The theme for Aurich throughout his defense is to have at least six players at each position that he can rotate. The linebacker position is no different. And again, everybody on the roster is listed as a linebacker, when the truth is there are “Mike” backers and “Will” backers. So, what is the difference, and who is who? In the 4-2-5 alignment there are usually only two linebackers, the “Mike” backer, who typically is a little bit bigger and considered more of a run stopper and the “Will” backer, who is a little more athletic and is better in pass coverage. In the Husker’s case, forget height and weight, there will be cross-over and the guys that can move and cover the best will.

As for the top four guys, Foster and Shavers have worked “Mike”, Chambliss and Merritt have worked “Will”.

Head Coach Matt Rhule when asked about how many guys he had on defense that he felt comfortable with, responded with 15 to 18 players. That sounds about right. If you were to figure 3 interior defensive linemen, Van Poppel, Whittington, and Stoudmire. Then 3 D-Ends, Anthony Jones, Lenahrdt, and Nwaneri, 4 linebackers, because that’s Aurich’s bread and butter, Chambliss, Foster, Shavers, and Merritt. And then throw in 2 corners Marshall and Victor Evans III, plus 3 safeties Dwayne McDougle, Jamir Conn, and nickel Donavan Jones. That makes 15 which let’s you add Jeremiah Jones and Kade Pietrzak, and third to get to 18. That’s before the season starts, by the first Big Ten game that number should increase.

As far as Aurich is concerned, he’s like coach Rhule, there is no mistaking who’s good to go.
“Right now, I think there’s a clear line of who’s ready for game play,” Aurich said on the Husker radio Network.

Aurich may be the DC, but he played and coached linebackers, so he spends a great deal of time helping Rob Dvoracek coach those guys up. Dvoracek may be new to the system and Aurich’s 4-2-5 scheme, but he loves what he’s seeing.

“It allows the linebackers to play fast and play violent, while staying consistent with terminology and concepts from one call to the next,” he said.

Starting Four Rotation

Owen Chambliss – 6’3”, 240-pounds
Experience: Junior (24 games, 20 starts)
Outlook: Chambliss has played three seasons, one at Utah and two at San Deigo State. Last season he led the Aztecs with 110 tackles, (68 solo, 4th best in the nation) 5 passes defended, 1 interception, and 4 sacks. He was named first team All-Mountain West and was the only underclassman to do so. Probably Nebraska’s best defender, he is a film junkie and a football guy, making him a strong competitor and an established leader. Chambliss excels in every category required of a linebacker, he’s big, fast, instinctive, and has a high football IQ. Whether it was Rob Aurich’s intention or not, Chambliss is mentoring the next generation of linebackers for the Huskers. He’s the standard to which coach Rob Dvorchek points too as an example when developing the younger guys. Teammate Vincent Shavers had high praise for Chambliss’s football knowledge and leadership traits when meeting with the media. Already proven as a playmaker, he’s vocal and leads by example. If there is one concern about Chambliss, it’s his health. He missed time last season due to injury and was out for a week during fall camp. Slated to wear the ‘green dot’ helmet his presence on the field is vital for the Blackshirt’s success.

Vincent Shavers Jr. – 6’1”, 225-pounds
Experience: Junior (26 games, 14 starts)
Outlook: Over the last two seasons, Shavers has been one of the most impactful defensive players on the team. A premier run-stuffer, PFF College ranked him the highest-graded true freshman linebacker in the nation in 2024. A player who thrives in a contact-oriented scheme, he fits Rob Aurich’s simple, fast, and violent criteria. In his two seasons he’s already shown the ability to create turnovers and from the sounds of things he’s working hard to get better at punching the ball out.

Shavers registered 86 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss. 2 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. Described as a physical player who ‘punches through’ contact. Shavers explained what he likes about Rob Aurich’s defense.

“He moves me around the field a lot. I like that. I like how he tells me to pressure the quarterback. We ain’t playing patiently. We’re playing fast and physical football out there. Violent,” Shavers said. “I mean like, you just attack everything you see. You see the ball you go get the ball. Ain’t like no second guessing. Whenever you see the ball come, you’re triggered to make the play, and I feel like we’ve been doing that at a high level. So, I feel like that’s going to bring a greatness to our room.”

Since his arrival at Nebraska Shavers has mostly played on the inside but his 4.76 second 40-yard dash time allows him to cover the edge and support both the run and the pass. Shavers had high praise for his new teammates in Chambliss and Foster. He called Owen Chambliss smart, smart, because he can call out the plays before they even happen.

“Me and him, we’re gonna click real good,” Shavers said.

Dexter Foster – 6’3”, 235-pounds
Experience: Junior (19 games, 11 starts)
Outlook: Last season Foster started all 7 games he played in at Oregon State. He was the 4th leading tackler on the team despite missing 5 games with an injury. A great addition to the linebacker room, Foster excels in run-defense. His size and ability to read also makes him dangerous coming off the edge and pressuring quarterbacks. Matt Rhule described him as a “gritty” and someone who will fight to be competitive. Seen as aggressive and a potential playmaker he fits the mold of a Big Ten linebacker who could be impactful this fall. He’s consistent and shows good leadership qualities. Vincent Shavers called him a ‘dog’. His addition caused plenty of offseason buzz and there are some who say he may have the greatest potential of the transfer portal additions.

Dawson Merritt – 6’3”, 230-pounds
Experience: Sophomore (8 games, 2 starts)
Outlook: Merritt played eight games before going down with a lower leg injury in November. He participated in 106 snaps, registering 8 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss. Several people expected more from Merritt right out of the gate, me included, but what I didn’t take into consideration was that he wasn’t a true linebacker in high school but more of a hybrid edge rusher. He’s had to adapt to college ball and linebacker play since arriving in Lincoln and being injured during spring hasn’t helped. Physically he has all the tools and his size fits right in with what Rob Aurich wants in his linebackers. Being the son of an NFL defensive back has also helped with coachability, enabling him to adapt quickly. I see him as a solid contributor with a ton of room to grow.

Next Two Up

Dylan Rogers – 6’3”, 240-pounds
Experience: Junior (17 games, 1 start)
Outlook: Rodgers had an impressive prep career with 20 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss, 5 sacks, and 5 interceptions. He’s another big-bodied player in the linebacker room that fits Aurich’s profile. Rogers has the physicality and versatility to play linebacker, edge rusher or even defensive line in certain schemes. With his size he can be a thumper providing reliable depth. A potential starter, if needed he can fill multiple roles.

Will Hawthorne – 6’2”, 230-pounds
Experience: Redshirt Freshman (0 games, 0 starts)
Outlook: Hawthorne was someone Nebraska pursued heavily out of high school. He has elite athleticism and versatility. He’s strong with good agility and displays that burst of speed needed from a linebacker. He’s both a good run stopper and is effective in pass coverage. He easily changes direction and takes good pursuit angles with the ability to chase down runners. He’s seen as a valuable depth piece as he continues to develop.

Will See Action

Pierce Mooberry – 6’3”, 225-pounds
Experience: Redshirt Freshman (4 games, 0 starts)
Outlook: Considered one of the top 5 players in Nebraska, he was ranked as the top prospect in the state by On3. He was also listed among the top 25 linebackers in the nation.

Christian Jones – 6’2”, 220-pounds
Experience: Redshirt Freshman (2 games, 0 starts)
Outlook: Considered one of the top players in Nebraska, Jones was ranked as top 10 linebacker nationally by Rivals and ESPN. He was also ranked as the number 81 player overall.

Jase Reynolds – 6’2”, 220-pounds
Experience: Freshman (0 games, 0 starts)
Outlook: Reynolds was a 3-Star and ranked among the top 100 linebackers by ESPN. He was also tabbed as the No. 77 linebacker prospects in the country.

Strength of the Defense

With the three new transfer portal additions of Owen Chambliss and Dexter Foster along with Shavers and Merritt, Aurich is excited about what they have in the room and has relied on Rob Dvoracek to get guys up to speed. Dvoracek was one of only two defensive assistants retained from the previous staff. Aurich, who played and coached linebacker’s pays particular attention to the room.

“I love the linebackers, man,” he said. “That’s home for me, but Coach Dvoracek has done a magnificent job. He’s taken over running the linebacker meetings, and it allows me to be with the group at the top end and then go visit different position groups during the day. During practice, I’m with them a lot, but not every period.”

Aurich has emphasized focus on technique, execution, and continuous improvement rather than fixating on the outcome of a play. When he was asked about developing swagger he responded:
“We develop confidence. I don’t know about the word swagger because I’ve never taught that and I don’t have any. You get confidence through going out on the field, having a quiet mind and knowing exactly wat to do,” he said.

Rather than ‘swagger’, Aurich has emphasized physicality and violence to create turnovers. Nebraska ranked 13th in the Big Ten forcing turnovers in 2025. Middle linebacker Vincent Shavers seemed excited about the Husker’s new defensive scheme and where they are going.

“I felt like that’s a big step. Like coach Aurich came up with that so we got this little thing with our coaches, like certain coaches, we dap up then punch through their arm,” Shavers said. “Just a mental thing like if you want to win games you got to turn the ball over. You got to force fumbles. You make plays on impact on the ball. So, I feel he’s been putting out a lot in our heads with just punching out the ball and just being physical out there on the field.”

Aurich on the Blackshirts

“We talk about it. We talked about it to every recruit that came in the building. We give a presentation on it. We talk about the history of it. The biggest commitment we have is the previous players that have played in that, have a standard for which this logo plays. And it’s our upmost commitment to meet that standard for them. I want the alumni to look at that and be really proud.”

Three weeks away from the season, Aurich estimated they have 80% of the defense installed. Since then, they’ve worked on the goal-line packages. That’s something that needed attention, as Nebraska allowed teams to score 79% of the time once they reached the red zone.

If you follow Husker football and listen to the players when speaking to the media, you can see and hear a different vibe. They seem excited and there’s confidence in their voice that we haven’t heard. Will we see the Blackshirts of old, perhaps not to that level. But we won’t see the shadow of a defense we saw last season either.

Get ready Husker fans, there’s a new DC in town.

GO BIG RED!! SIMPLE, FAST, VIOLENT!!

Photos courtesy of the Falls City Journal Home - Falls City Journal - Falls City, NE

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