Nebraska Spring Preview: Defensive Line

The Nebraska football team officially starts spring practice on Feb. 28, as they practice for two weeks, take a week off for spring break and then are back for three more weeks before the spring game set for April 9.

As spring practice approaches, it's time to take an in-depth look at each of Nebraska's position groups. On the defensive side of the ball is the defensive line, which lost a lot from the 2021 season.

Series: QB | RB | WR | TE | OL |

Nebraska lost three key pieces to their defensive line in Ben Stille, Damion Daniels and Deontre Thomas. Those three veterans contributed 64 percent of the Huskers' snaps in 2021.

Mike Dawson is now Nebraska's defensive front coach, as he added the defensive line to coaching the edge outside linebackers. Tony Tuioti left the Huskers coaching staff to coach Oregon's defensive line.

Dawson has a rebuilding year on the defensive front as he has to replace three major contributors and Jordon Riley followed Tuioti to Oregon. However, he isn't a stranger to the program or to the players in the defensive line room as he was the Huskers D-line coach for the 2018 season and recruited several players on Nebraska's roster.

Ty Robinson and Casey Rogers are the only two returning linemen who have substantial experience. Robinson is entering his third season of starting and will have to lead the defensive line group on and off the field.

Rogers played 139 snaps in 2021 with a season-high 32 against Iowa. With Daniels out due to injury, Rogers scored 75s on PFF's defense, run defense and tackling grades. Over his three seasons at Nebraska, the 6-foot-5, 295-pound lineman had played 417 snaps. However, Rogers will be out this spring with a knee injury he suffered on the last play of NU's season finale against Iowa.

Outside of Rogers and Robinson, the Huskers are returning 44 snaps of experience from the 2021 season.

Nash Hutmacher, who is seemingly the front runner for the open nose tackle position, had 26 snaps. He was brought up often by his coaches last season but had limited playing time due to the experience in front of him.

As of the roster right now, Robinson and Hutmacher will be two of the starting linemen for spring camp. Rogers will be out. However, the Huskers are looking for a lineman in the transfer portal.

Colton Feist was a player Tuioti discussed often during spring camp last season, and he looks to probably take some top unit reps this spring with Rogers out. The fifth-year junior had developed a lot and Tuioti was going to give him playing time when fall arrived.

However, Feist got injured during fall camp, missed the first two games then played 12 snaps against Buffalo in his return. Feist only played on special teams for eight straight games but didn't play in the last two games due to an injury.

Redshirt freshmen Jailen Weaver, Ru'Quan Buckley and Marquis Black all have an opportunity to make an impact early in their careers. The trio has almost no game experience as they have a combination of six snaps last season.

Older players who don't have game experience like Mosai Newsom and Tate Wildeman will push for reps in the two-deep this spring.

While the defensive line looks bare with experience behind Robinson and Rogers, Nebraska's outside linebackers can fill holes on the edges.

This spring feels like a make-or-break camp for defensive linemen Mosai Newsom and Tate Wildeman.

Newsom is entering his fourth season with the Huskers as he redshirted as a freshman in 2019. The three-star lineman hasn't stepped foot on the field in his career.

The 2022 season will be Wildeman's fifth season at Nebraska and he has played 17 snaps on defense, including seven against Fordham during his only snaps of 2021. The 6-foot-6, 280-pound lineman has battled several injuries during his career.

With young players behind Robinson, Rogers, Hutmacher and Feist, Newsom and Wildeman have their shot to make an impact on the field if they have a big spring.