only real argument for why the D as a whole might not take a step back is that we didn't lose a bunch of NFL players off it. We just lost dudes to graduation, Ty excluded. Now it's possible that Nebraska is just out of the business of having NFL dudes and the D will take a step back, but if Matt Rhule isn't a total fraud feels like year 3 is when we should start to see some NFL dudes emerge.

Losing TY is going to suck. IMO a destructive DL is second only to an all conference QB in terms of impact on a team.

Exhibit A: Suh.

Outside of TY, I am not worried about replacing any starter from last year.

The biggest question I have, and this has already been alluded to here, is how Butler is as a DC.

 

[vailhusker]

Have to replace a lot of guys but luckily the coaches like to rotate and the 2025 guys have already played a lot of snaps.

 

[Cornicator]

Thought Deshon was playing Rover?

Either way, I think you’re being generous with a couple of those upgrades. Jack is neutral until proven otherwise. CB with Andrew Marshall neutral or downgrade until proven otherwise. Safety with Buford neutral.

Nash to Jeudy should be neutral. Nash didn’t do much last year as it sounds like he was playing at about 60%.

Andrew Marshall is a Sunday dude. He was getting a mid round draft grade out of Idaho. This is a kid who had 9 tackles and 2 pass break ups vs. Oregon last season. He took Evan Stewart's lunch money when they faced the Ducks. There is a reason why Nebraska had to outbid USC and Miami to get him.

If there is one sure fire gun to my head position on the roster that I know will be an upgrade its the spot manned by Andrew Marshall.

One area where Nebraska's defense will undoubtedly be a downgrade is the number of run stuff plays that went for 1 yard or less. The Huskers were money at the goal line and on 3rd or 4th and short. That's where Nash was most impactful. And Ty was also a wall vs. Short yardage. I believe the Huskers were top 3 Nationally in opposing running plays of 1 yard or less.

 

[Baron Winnebago]

If there is any position that makes me nervous, it's safety. Those dudes have been playing too long at Nebraska to be anything better than ok

 

[Kaladin]

If there is any position that makes me nervous, it's safety. Those dudes have been playing too long at Nebraska to be anything better than ok

Wasn't Rhule calling Singleton and NFL guy last fall?

And Buford was out of position playing CB last year

 

[Baron Winnebago]

Wasn't Rhule calling Singleton and NFL guy last fall?

And Buford was out of position playing CB last year

He called Sims and NFL guy sooooo...

I'd love to see them be better than ok, but I'm skeptical, but our safeties last year were just ok too

 

[Kaladin]

He called Sims and NFL guy sooooo...

You can't hold that against him forever

Forgive Rhule for trying to fix what can't be fixed

 

[Baron Winnebago]

You can't hold that against him forever

Forgive Rhule for trying to fix what can't be fixed

Have you met me?