With a passing defense that currently ranks No. 7 in the country in yards allowed per game, It’s hardly shocking that one of Nebraska’s defensive backs is considered the best in the country. That the defensive back given that level of respect is Donovan Jones rather than Andrew Marshall might surprise onlookers, though.
With Week 3 concluded, the Pro Football Network rates Jones as the nation's top cornerback, with a PFN Impact Grade of 95. Jones is just a few points ahead of Utah CB Jackson Bennee (94.7), but he has a wide gap over the next-highest cornerback in the Big Ten.
By the way, the next-highest corner in the Big Ten? Yeah, there’s Andrew Marshall with a PFN Impact Grade of 92.9, which ranks No. 7 in the country. To find a Big Ten cornerback not from Nebraska, you have to drop all the way down to No. 11: Michigan DB Smith Snowden, with a 91.5 PFN Impact Grade.
So far this year, Jones has been targeted just 11 times, and while he’s allowed five catches, they’ve all been very short dump-off passes well in front of him for a total of 21 yards.
Donovan Jones and Andrew Marshall give Nebraska football a formidable cornerback duo
The story is very similar for Marshall, who has also been targeted just 11 times through 3 games and has just 2 receptions for 10 yards. One of those two catches was a short touchdown, which is one reason his PFN impact grade is so much lower than Jones'.
For 2026, Jones has 12 tackles, a sack, an interception, and 4 pass breakups. As he establishes himself as one of the best corners in the country so far, he also gives Nebraska opponents a real conundrum. Which side of the ball should they throw to? Jones or Marshall? Marshall or Jones? Who won’t burn the team? Right now, the answer still eludes everyone.
It’s not like Jones came out of nowhere; he was recognized as a leader and earned a single-digit number this year, donning No. 8 for the Huskers. Still, his immediate step up to the level he’s played at so far in 2026 is a welcome sight for a defense that had plenty of questions when new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich took over.
Switching to the 4-2-5 defense after Nebraska spent the first three years of Matt Rhule’s era in a version of the 3-3-5 isn’t as easy as it sounds. And while the pass defense was also very good last year, so far it’s been less about opposing teams needing to pass less because they can get the yards they need on the ground.
It’s worth noting that not every analysis has Donovan Jones rated as one of the best cornerbacks in the country. Pro Football Focus rates the budding Nebraska star much closer to the middle of the pack, with a still-very-good 73.1 overall rating.
It’s also early, with 9 games left in Nebraska’s regular season. Still, Donovan Jones's early-season success should make Husker opponents stand up and take notice. His performance so far might throw a wrench into the plans of those who thought Andrew Marshall was the only NU defensive back they had to game plan around.
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