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Nebraska Football: Freshman defensive lineman shows burgeoning star power

By Oliver Vandervoort

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 31: Cameron Lenhardt #11 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers readies for play against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium on August 31, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Golden Gophers defeated the Cornhuskers 13-10. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 31: Cameron Lenhardt #11 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers readies for play against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium on August 31, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Golden Gophers defeated the Cornhuskers 13-10. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) /
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Nebraska football freshman Cameron Lenhardt has rewarded those who thought he could be an impact immediately by making an immediate impact.

Yes, Nebraska football is 0-2. Yes, the Huskers lost another big game to a team that many people thought they should have been able to beat.

Yes. Jeff Sims is off to about as bad a start to his career as we’ve seen from a Huskers QB. The night is dark and full of terrors. And yet, there is a bright spot in the form of freshman defensive lineman Cameron Lenhardt.

Lenhardt announced his presence with authority on Saturday against the Colorado Buffaloes, even if his team fell well short of a solid performance. In the process, he demonstrated that he could be the kind of pass-rushing presence the Huskers haven’t seen in years.

Against a Colorado offense that has been all the rage in college football, Lenhardt recorded 2 quarterback hurries, 2 sacks and a quarterback hit. In other words, he was often directly in the face of CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

He was far from the only Nebraska football defender to get into the Buffaloes’ backfield. The Huskers finished the 36-14 loss with eight sacks. He Lenhardt was, however the only freshman to notch two sacks on Saturday. Linebacker Nick Henrich, who missed the Huskers’ first game, had two of his own.

Nebraska football Cameron Lenhardt showing star power

The best part of Saturday’s game is the improvement Lenhardt (who was considered a freshman to watch before the season) showed from one week to the next.

Against Minnesota, Cameron Lenhardt not only didn’t have a sack, but he didn’t even have quarterback pressure. He did have one tackle and one assist, so he still showed something in his first career college game.

Lenhardt’s star power isn’t just because he’s showing some real talent on the field. He’s also something other young people are clearly noticing.

That was made clear on Sunday morning when Carlon Jones, one of the top 2024 defensive commits for the Nebraska football team, gave his future teammate a shoutout.

While there is all kind of trepidation about the Huskers’ first two games of the Matt Rhule era, it’s hard not to get excited about what Cameron Lenhardt could offer for Nebraska football for the rest of this season.

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