Nebraska Fall Camp Preview for 2024: Defensive Line

Head Coach Matt Rhule is entering his second fall camp as Nebraska’s leader. Each position group has changed, whether it’s slightly or dramatically. The HuskerOnline team looks at what to expect from the Huskers with our position-by-position fall camp previews.

Next up in our annual Nebraska fall camp preview is the defensive line, the Huskers’ strongest position group.

Related: QB | RB | WR | TE | OL |

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What we know right now: The D-line is the Huskers’ strongest group

Nebraska’s defensive line group is stacked. In 2023, NU had its best defensive numbers since joining the Big Ten in 2011. They posted 92.9 rushing yards per game, 303.5 total defense yards per game and allowed 18.3 points per game. The defensive line was a massive reason for those numbers.

Nash Hutmacher and Ty Robinson are coming back for their final seasons. The duo had a great 2023 season and expects to take another step up. Additionally, the line had junior Elijah Jeudy and sophomore Riley Van Poppel , who had a very promising freshman season.

The defensive group is also filled with talent. Senior Jimari Butler is coming off his best season yet. He had a team-high 8.5 tackles for a loss of 52 yards, including a team-high 5.5 sacks. The Huskers expect Butler to be a menace in 2024.

Cameron Lenhardt also had a great 2023 season as a freshman. He started in four games and missed two due to an ankle injury. He recorded 16 tackles with 5.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks. Lenhardt is the only true freshman D-lineman to start multiple games at Nebraska in the modern era.

NU is also really high on sophomore JUCO transfer James Williams . The 6-foot-5, 235-pound lineman redshirted in 2023. But during his four games, he recorded two sacks and four tackles. He earned a sack and forced one in his first two plays as a Husker.

Nebraska has a great mix of experience and young talent with great potential for the 2024 season.

Key returning stats and numbers from 2023:

Biggest Question: Can the pass rush be elite?

Nebraska football hasn’t had a player reach more than six sacks since Kahlil Davis had eight in 2019. Against Northwestern last season, NU recorded eight team sacks, their most since 2018. They lost Luke Reimer (five sacks) and Nick Henrich (two), but most sackers are returning.

Last season, the Husker defense had more than 30 sacks ( 32 , to be exact) for the first time in 10 years. The 2013 Husker squad record 39 sacks, with 10.5 sacks from Randy Gregory . Can this 2024 Husker squad stay on pace and break 40 sacks? In 2023, Penn State led the conference with 49 sacks, while Michigan, the national champions, had 39.

Nebraska has the pass-rushers and defensive line to keep improving their sack numbers. Linebackers MJ Sherman , Princewill Umanmielen , and John Bullock will also add sacks.

This Husker defense has the potential to be great. It all starts with the front line.

Projected Fall Camp Depth Camp:

Top DL group:

Nash Hutmacher

Ty Robinson

Jimari Butler

Others in rotation:

Cameron Lenhardt

James Williams

Riley Van Poppel

Elijah Jeudy

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