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Podcast: Husker247: A Nebraska athletics podcast Episode: Husker247 Daily: Can Huskers gain an Edge in 2026? Transcript: Hey everyone, welcome to Husker 24-7 Daily. I'm Brian Christofferson. I'm joined by Michael Bruns, a big fan of the A's, repping on the day. We're going to talk about defensive edges, the group that Roy Manning is coaching this year, what that looks like, who are the main guys to know. It's a pretty interesting crew. Bruns, when you look at it, just even on the surface. Because you've got a newcomer out of the portal who's been at four different schools like Anthony Jones, but then you've also got younger guys like Cade Petchock and William vanary who are trying to make a push and grow their game. When I mentioned the edges to you, who's the first name you think of? If you're out mowing your lawn and you're like, oh man, I've got these two or three house projects, I've still got to get done. But also, what about the defensive edges? What are they going to get done in the fall of 26? Who's the first name you're thinking about? Yeah, when I'm out cleaning the gutters, I've got David Houghkin on the brain. It's got to be one-ary, right? I think that's where I go first. We've talked and you've written on the site in the last month or so about the value of second-year transfers. Having a transfer that can come in for a year, learn the system, get adapted to things, and get it done. You see the plane take off. I go to him because I think people thought of him coming into Nebraska last year as a fully finished product. Like any time you have a former five-star top 10 recruit or top 20 recruit in the country. You think that everything's just going to go perfectly, right from the get-go. He'd only played a handful of college snaps at Missouri. He came to Nebraska and there was a huge uptick in what his role was and how much he was being asked to play. Certainly adjusting to the Big Ten is kind of its own thing as well. But I think when you start talking about second-year potential transfers that can make a big impact, that's where I go first. I think there's a huge ceiling for him in terms of a pass rusher that Nebraska is working hard to unlock and needs to unlock. I think he's going to be better off for having gone through everything he did last year because I think at times you saw some flashes, some small flashes. But Nebraska needs him to be a little bit flashier next year. I think that's probably the first place I go. It's an interesting group though because it feels like there's a number of guys that have that similar trajectory where they're transfers or guys that are earlier in their careers. Yeah, obviously, I mean, I'm not going to debate you on picking that name. That would be a really funny thing if I got serious and did debate you on why you pick Williams Winery. But I'll throw a different name out there for the sake of keeping it going here. And honestly, it might be the first one I think of in its Kate Petchock. And honestly, if you want an example of how we've said this was the quiet spring around Husker football and not as much fanfare about this or that, Kate Petchock is actually the perfect example to prove that point because when you think about it, he had a pretty solid, true freshman season for a guy who just showed up in the summer. And then he's out there. I think it was within his first five plays as a Husker where he had a safety in the second game because he only played one snap at Arrowhead. And so he immediately made an impact, almost had a safety against Michigan. And I was just like looking through his numbers. And, you know, he ended up with seven TFLs. And that was like the most on the team. Had a six yard sack against USC, had a TFL against Utah. And despite that game not going well for Nebraska as a whole, he actually came away with okay grades from that performance. I'm just really curious where he can go now with like a full off season and also in the four to five scheme, like how that might fit his frame and his skill set as he worked closer with Roy Manning. So I think he's a player that, you know, I know people are trying to back down optimism at all points with Husker football this off season. But it's okay here and there. I think on a personal level to be like, yeah, that kid showed something and he's won when you talk about development. If he really keeps taking steps up the ladder, it could be pretty fun to see where he's at in a couple of years. Yeah, he's going back to like his recruiting process. I mean, he was fairly quiet as a recruit. But I mean, that was a hard one battle by Nebraska to get him. You know, the thinking was at the time was that he was likely Oklahoma bound and there were some other, you know, powerful programs that were really involved with him in Nebraska when in there and won that battle. And I think your point to is an important one about it's hard. It's hard to show up as a freshman in May and then be ready to contribute three months later. And I think that maybe speaks to the talent that's there that he was able to do that. I think I think Nebraska was willing to kind of throw him into the fire also and just, you know, let him kind of figure it out. I guess the way I kind of think about it is you've got that experience. You're back for another season. New assistant coaches, different coaching points, different system. I mean, I think he might benefit from a change in those types of changes and also just being in a format front feels like it would probably benefit him as well. So he was the other guy I was thinking of when talking about Winery of just the guy that's, you know, better did some things last year, but feels like you've got a solid base that you can probably build from going into 2026. Yeah. You know, last year was tough, obviously, for anybody who was on the D line. And so you want sort of, I think, like a payoff, right? From some of those guys who had to go through it, like at least there were those lessons taken. And now you see that, you know, them sort of go up the elevator moving forward. If you look at the snap counts, I mean, Williams Winery, like you said, at Missouri, he does a red shirt here, barely played. He had 463 snaps last year. So it was the sixth most of any like returning Husker. Pechock had 278 and more than half of those came in the last five games. So he was really becoming like a signature part of the defense. They had as a defensive unit, Nebraska had 22 sacks last year. There was not enough pressure, not enough finishing plays behind the line of scrimmage. San Diego State, where Rob Orange and Roy Manning come from, had 32 sacks as a defense, so 10 more. So you're hopeful that elevates as well as sort of the interest in like who's going to be part of that cheetah package we've heard of, you know, like which guys are going to be the best passrushers to emerge there. But another topic I wanted to throw your way, kind of thinking about edges in that position group. I think one of the most like underrated guys like early on in the rule tenure was actually MJ Sherman, just like for like how he was able to kind of be a grown man and help, you know, he was an edge defender in a different type of scheme. But he was able to set his edge and do do his part really in helping Ty Robinson and those guys really flourish against the run when they were top 10 in that a couple years ago. I'm really interested, not just how these guys rush the passer, but how they fit into the run defensive scheme and like who is ready to step up in that part. Yeah, I think second year Sherman especially was not maybe appreciated as much as he should have been. You know, he was really did a really nice job like you said against the run setting the edges. I mean, he was, it's a, that was a tough position. I think at times for guys to play and you kind of needed a grown man in that spot in the big 10 and Sherman, I think really played it pretty well. His last year especially and as a second year transfer guy. So I agree. You know, you kind of that same system though. I mean, is a guy like Willis McGay. He who is going into what third year in the program? I mean, are we going to see him take off? I mean, that feels like it's been an off season conversation for a couple of years now as a guy that shows things. What's considered an edge? What's the best way to do that? Did a nice job actually in that game. So he's one that you shouldn't lose sight of but yeah We're gonna by the way, we're gonna have to start just like I think I put up the last Scholarship type chart or one you know roster chart where you just go by like freshman sophomore junior seniors It feels like you got to start Differentiating soon on like third year second year like as you do this maybe this five and five discussion So we'll be doing that on the site as it as that rule gets closer to passing and all that But Dylan Rogers is a junior by label right now Cameron Lenhart another guy who I think if we're gonna Just talk candidly. I feel like a lot of Husker fans and media like I think I know what I know about Cameron Lenhart Sometimes that feels it is that fair like sort of? Like how people speak about him, but Matt rule brought him up last week. I noticed And people can take it or leave it But as a guy who is having a really good offseason and that would be huge If he could because actually if you talk about the five and five he never redshirted so even though he's a senior He would technically be like one of those guys who could could still have two years left. Yeah, no And a guy that started off kind of gangbusters as a true freshman to yeah, that's true And then you know is you want to say plateaued But you never kind of felt like that next step was made in terms of The havoc type plays that we're talking about And he he's a guy too that I wonder if you move to a four-man front if that kind of Fits him a little bit better than maybe what Nebraska was doing before Yep, and so the sophomores right now and we won't go through all these but we've already talked about pet shock winery McGay he and then there's Jordan a Choa who last August was sort of there's some buzz like at least from the media We saw practice and he had a really good practice I think and that kind of helped it he had had that play in the bowl game where he got a pressure So he's in that group David Houghton who you mentioned off the top I mean he's a physical freak so you never know like if it all comes together So Houghton McGay he and a Choa they all played less than 80 snaps last year Of course McGay he redshirted so that from that group of three as when you're talking like depth Wise it would be awesome if like one or two like you just started to hear from in August You know like they were a part of it and then the last one will finish with and then close it down is Anthony Jones who I think Initially and I you hate to do like to speak for the whole fan-based thing But we sometimes do try to get a read on like what the reaction is and I think there was some hesitation To get too excited about it because he had been at four different schools over four years But as you've heard coaches talk about him and you actually saw him up front at the podium this spring It does seem like they really like what they got in him at least Yeah, no, I mean I think I think they like what he's brought to the group in terms of experience When you kind of talk about the cheetah package which we're going to probably into the season I mean I think you know just sheer Whittington said that he's that Jones is part of that Is one of their better passrushers so Yeah, I mean I think I don't think he was just an add-on to this this portal class You know he was a guy that Rob Orich was familiar with Nebraska's coaching staff was familiar with as You know a potential option to kind of come in and bring just instant pass rush to the defense and You know Whittington was that way? I mean I think you can almost probably on third down in some ways think of him as an edge with what he's gonna do but You know Jones certainly I think fits the bill with you know that mix of experience I think they're hoping for an uptick in productivity and I You know he had met Jones and mentioned this in the spring that you know one thing that kind of allowed Nebraska and him to click was Nebraska seeing him up close against UCLA in November and the way that he was playing In what was in the middle of or towards the end I guess of basically a lost season there at UCLA after they Fire the head coach so I would not overlook him in terms of what Nebraska thinks of a potential role and being a difference maker at that spot you know he'll need to Kind of take that step forward and you know increase production, you know if new brass is gonna make that next step, but Yeah, I think he's absolutely part of their plans and not just hey, we need to fill a spot here. Yeah, he's significant I don't sense. He's just like a depth guy or anything like that. I think he could be top of the line and He only has one year to do it in Lincoln Really seems like a mature guy. He's married and they just had a kid congratulations on that I mentioned MJ Sherman like obviously again different schemes different ideas of what you want guys to do But just talking about what they got out of MJ like that second year as you mentioned second-year Sherman If you got something like that out of like an Anthony Jones for one year That would be a nice bridge and go a long way For things so as we talked through this the guys we mentioned are the guy specifically labeled as edges Like by Nebraska on their own roster So you know we'll see if they flip guys around a little bit as they get into the fall and like you know what certain Nit rolls are But ideally they can build up some some depth there bronze where You know like Williams when areas a guy like I was thinking about this was a snap count You could he played like some games or he had like 40 50 snaps and you could be like well, that's That's like Significant and or you could view it as a good thing and then near the end You had like some games where he was in the 20s with the snap and I was thinking a guy like that You know if he could be in the low 30s with his snap count And you are able to spread things around and find niches that guys can maximize like in their role That would be huge for everybody I think to keep them fresh and help with like the cheetah package and stuff like that Yeah, for sure. I mean I think that's that's the hope is that you're able to maybe develop a guy or two that You know, maybe wasn't wasn't in the mix last year certainly adding Jones to that that group I think helps them in the immediacy, but It's gonna be about development with that group and whether or not I especially that sophomore class like it feels to me like When you're a and pet shock or the two guys that you probably have to circle put an asterisk next to you underline You know, whatever you got to do to highlight them. Yep A brass is defense and that line makes it jump if those guys make a jump no doubt about it So that's a some thoughts on the edges with the season a little more than four months away We've got thoughts on a lot of other things on the site all sports So come to Husker 24 seven for all the latest Show notes: Michael Bruntz and Brian Christopherson of Husker247 discuss the Edge position on the Husker football team and whether the Big Red will be able to generate more pass rush from that spot in a new system. audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices