Tony White exceeded all expectations in Year 1 as Nebraska football’s defensive coordinator. The Blackshirts saw significant improvements in every statistical category and are set to return the bulk of their two-deep. No doubt there was a huge sigh of relief from fans – and head coach Matt Rhule – when UCLA chose to hire DeShaun Foster instead of White on Monday.
Several players took huge jumps after just one offseason of development with the new coaches. Also impressive was the fact many players were identified by the staff and subsequently moved to new positions. John Bullock, Jimari Butler, Javin Wright and Mikai Gbayor are prime examples of players who were moved from other spots and thrived in the new scheme.
One of the most important transitions that happen under a new coordinator is the recruitment of players targeted for their fit in the system. As those players enter the program and are groomed and developed, you’ll often see an uptick in overall play because puzzle pieces start fitting better.
One of the first players the defensive staff identified and offered was Miami (Fla.) Columbus High School standout Willis McGahee IV. If the name sounds familiar – and it should – it’s because his father is former star running back Willis McGahee, who was a Heisman Trophy finalist and consensus All-American at Miami in 2002. Despite suffering a gruesome knee injury in the national championship game against Ohio State, McGahee was selected in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft and enjoyed a 10-year NFL career and was a two-time Pro Bowler.
Nebraska offered the younger McGahee a scholarship on his birthday a year ago – Jan. 6, 2023, and made him a priority target for the Jack linebacker position. Several defensive coaches took part in his recruitment, with Tony White being joined by linebackers coach Rob Dvoracek, defensive line coach Terrence Knighton, secondary coach Evan Cooper and former staffer Phil Simpson.
Go here for more from Jeremy Pernell’s series.
McGahee was intrigued being recruited for a specific position that naturally fit his skill set. The Jack is a bit of a D-end/linebacker hybrid position that often is involved in rushing the passer, but can also help in coverage. That role is right in McGahee’s wheelhouse.
The 6-foot-1, 230-pound McGahee has been an extremely productive pass rusher in high school, but his tweener measurables had scared some schools off, with others unsure where he best fit in their defense. That played into Nebraska’s favor because the coaches had a position already in mind.
Matt Rhule and his staff have a strong track record of developing tweeners and turning them into major contributors. Husker fans can look no further than Cam Lenhardt, who played D-line and linebacker in high school and was a key member of the Blackshirts as a true freshman.
Two more excellent examples that were used to recruit McGahee were Haason Reddick and Jalen Pitre. Reddick joined Rhule at Temple as a walk-on with similar measurables before the staff developed him into a top-10 NFL Draft pick. Pitre was with Rhule at Baylor and was a linebacker/safety tweener who became Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American before being drafted in the second round.
McGahee and his father visited campus for Nebraska’s opening practice of spring on March 20. The staff had been recruiting McGahee hard, selling him on his role in the defense and their plan to develop him. Thanks to the coaches’ blueprint, McGahee came into that first visit with the Huskers already in his top three.
That initial visit set the tone. McGahee took note of how much the coaches had kept tabs on him. Tony White and Rob Dvoracek congratulated him on his track times, knowing he had just gotten into the sport that spring having never done it before, running the 100 meters and 4×100 relays. McGahee had an official PR of 11.24 seconds, although he ran faster in practices.
The entire defensive staff came over and talked with him before the start of practice and were around him following practice, which had a profound effect. On top of that, McGahee had the chance to reconnect with Husker defensive backs Corey Collier and Dwight Bootle II, who he was teammates with at Palmetto High School.
McGahee left Lincoln thinking Nebraska could be his choice, but he continued to go through his process. He attended a Junior Day at Texas on March 24, while the Longhorns began to ramp up communication. He also made April trips to Florida, UCF and Tennessee.
He decided to come back for Nebraska’s Red-White spring game on April 22, brining along his dad, mom and little brother. He arrived the day before, and his mom quickly got the same vibe that the two McGahees did on their March visit.
McGahee woke up at 6 a.m. the next morning and wanted to announce his commitment. He did so publicly roughly three hours before the game’s kickoff.
There was some consternation among fans for much of McGahee’s commitment. He didn’t come back for an official visit in June, but was in Orlando June 2-4, taking an official visit to UCF. That didn’t sit well with anxious fans.
He also didn’t come to town for the July 30 recruiting barbecue, which prompted speculation he might be using Nebraska as a placeholder until he got an offer from his dad’s alma mater, Miami, or possibly an offer from Georgia, Florida, Florida State or Texas – prominent programs that had heightened their interest in spring and maintained a dialogue through the summer.
He put fans’ minds at ease when he returned to Nebraska for his official visit in late September for the Michigan weekend. McGahee never wavered despite his recruitment being rather quiet after his commitment.
McGahee made a name for himself in south Florida thanks to strong performances at several camps, combines and showcases over the years. He had upwards of 25 offers, including additional Power Five tenders from Auburn, Indiana, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, Tennessee, UCF and West Virginia.
He played three years at Miami Palmetto High School before transferring to Columbus for his senior season. At Palmetto, he played primarily edge rusher but played more linebacker at Columbus – although rushing the passer was still a primary focus. He was a two-time first-team all-state and all-county selection as a junior and senior.
As a junior at Palmetto, he finished with 80 tackles, 13 sacks, 24 QB hurries and five forced fumbles while playing in Class 6A, one of the Sunshine State’s higher classifications. As a senior at Columbus, he helped lead the Explorers to a second-straight Class 4M state title for the first time in program history. He finished with 57 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 16 sacks, 19 QB hurries, seven forced fumbles, four recoveries, three pass breakups and three defensive touchdowns.
Columbus is a private school that set McGahee up with tailored workouts and detailed coaching. He’s given the program a lot of credit for the step he took as a player this past season.
McGahee plays to his strengths, using a low center of gravity and a good first step to get under the pads of larger blockers. He displays impressive strength at the point of contact thanks to that leverage. He shows impressive burst to close out on quarterbacks and ballcarriers.
He was a lifelong edge rusher before moving to Columbus, so he’ll need to continue to work on shedding blockers and finding ballcarriers. He hasn’t been used a lot in coverage, although he has looked good in camp settings. He certainly has the required athleticism to be effective. He’s been clocked at a 4.62 laser-timed 40-yard dash and his verified track times are impressive for someone his size.
McGahee has a great motor and used it to make up for a lack of length and ideal measurables to stand out against some of the best high school talent in Florida. He displayed an array of pass-rushing moves at the prep level and arrives on campus with a pretty impressive toolkit for getting after the quarterback.
McGahee enrolled early and is taking part in winter conditioning and will participate in spring practices. He’ll try to make his mark early and put himself in the discussion for playing time this fall. It won’t be easy. The team returns MJ Sherman, Princewill Umanmielen and Mikai Gbayor at the Jack spot, but McGahee is someone who will be a factor before long.
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