New Nebraska football defensive backs coach John Butler is having a good month. He’s got a new high-paying job and several top transfer portal grabs. And now he’s got several veteran Huskers returning for the 2025 season.
Linebacker Javin Wright announced he would return for one more season earlier this month. It will be his seventh, thanks to injuries, redshirts, and COVID. And on Friday, defensive back DeShon Singleton announced he’s also back.
Singleton gets to come back, thanks to Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. Like Pavia, Singleton was out of eligibility because he spent some time at the JUCO level. When Pavia won his lawsuit against the NCAA, he opened it up for other JUCO players to get extra eligibility and Singleton is now taking advantage of that.
Nebraska football gets DeShon Singleton back
“I’m back,” Singleton wrote on Instagram. And like that, the Huskers had another defensive back added to the fold.
A defensive back who logged 71 tackles and 1 interception in 2024. A defensive back who becomes one of the leaders of the secondary in 2025. A defensive back who was 12th on the defense among players who had more than 100 snaps with a 67.8 overall grade according to PFF.
His 74.2 run defense grade was 7th on the Huskers but there was one area where he struggled in 2024 and that was pass coverage. That’s not a total shock considering his safety position. There’s a reason they’re safeties rather than corners.
Still, the new Nebraska defensive coordinator now has the year to get Singleton to get back into shape for the new approach.
The Nebraska football team is going to be better because DeShon Singleton is back for the 2025 campaign. After the number of departures the Huskers saw this offseason, the safety is going to be a leader on that unit. Someone who can show the new guys what’s expected. That’s a very big deal.