Nebraska defense continues to raise standards

Tommi Hill didn’t run to the ball as well as he could have in practice, so the Nebraska coaching staff got on him.

Last year, a performance below Hill’s maximum potential might have been acceptable, defensive coordinator Tony White said, but standards are different in 2024, both for Hill and the NU defense as a whole.

The Huskers want to have the best defense in the country this season. Last year was a building block, and the pieces are still there. Nash Hutmacher, Ty Robinson and Isaac Gifford all returned to a unit that kept opponents under 17 points eight times.

Now it’s time to take another step forward. Hill, who enjoyed a breakout season in 2023, will shoulder higher expectations. So will Elijah Jeudy, who defensive line coach Terrance Knighton cited as someone who needs to improve for NU to reach the heights it’s shooting for, and Cameron Lenhardt, who created a solid foundation in the trenches as a freshman.

“This group of guys, they haven’t done anything,” White said. “This group together, we have not done anything yet. So it’s like building a building. It starts with the little things and making sure they know what to do, they know how to do it, and then reinforcing not only coach to player but player to player.

We want to be the No. 1 defense in the country, but all that is words until guys adopt it and they live it every day.”