Depth Chart Surprises: Nebraska vs Cincinnati

Tight End

Marcus Satterfield has named Luke Lindenmeyer as Nebraska’s starting tight end.  This was pretty easy to predict. After Fidone was drafted to the New York Giants, Lindenmeyer was left as the only player with production. As a sophomore in 2024, he had a total of five catches for 50 yards. We should expect Lindenmeyer to eclipse these numbers in 2025. During the offseason, Lindenmeyer has been able to get his body right and polish his route-running skills by working with a trainer in Florida. Heinrich Haarberg has also taken a big step forward at the tight end position. The former quarterback has adapted well to contact and blocking. This allowed him to be the backup tight end. But in order for him to become a complete tight end, Satterfield wants him to elevate his footwork while blocking. If he struggles to improve in this area, Carter Nelson will have plenty of opportunities to earn more playin g time. He has the production to back it up. As a freshman, the Ainsworth native had 86 receiving yards and a touchdown against Northern Iowa.

The Linebackers

Rob Dvoracek’s position group has the most depth on Nebraska’s roster. The room will be headlined by senior Javin Wright, who returns for his seventh season of college football. The only other familiar name would be Willis McGahee IV. The Miami product had 13 tackles and one sack in his freshman season with the Cornhuskers. He’ll look to find a role amongst several other Blackshirts in 2025. Dasan McCullough spent two years at Oklahoma before transferring to Nebraska. Georgia Southern transfer Marques Watson-Trent also comes to mind. However, the player who stands out on Nebraska’s depth chart would have to be Jordan O choa. The redshirt freshman from Colorado wasn’t talked about a lot by the Huskers’ coaching staff. However, Ochoa’s ability to get physical during his pass rush and run defense will make him hard to keep off the turf.

Offensive Lineman

Donovan Raiola hasn’t decided what to do with his offensive lineman. At the left tackle spot, Nebraska’s depth chart reads that Gunnar Gottula will be the first man up, followed by Turner Corcoran. Alabama transfer offensive tackle Elijah Pritchett is towards the bottom of the pecking order. This is surprising news. At 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, he has the size to play in the Big Ten. However, he’s just not very reliable. Constant false starts and countless mistakes have led Matt Rhule to term him unreliable at the position. The right tackle spot is fairly steady for the Cornhuskers, but Tyler Knaak is labelled as the second string. It’s a concerning decision, especially since the Utah transfer hasn’t seen much action in Lincoln.

The Secondary

Addison William’s secondary has a veteran presence to it. This is primarily because of how many Huskers return to the fold. Marques Buford Jr will be the starting safety, while Andrew Marshall occupies the starting cornerback spot. Deshon Singleton also returns for his sixth season at Nebraska.  He’ll play both the pass and keep an eye on the run.  And the Cornhuskers also return Malcolm Hartzog .  But don’t rule out  the impact that Jacob Bower can have for the Blackshirts. After redshirting his first season at Nebraska, Bower earned a scholarship because of his work in practice. Now, he’s used that same energy to propel himself to the second spot on the depth chart. Is he good enough to play in the Big Ten?