HOL Top 40 for 2016: 31-35

Voting Criteria: Player's importance to the team in 2016, talent and potential for the upcoming season. A player's long term/NFL potential was not taken into consideration.

Voting Panel: Publisher Sean Callahan and HuskerOnline.com staff Robin Washut, Nate Clouse, Mike Matya, Bryan Munson, and Gregg Peterson.

As Nebraska searches for more pass rushers off the edge to go along with Freedom Akinmoladun this year, one player who would appear to fit that mold perfectly is redshirt freshman end Alex Davis.

After putting on 40 pounds of muscle since arriving on campus a year ago and going from 215 pounds to 255, Davis now has the physical build and strength to go along with his unquestioned speed and athleticism.

The key for him going forward will be mastering the techniques that separate good athletes from elite pass rushers. If he can do that, he'll be able to fully showcase the natural talent that has his coaches so excited.

Nebraska found itself searching for a new scholarship long snapper a bit earlier than it had originally planned when Gabriel Miller suffered a career-ending back injury.

So the Huskers turned to Jordan Ober to fill that role by adding him to their 2015 class, and based on his debut as a true freshman last season, Ober should man that position for the next three years to come.

He may be one of the more overlooked players on the roster by nature of his position, but if this is the only time Ober's name is mentioned through the end of the season, that will be considered a very good thing for NU.

At this time a year ago, Chris Weber's name was rarely mentioned - if included at all - when discussing Nebraska's linebacker depth going into the 2015 season.

But due to injuries and suspensions early in the year, the former walk-on from Elkhorn, Neb., ended up have a breakout season at the Mike linebacker spot.

When Josh Banderas missed time due to injury, Weber stepped in and started four of his 10 games played, ranking fifth with 49 total stops. That was good enough to earn him a scholarship going into his junior season, and he should continue to play a big role in NU's linebacker rotation.

A four-star defensive back who was the final commitment in Nebraska’s 2016 class, Lamar Jackson's combination of physicality and football instincts could help him become the first true freshman to see the field this upcoming season.

Ranked the No. 1 high school safety in the country, Jackson will start is NU career at cornerback. That in itself could lead to immediate playing time, as the Huskers are relatively thin at the position behind starters Joshua Kalu and Chris Jones.

As long as the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Jackson can match his physical ability with an equal amount of mental progress this fall, there's no reason why he can't have an instant role in 2016.

Redshirt freshman Carlos Davis made the most of his year on Nebraska's scout team last season and looks poised to not only see significant playing time at defensive tackle in 2016.

Having bulked up from 270 to nearly 300 pounds over the past year, Davis could be one of the rocks in the middle of the defensive line the Huskers are looking for following the early departures of Maliek Collins and Vincent Valentine.

Davis will continue to get plenty of chances to make that push through the rest of spring ball and on into fall camp. If he can continue flashing his sky-high potential and do so on a consistent basis, he could establish himself as a fixture on NU's front four for years to come.

36-40