Blackshirts Facing Major Changes as We Assess the State of Nebraska’s Defense Heading into the 2025 Season

T.J. Birkel

Matt Rhule is known as a defensive guy. He’s always prioritized defense, and that was certainly borne out in his first two years as the head man in Lincoln. In 2024, the Huskers ranked 18th in total defense, 17th in scoring defense, and 9th in rushing defense. The numbers were even better in 2023, although we should probably point out that the Big Red faced some absolutely abysmal offenses that year, so that certainly helped. But it’s hard to deny how much better the defense got the minute Matt Rhule and Tony White showed up in Lincoln. 

Sure, there have been a handful of things that Husker fans could pick at–the passing defense hasn’t been as strong as other areas; they’ve had a hard time getting off the field on 3rd down; they could have gotten to the quarterback a bit more–but by and large, Nebraska has seen a marked improvement on the defense under Rhule and White. Rhule seems confident that its strong performance will continue, but with major changes underway on that side of the ball, he faces one of his biggest challenges yet in trying to ensure the Blackshirts don’t fall off in year 3.

This week we’ve taken a look at the big picture challenges Rhule faces as college football becomes more complex than ever, as well as the state of Nebraska’s offense at the outset of a pivotal offseason. Today we’ll look at where things stand with the Husker defense heading into the 2025 season. It’s never too early to start focusing on next season. As we say on the Common Fan Podcast, all Husker football, all the time. 

Major Coaching Staff Turnover. Tony White wasn’t well known when Rhule hired him to be Nebraska’s defensive coordinator two years ago, but he made his mark in short order. More than a month after the news of White’s departure first broke, it’s still painful to think about him leaving for the same job at Florida State. Of all places! Our nemesis from the ‘90s. Not only that, but he took defensive line coach Terrance “Pot Roast” Knighton with him. Knighton had become a fan favorite, especially after James Williams opened up about losing family and how Knighton had become like his father. The images of Williams’ head buried in Pot Roast’s shoulder at the end of the Rutgers game brought a tear to the eyes of many in Husker Nation. I only bring this up because, a generation or two ago, guys like White and Knighton likely would have stayed at Nebraska for most of their careers. With the nature of college football today, every program has money, every program is trying to win, and the coaching carousel seemingly gets more intense every offseason. Nebraska is not immune to these realities. 

Rhule elevated defensive backs coach John Butler to defensive coordinator prior to the bowl game. Before Nebraska, Butler most recently served as the defensive backs coach for the Buffalo Bills, and he has coordinator experience from his time at Penn State. This offseason…

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