Nebraska Football: Outside linebacker position buzzing with talent

LINCOLN, NE - NOVEMBER 29: Head coach Scott Frost of the Nebraska Cornhuskers walks off the field after the loss against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Memorial Stadium on November 29, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - NOVEMBER 29: Head coach Scott Frost of the Nebraska Cornhuskers walks off the field after the loss against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Memorial Stadium on November 29, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
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LINCOLN, NE – SEPTEMBER 14: Fans await the arrival of the Nebraska Cornhuskers team before the game against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Memorial Stadium on September 14, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE – SEPTEMBER 14: Fans await the arrival of the Nebraska Cornhuskers team before the game against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Memorial Stadium on September 14, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

Garrett Nelson

As a sophomore, Garrett Nelson has garnered rave reviews. I know that I’ve been extremely high on him, and he figures to be a huge part of the future for the Nebraska football program.

You may have seen how excited he was to get a Blackshirt last November. Now, he will try to parlay that into a great season for a Nebraska football program with a string of stellar young talent.

Nelson accrued a ton of experience last year, playing in 11 of 12 games as a true freshman. He tallied 15 tackles, including his  first tackle in the opener against South Alabama. His best game of the season came against Wisconsin. He recorded five tackles in that game. In what was a difficult day for the Nebraska football run defense, Nelson proved to be a bright spot.

His high level of play was certainly no surprise. He recorded 150 total tackles for ScottsBluff at the high school level. In addition, he also recorded 18 sacks. He was a finalist for the 2018 high school Butkus award according to his profile on the Nebraska Athletics website.

You have heard me talk all the time about players that will be able to take over the proverbial ship when the upperclassman graduate. Nelson would certainly fit into that category. You know that he likes to play football, and you know that he wants to be on the field. In what is a talented linebacker position filled with a lot of upperclassman, Nelson is more than ready to take over.