Perhaps the most stable position on the defense this season was the linebacker position. To be more specific, the middle linebacker position, only because Lavonte David commanded the defense from here and demanded respect from opponents. However, the rest of the position was a little shaky.
Lavonte David was one of the best linebackers in the country. He made plays all over the field, and never gave up. He single handedly won his fair share of games for Nebraska, and jump started a few others for them. Against Ohio State, he stripped Braxton Miller to begin the greatest comeback in team history. When the Huskers played Penn State, he stopped Silas Redd on fourth and one to preserve the victory.
Behind Lavonte, there was a little bit of inconsistency from the remaining Husker linebackers. Before I give anyone else props, Trevor Roach deserves some credit. He only played in the first game, but he was all over the field making plays. In his only action, I was very pleased and am excited to see what he can do in the future.
Sean Fisher had an up and down season, but unfortunately ended with him on the bench. He has a lot to learn this off-season as he will be called upon to burden the load the David is leaving behind.
One player who I was pleasantly surprised by was Will Compton. Injuries have hurt his playing time these past few years, but this season he played pretty consistent. At times he was caught out of position or looking into the backfield, but overall it was a good season for the junior.
Without Lavonte David in the middle of the field, Nebraska is going to have a lot of questions with this unit. Mike Ekeler is going to have a lot to do to make sure these guys are ready to go come fall, but it is going to be hard to replace the All-American. Let’s hope everyone is up to the challenge.
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