One of the most contested spots this month for the Nebraska football team is starting cornerback. Andrew Marshall will man one side of the field, but who will step into the other side is still very much up in the air. However, Jeremiah Charles is at least a frontrunner according to the coaches after this week of practices and a Saturday scrimmage.
Jeremiah Charles, Victor Evans, Danny Odem, and others are currently battling it out, and one of the best pieces of news of the fall camp is that all are playing well enough that it's still far from decided. However, wide receiver Quinn Clark might have given the game away when he talked to the media on Friday.
Quinn was asked which Nebraska defensive backs he looks to go up against to improve. “Jeremiah Charles and Andrew Marshall. I try to take reps against them, because those are really the guys. I want to be competing against the best players possible to make myself better in the long term.”
Charles has been playing well enough that last year's No. 2 corner, Donovan Jones, is moving to nickel. Jones is happier to be in that position, so there’s no roadblock there, but it says something about what Charles has shown that the coaches are confident enough to make the move officially.
Jeremiah Charles emerges as Nebraska football starting cornerback frontrunner
Rhule is especially excited about the speed Charles brings to the game. He was never short on that, but now he's showing that he's got the coverage skills needed to be a starter at corner in the Big Ten.
"I mean, he’s so fast, and he’s tough, but now he has the kind of the frame to match it, so he’ll play a significant role in what we’re doing… I’m very excited to see what Jeremiah does come this season.”
Those comments don't say the fourth-year player is stepping into a starting role, but considering how much praise he's getting from coaches and teammates, it certainly looks like he's the odds-on favorite.
Even if the veteran defender is only the first guy off the bench, he is in a position to get much more playing time than he did in 2025. Last year, he played in all 13 games but almost exclusively as a special teams member, tallying five tackles. He had a career-high three tackles against Houston Christian, including two on defense and one on kickoff coverage. Charles recorded one tackle on kickoff coverage at Minnesota, and he had one tackle on defense against Utah in the Huskers’ final game of the year.
One thing that has to have Rhule most excited about this year’s revelation is that Charles is finally bouncing back after a rough sophomore season. He played well enough in 2024 to earn a starter role against UCLA. However, he was picked off mercilessly, removed from the game, and didn’t play on defense the rest of the season.
It appears that the Nebraska veteran has now put his struggles in the rearview mirror and is ready to take his career to the next level. If he’s really turned the corner, he could headline a secondary with some serious talent.
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