Nebraska’s linebackers might be the most interesting swing piece on the defense this fall because the room blends proven age with raw, disruptive upside. At the center of it is Vincent Shavers, a favorite inside the program whose profile screams havoc. If he hits his ceiling, he changes what Nebraska can call on early downs and forces offenses to account for him on every snap. That’s the kind of presence that turns routine plays into negative ones and keeps third downs long.
Experience still matters, and nobody brings more of it than Javon Wright. In his seventh year of college football, he’s seen just about everything a Big Ten offense can throw at a second level. Health has been the sticking point, and it remains the question that determines how big his role becomes. If he stacks healthy weeks, the Huskers gain a communicator who steadies the front and helps get everyone lined up when opponents start shifting and motioning.
The transfers and depth options add shape to the middle of the depth chart. Marquese Watson-Trent arrives as a physical run stopper who can thud a gap and muddy up the interior; the open question is coverage—can he hold his water well enough to stay on the field when opponents spread it out? Jacob Bauer carries a similar profile: downhill temperament that coaches love, with the job now being proving he can match routes, pass things off, and survive the stress tests modern offenses create in space.
Then there’s the freshman electricity. Dawson Merritt already cracked the initial two-deep for Cincinnati week, which tells you the staff trusts his readiness even before the season settles in. He may flash in spots this year and grow into a larger role as the calendar turns, but the bigger idea is what a Shavers-Merritt pairing could look like down the road—rangy, violent, and menacing enough to tilt game plans before the ball is even snapped.
What ties the room together is the way the skill sets complement each other. If Shavers delivers the chaos, Wright adds the voice, Watson-Trent and Bauer plug and hammer the run, and Merritt injects juice off the bench, Nebraska can attack with personnel groupings that fit any opponent and any situation. That flexibility is how a linebacker room becomes more than the sum of its parts—by letting the defensive coordinator call the game he wants instead of the one he has to.
It’s early, and roles will evolve, but the outlines are promising: a ceiling-raiser, a veteran steady hand, a pair of rugged run players looking to round out their games, and a freshman with star traits already climbing. If the coverage questions get answered and the health luck finally breaks Nebraska’s way, this unit has a real chance to be the engine of a defense that strings together stops rather than surviving series.
