Nebraska Hosting an Experienced Defensive Lineman

Thomas originally announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal back on Dec. 19, electing to find a new school to call home. However, he does come bearing a noteworthy injury as well.

After seeing the field during the first four games of the Buffaloes' season this fall, Thomas suffered a season-ending injury, which he still appears to be rehabbing from. Despite that, he totaled 12 tackles, four of which were solo, 1.5 tackles for loss, and one quarterback hurry.

During his junior season, also in Boulder, the big-bodied defensive linemen saw the field in all 13 games. In 2024, he produced his best collegiate season to date. During that time, Thomas totaled 18 tackles, 13 solo, two-and-a-half tackles for loss, one sack, one quarterback hurry, and one pass breakup.

Before his time at Colorado, Thomas played at Louisville. During the first two seasons of his collegiate career, the defender played in 22 total games for the Cardinals. There, he totaled 12 tackles in 207 defensive snaps.

Despite being an underclassman in his time, he managed to see the field early and often. Defensive tackle is not typically a position that gains large amounts of stats; however, he still managed to stay productive during those developmental years.

His length, at 6-foot-4, and weight, at 300 pounds, give him the exact type of frame needed to hold his own at the line of scrimmage, and would potentially give Nebraska exactly what it was missing this fall.

Along the defensive line, Nebraska's staff has been relatively quiet in terms of finding success in making additions to the roster, until today. Though Thomas has yet to commit, or sign for that matter, he could supply the Huskers with some much-needed reinforcements on the line.

To date, Nebraska has made five additions via the transfer portal on the defensive side of the ball, and Thomas' potential commitment would provide a breath of fresh air to a fan base that has been anxiously waiting for players in that position group to be added.

Though this staff still likely has several players on their board, if Thomas were to sign, it would mark a very important step towards becoming more physically imposing next fall. Nebraska lacked the size and mass needed to compete up front in 2025, and adding a 300+ pound defender to their ranks instantly gives them a more competitive team, at least on paper.

An interesting topic that has been talked about as well is the lack of hiring a defensive line coach to replace Terry Bradden. After just one season in Lincoln, Bradden was let go shortly after the culmination of the regular season, and Nebraska has yet to announce a new hire at the position.

It's unclear if that dynamic is affecting portal recruiting, as almost every player in college football is still home on semester break and wouldn't be learning from their position coaches as it currently stands, anyway.

However, it's hard to ignore the fact that Nebraska has missed out on signing several of its initial defensive line targets. Though immediate targets do not always mean they will ultimately be better in the long term, additions need to be made, and losing out on yet another player would only continue to add negative emotions to an increasingly sore subject within the fan base.

For now, Nebraska seems to have as good a shot as any to bring Thomas in next fall. Though with his 39 games of collegiate experience, he will undoubtedly have other Power Four suitors.

The Huskers have done a good job securing proven talent to this point, and fans shouldn't expect that to change over the remaining days of the portal window. If there's one position on this roster Nebraska's staff is going to be desperate for, it is along the defensive line, and that could mean paying a high-dollar amount to secure talent for next year.

Regardless of how it shakes out, they have secured additions of several instant impact players in multiple positions on both sides of the ball. And, currently, they appear to be doing everything in their power to bring momentum into 2026. Nebraska may have to see if good truly can be good enough, but if gems do appear, it would not surprise if they tried their hand at bringing them in as well.