Mac Markway knows playing football is a privilege, and he’s not taking it for granted with the Nebraska football team in 2026.
The junior defensive end transferred to Nebraska in 2024 and tore his ACL in September of that same year. He tore the same ACL again during fall camp of 2025, sidelining him for a second consecutive season.
“When you’re growing up playing football whether that’s little league, high school, college, you feel invincible out there,” Markway told Hail Varsity. “So I feel like when I got injured it kind of made me appreciate the game more. I’m going to appreciate the long grind practices, I’m going to appreciate the workouts just a little bit more, because I know what it feels like to be taken away from me.”
Markway arrived in Lincoln in 2024 after spending one year at LSU. In his lone season with the Tigers, he played in all 12 games and made one start, catching three passes for 16 yards and one score.
The Saint Louis, Mo., native was a late addition, showing up on campus in August hoping for a tryout. The former four-star recruit showed the coaches enough in that tryout to make the team.
“Nebraska was the right place for me because it was more familiar to home, and I’m a Midwest boy,” Markway said. “The way they play football, the tradition, there’s not many places like Nebraska. We have all the facilities. It really is truly special.”
The junior’s Husker career didn’t begin the way he hoped, though. After undergoing surgery in Dallas in 2024, Markway began the rehab process before reinjuring it prior to the following season. He said the news was heartbreaking, but that he relied on his support system for help. This consisted of his family and girlfriend.
“It’s hard because you’re a football player your whole life and then you get hurt, and you almost kind of lose your identity for a little bit,” Markway said. “They helped me basically realize like, ‘Mac, you’re not just a football player, you can do all this other stuff.’”
Markway did just that. He took a step back from football to focus on rehab and recovery. He said he learned a lot about the game and believes it was God’s will.
“Whether it’s good or bad, He’s got a plan,” Markway said. “He knows what he’s doing, so you kind of just have to put your head down and grind, and everything will eventually be what you want it to be.”
Markway put in the work and has made a position change ahead of this season. He’s spent his collegiate career playing tight end, but after considering moving to defensive end in Dallas, he decided to talk to Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule.
“I went up there told him, ‘Coach, how do you feel about me being on defense?’” Markway said. “He was like, ‘I think you could be elite.’ That was everything I needed. I was like, ‘OK, here we go. Let’s go.’”
Markway has a lot of familiarity with the position. He spent little league and high school playing defensive end. He said playing in the Big Ten will teach him a lot.
“I have to learn everything, and that’s more mental than anything,” Markway said. “I know I have the physical abilities, and that technique will come, but it’s more learning the defense, learning defense in general again, because I haven’t really focused on it.”
Markway added some weight to prepare him for the move. Since joining the defense, he’s added 22 pounds of muscle. He said he believes playing on offense has helped prepare him for the defensive side of the ball.
“I think playing on defense, it kind of slows the game down for me a little bit,” Markway said. “I can see a formation on offense that I’ve ran at some point in my life, and kind of break down the plays that they can run from that formation.”
Markway’s using that knowledge to help his teammates while preparing to get back to game action this fall. He has hopes of Husker fans learning who he is.
“I’m going to show the fans that ACL tear or not, it didn’t change me at all,” Markway said. “I’m a freak athlete, and I’m going to show that on the field.”
For now, Markway will anxiously wait for his opportunity to suit up on Sept. 5.
“I have to play a game that day, but it’s definitely going to be really cool and a little emotional in my head,” Markway said. “All the work that I’ve put in over these two years, I’m finally here and ready to go.”
