Nebraska’s defense ultimately stiffened up, but the unit was far from perfect in Rob Aurich’s first game.
In total, 34 Huskers saw the field on defense during the season opener Saturday against Ohio. Across 65 plays, NU surrendered 303 yards.
Here are the final snap counts and grades for every Nebraska defender in the Huskers’ 49-21 win over the Bobcats, courtesy of Pro Football Focus. (Go here for the grades on offense.)
Cameron Lenhardt warms up before the game. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Defensive Line
Player
Class
Snaps
Run Grade
Tackling
Pass Rush
Coverage
Overall
A. Jones
5th
52
60.9
50.9
64.2
57.3
62.2
O. Stoudmire
6th
32
48.2
22.2
55.5
—
49.0
R. Van Poppel
4th
30
72.4
71.9
61.1
—
70.7
J. Whittington
3rd
26
57.7
71.9
66.8
59.3
54.8
W. Nwaneri
3rd
24
66.2
73.0
56.6
—
53.5
C. Lenhardt
4th
23
57.5
24.9
55.5
45.8
44.9
K. Pietrzak
2nd
17
60.4
—
61.8
—
62.6
J. Jones
2nd
15
60.0
—
52.8
60.0
53.8
D. Hoffken
3rd
11
55.9
70.2
65.3
—
59.5
T. Terry
2nd
10
65.0
—
56.9
—
64.3
J. Ochoa
3rd
9
66.2
73.0
65.5
—
71.3
M. Markway
4th
6
63.2
—
58.0
—
64.7
S. Lefotu
4th
5
60.0
—
58.3
—
47.9
M. Simpson
2nd
2
—
—
—
—
—
L. Davidson
3rd
2
—
—
—
—
—
M. Goldman
4th
2
—
—
—
—
—
W. McGahee
3rd
1
—
—
—
—
—
Dylan Parrott
5th
1
—
—
—
—
—
NU’s defensive line rotation was 18 players deep in Week 1, with snap counts ranging from 52 to one. By and large, the Huskers were able to limit Ohio’s success on the ground regardless of who was on the field. Outside of the quarterback run game, in which the Bobcats carried the ball 13 times for 75 yards, Ohio running backs accounted for only 55 yards on 18 rushing attempts.
In pass rush, the Huskers were credited with 17 pressures, according to PFF, with a dozen coming from the four-down front. However, NU was able to record just two sacks. While Bobcat quarterbacks proved capable of extending plays, Nebraska will need to improve quickly at limiting scramble yardage this fall.
On a day when the on-field temperature climbed north of 130 degrees, the Big Red’s performance didn’t raise many alarms. Sure, they’ll need to improve as the season goes on, but in the first game under a new-look defensive scheme, the defensive front looked capable of taking a step in the right direction in 2026.
Williams Nwaneri’s facemask penalty was one of the Huskers’ costly miscues during the first half. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Linebackers
Player
Class
Snaps
Run Grade
Tackling
Pass Rush
Coverage
Overall
D. Foster
3rd
52
57.6
29.4
59.4
48.4
50.4
V. Shavers
3rd
50
73.4
80.9
80.6
66.7
76.7
D. Merritt
2nd
23
72.1
79.1
59.2
65.1
70.7
P. Mooberry
2nd
3
64.5
73.2
—
—
66.1
D. Wacker
3rd
3
70.4
76.0
—
—
74.2
Only five Husker linebackers recorded snaps Saturday. Oregon State transfer Dexter Foster led the way with 52 plays, followed by Vincent Shavers with 50. Notably, SDSU transfer Owen Chambliss did not play. The single-digit earner is expected to be a key player on the Big Red’s defense this fall and should return next week.
Sophomore linebacker Dawson Merritt played surprisingly well in his return from injury. The Stilwell, Kansas, native played in eight games as a true freshman while earning the first two starts of his career. He appeared to pick up where he left off in 2025.
The aforementioned Shavers saw his responsibilities grow in Week 1. Chambliss is expected to be the Huskers’ Green Dot representative this fall, but with him sidelined, Shavers took over the role. He recorded the highest overall grade of any Nebraska defender against the Bobcats, earning a 76.7.
Nebraska defensive back Jamir Conn chases Ohio receiver Dom Dorwart during the second quarter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Defensive Backs
Player
Class
Snaps
Run Grade
Tackling
Pass Rush
Coverage
Overall
D. Jones
3rd
64
63.5
62.5
68.7
74.0
74.3
A. Marshall
4th
64
66.1
76.2
—
74.2
74.5
J. Conn
4th
59
68.2
85.6
—
66.1
67.7
D. McDougle
5th
44
66.3
81.0
—
64.6
66.1
V. Evans
4th
33
60.5
—
—
74.7
74.8
J. Charles
4th
28
65.4
78.5
58.3
48.2
50.3
R. Guthrie
3rd
24
51.7
82.4
—
46.7
45.3
D. Odem
1st
12
60.0
—
—
64.0
54.5
J. Shiggs
3rd
3
60.0
—
—
—
60.0
M. Buford
3rd
3
60.0
—
—
—
60.4
J. Rhett
4th
3
60.0
75.3
—
—
61.2
NU limited Ohio’s starting quarterback, Nick Poulos, to 164 passing yards, but 68 of those came on the very first play from scrimmage. After that, the 6-foot-5, 235-pound dual-threat signal-caller threw for just 96 yards over the remaining 59 minutes, completing 43% of his passes.
Cornerback Victor Evans III received the top overall grade on the entire defense while taking part in about half the available snaps. His pass breakups on two consecutive plays in the fourth quarter resulted in a three-and-out that got the Huskers’ offense quickly back onto the field against a tiring Ohio defense.
Returning Husker starters Donovan Jones and Andrew Marshall each played all but one defensive snap. The duo looked as if they had picked up where they left off a season ago, allowing just two receptions on 13 combined targets. Jones was responsible for allowing both receptions, but they totaled minus-3 yards. Marshall recorded one pass breakup, while Jones added two more.
Rex Guthrie was credited with the first interception of his career, setting up a Husker offensive drive that started at Ohio’s 17-yard line. NU punched it in, bringing the score to 49-21 with under two minutes remaining. Overall, the unit’s performance was strong. In Addison Williams’ second year on Matt Rhule’s staff, his secondary looked ready to carry the momentum the generated a season ago in 2026.
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow