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Historic College Football Program Lands Former Sun Belt Defensive Player Of The Year
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Historic College Football Program Lands Former Sun Belt Defensive Player Of The Year

Originally posted on Athlon Sports  |  By Nate Lunak  |  Last updated Jan 4, 2025 12:24 PM ET

The Nebraska Cornhuskers had a season that seemed successful compared to past years. They went 7-6, their first season with at least seven wins since 2016 (9-4), and went 3-6 in Big Ten play.

The biggest highlight of their year came in their Pinstripe Bowl win over the Boston College Eagles 20-15.

The program has now gone 12-13 since head coach Matt Rhule took over in 2023, and it is looking to build on the future and keep improving, which, just like many teams, has meant utilizing the transfer portal.

Their latest addition is linebacker Marques Watson-Trent, who won the 2024 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year award with Georgia Southern and has one more year of eligibility.

Watson-Trent is currently a senior who originally signed with the Eagles out of high school in 2020, and 247Sports had ranked as a three-star prospect and No. 48 linebacker in the country.

He didn't see much playing time until 2022, but since then, he has made the most of his opportunities, accumulating 349 tackles, six pass deflections, six sacks, six forced fumbles and two interceptions.

Watson-trent could also be a good replacement for three-star linebackers Mikai Gbayor and Stefon Thompson, who left Nebraska through the transfer portal.

It's also a solid addition to the elevate the already impressive defense, which ranked 19th in points per game (19.5) and 18th in yards per game (317.9) during 2024.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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