Nebraska football defensive back impresses during Shrine Bowl practice

During Nebraska football’s 2023 season, one of the more underrated members of the secondary was Omar Brown. The defensive back who transferred to the Huskers before the 2022 season saw some serious growth in his second season away from Northern Iowa. 

Now preparing for the Shrine Bowl, Brown is showing that his sudden transformation into one of the best defensive backs in the Big Ten wasn’t a fluke. Preparing against some of the best senior player in college football he made a play in one practice that had plenty of analysts singing his praises.

Trevor Sikkema, the lead draft analyst with Pro Football Focus was perhaps the most effusive about one particular play Brown made, calling it “one of the best plays you’ll see all week.” 

Sikkema was quite impressed with the Nebraska football player making the play he did from his single high spot on the Shrine Bowl defense. In that play, he seemingly reads where the action is going right from the snap, seems to ignore the receiver that’s coming into his zone and keep his focus on the quarterback’s eyes.

Doing all that allows him to come down with an interception thanks to a nice, athletic leap.

Nebraska football defensive back impresses during Shrine Bowl practice

Omar Brown has been a heck of a Nebraska football story. Despite playing his first three years with Northern Iowa, he made it clear that he fully embraced the Husker culture as the second half of his college career progressed.

Brown’s 51 tackles, 3 passes defended and 2 forced fumbles weren’t just career highs. They were all more in the 2023 season than he’d amassed in the four prior seasons combined. 

Brown has clearly had something in his game click. He’s taken the next step and is looking like someone who could be a real NFL contributor. He looks like someone who can be counted on as a Nebraska football success story at the next level. And he could end up being sneaky good.