Husker assistant coaches break down their newest players

On Wednesday morning the Nebraska football program produced a signing day show to detail its 2025 class who put pen to paper and officially signed with the Huskers.

Assistant coaches were brought in to talk about each of their signees. If you’d like to watch the broadcast, you can find it right here:

Here’s a quick rundown of what the assistants had to say.

The party got started with Dawson Merritt’s signature coming in.

Nebraska linebackers coach Rob Dvoracek said the key to gaining Merritt’s commitment was building relationships with Dawson and his family. That was key when Dvoracek helped flip Merritt from some program called Alabama.

While Merritt hasn’t been playing football for long — he only started as a freshman in high school — Dvoracek said he’s an explosive athlete with length.

“He’s another big guy over 200 pounds. He’s tall, almost 6-4,” Dvoracek said. “He’s got versatility. He can pass rush, he can play in space, he can play off the ball, on the ball. He’s another versatile guy who I think adds a lot of value to the room.”

Merritt will be an early-enrollee, arriving early to begin his Husker career.

Nebraska came out on top for Christian Jones, beating Oklahoma for the 6-3, 220-pounder who recorded a whopping 16 tackles for loss as a senior at Omaha (Neb.) Westside.

Damon Benning, the studio analyst for Nebraska football’s signing day show, said Jones, who will early enroll, will show up ready to roll and would likely be more game-ready to contribute as a true freshman than Merritt will.

Dvoracek said he liked that Jones played all over the field at Westside. When Jones wasn’t a linebacker on defense, he was playing tight end, H back and some receiver on offense. He was also found on special teams as well.

“He has ability to do a lot of different things,” Dvoracek said. “He can play in space, he can cover, you can blitz him, he’s a physical player, really good athlete — track guy as well.”

What stands out the most to Dvoracek when watching Jones on the field?

“I think he takes command. He’s got a really good presence about him, and his athleticism and size are really good for him. And really good for us for him being here,” Dvoracek said. “It’s hard to find big people who run fast and are physical players, and he’s got all that. I’m excited about Christian.”

Shawn Hammerbeck comes from a winning football program in Winner (S.D.), and will arrive at Lincoln with a championship mindset. He also has an intriguing frame at 6-7 and 250 pounds that will allow him to start his career as an offensive lineman but also provide him the potential to move to the defensive line room, or perhaps stay on offense, but as a tight end.

Offensive line coach Donovan Raiola said he knows he’s getting a tough player because of where Hammerbeck grew up.

“Just like all those guys from that area, he’s tough and is a smart player,” Raiola said. “Super athletic, explosive young man. Really excited to watch his development.”

Raiola said Hammerbeck will start his career as an offensive tackle. At Winner, Hammerbeck played tight end and defensive end.

“He’ll be a fun project for us,” Raiola said. “There are a lot of great success stories with tight ends becoming offensive linemen, from high school to college and even college to the NFL.”

No one has been a member of Nebraska’s 2025 class longer than Caden VerMass, the do-everything athlete out of Millard North in Omaha.

VerMaas verbally committed to the Huskers in April 2023 and hasn’t come close to wavering on his pledge, even as the Nebraska coaching staff was shaken up last offseason at his position.

It’s been a process for Nebraska secondary coach John Butler to get to know VerMaas. That makes sense, as Butler arrived to the program late, in July. But during his film review of VerMaas and talks with the athlete, Butler believes Nebraska has an future impact player at safety.

“I think he has a huge upside and is a guy who has that kind of ability, I think he maybe aught to play here pretty early,” Butler said.

One thing the coaching staff has been impressed about with VerMaas is his buy-in. He’s all N, as they say, and VerMaas has turned into the class’ top peer recruiter. VerMaas is a clear culture builder.

“Guys who are buying in and believing and spreading the word. Even if it’s a recruit, it’s important that that happens at that level,” Butler said.

VerMaas plans to early enroll.

A big man at 6-6 and 300 pounds with tools who can move and finish blocks.

That’s what the staff sees in Julian “JuJu” Marks, a four-star offensive lineman out of Olathe (Kan.) South who Nebraska flipped from Kansas in October.

Marks is relatively new to playing offensive tackle. He spent the first half of his high school career on the other side of the ball on the defensive line. But as a senior this fall, he transitioned full-time to offensive tackle.

“This is a big, talented young man who can move, can bend his knees. Excited to watch him develop through the next steps of his process here,” Raiola said.

Raiola went on to add that defensive linemen who make the move to offense usually have the correct demeanor Raiola looks for.

“Just being aggressive and wanting to hit people and attack people. It’s just the process of learning the plays, learning the calls and just kind of the different language,” Raiola said. “But he’s obviously grown a lot in just one year of playing offensive line.”

Raiola said Marks will start out as an offensive tackle, but has the ability to play inside as well at guard.

Like VerMaas, Conor Booth is a Nebraska kid who grew up wanting to play football for the Huskers.

As a senior this fall, Booth battled through a knee injury to record 2,956 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns while averaging over 11 yards per carry for Bishop Neumann High School in Wahoo. A big and fast athlete, Booth will also play baseball for Will Bolt’s crew.

Nebraska running backs coach E.J. Barthel said the Husker coaching staff was searching the country for a big back with speed and explosiveness. Turns out, there was one of those in Nebraska’s own back yard.

“He came to camp, and it’s funny how things work out because the kid is right down the street,” Barthel said. “He literally came here and ran a 4.5 and weighed in at 208 pounds with a 10-foot broad jump. I’m like, wow, those are NFL numbers for a sophomore in high school.”

Booth plans to be an early enrollee.

There are some popular names in the Huskers’ 2025 class. Dawson Merritt. Christian Jones. Cortez Mills. All of them with All-Big Ten potential.

But don’t forget about Kade Pietrzak, the top-ranked player out of North Dakota and a violent, heavy-handed athlete who could play on the defensive line or as a Jack linebacker at 6-5, 240 pounds.

Pietrzak, who led his team to a state championship in the fall, fits what once was Terrance Knighton’s defensive line unit, which the coach nicknamed Death Row.

“This is a signing the Husker family should be very excited about,” Knighton said on the broadcast before the news of his reported departure was confirmed. “Explosive athlete, plays hard, athletic, is very smart and mature for his age. He’s going to come in here and be an impact player. If you watch his tape, he’s just a non-stop-motor guy.”

Knighton saw what he was hoping to see when he traveled to Sheyenne High School to watch Pietrzak practice.

“He’ll continue the legacy of the Suhs, the Ty Robinsons. He fits that mold,” Knighton said.

The past two seasons Knighton showed he’ll play true freshmen if they earn it during the week in practice. Riley Van Poppel in 2023 and Keona Davis in 2024 are a couple that come to mind. Cam Lenhardt and the since-departed Princewill Umanmielen, too.

At this point, it’s unclear who will be coaching Nebraska’s defensive line in 2025. But whoever it is, Knighton believes Pietrzak will impress any D-line coach.

“If you’re physical and you play hard, we can coach the rest. The football part is easy,” Knighton said. “It’s just having the right play temperament, understanding how tough you have to be to play in the trenches. I always tell the young guys now, the easiest way to play as a freshman is to know what you’re doing. So coming in, learning the playbook and doing everything 100 miles per hour and going out there with a mindset of, hey, I’m going to do exactly what coach tells me to do, it usually works out better that way.”

One of the more under-the-radar recruits in the class is Pierce Mooberry, a Husker legacy out of Millard North.

Mooberry, standing 6-4 and a little over 200 pounds, will start his career in Dvoracek’s linebacker room but has potential to play elsewhere as he grows and develops. Mooberry’s size, length, skill set and versatility — he played all over at Millard North, including all three levels on defense — make him a good fit for what Nebraska wants to do on defense.

Actually, Mooberry would be a good fit in a lot of defenses.

“Another really big, athletic person,” Dvoracek said. “Played tight end, played linebacker, played safety the year before. The safety film was what we were really impressed by. You could see him running all over the field, hitting people. He was getting the ball at tight end and creating separation. He’s got the ball skills. He’s exactly what you want. You have the size, you have the speed, you have the ability to take the ball out of the air.”

Mooberry plans to early enroll.

Another in-state product who signed with Nebraska this morning is Tyson Terry, a four-star line-of-scrimmage player out of Omaha North who could play on an offensive line at the college level but will start his Husker career on the defensive line.

Knighton said he told Terry, an accomplished wrestler who will likely win four state championships in his career, that Nash Hutmacher’s jersey number — No. 0 — is currently up for grabs.

The Huskers’ now former D-line coach thinks Terry has the tools and mindset to become an impact interior lineman like Hutmacher, an excellent wrestler in his own right, was.

“I’m excited about him. Super athletic for his size. Obviously with the wrestling background, great flexibility,” Knighton said of Terry. “High-motor guy. Had a chance to see him in a game and he just all over the field.”

Knighton feels Terry’s wrestling background will help him on the football field.

“They’re used to one-on-one matchups, the man in the arena,” Knighton said of wrestlers who play football. “They’re used to being in tight spaces, understanding leverage, understanding how to use their hands, understanding what their opponent is trying to do with them.”

Isaiah Mozee is an important member of Nebraska’s 2025 class because of the obvious: he’s an explosive receiver. But he’s also important because of where he calls home.

Mozee is a Kansas City kid who spent his high school career at Lee’s Summit North in Missouri. That’s a recruiting area Nebraska would like to have a real presence in, and signing Mozee will help that endeavor.

According to Husker assistant Garret McGuire, on the football field, Mozee, the son of Husker assistant Jamar Mozee, is different than the majority of receiver recruits because of what he can do after the catch.

“He’s special. He is absolutely special when he gets the ball in his hands,” McGuire said. “He is the nicest, most polite kid I’ve ever been around. But when he puts that helmet on, he does not like people.”

Toughness and football IQ — Jamar helped with those when Isaiah was growing up — are more traits that stand out with the wideout. Being a coach’s kid is something the staff really likes and looks for on the trail.

“Those kids always bring you something more,” McGuire said. “They’re tougher, they’re more competitive, they want to be coached, they’re natural-born leaders, locker room guys. Isaiah fits everything.”

McGuire said the 6-foot Mozee, who flipped his commitment to Nebraska from Oregon in August after Matt Rhule hired his father, is already at 200 pounds and wants to be known as more than just a receiver who catches the ball — he wants to be an effective perimeter blocker, too.

Mozee plans to early-enroll.

Explosive and relentless are two traits of three-star defensive lineman Malcolm Simpson.

Simpson fits what Nebraska wanted on the defensive line, and this twitchy athlete at 6-4 and 260 pounds could play all over the line — the interior or edge.

Knighton said Simpson is a kid with big potential, but an equally big personality.

“I thought I was a guy with a big personality, but he showed me there are people with way bigger personalities,” Knighton said.

Getting Simpson out of Texas was a strong recruiting move for Rhule and the Huskers’ team of recruiters. Other programs closer to home knocked on the door late, but the relationships built were key in keeping him in the class.

“I think the big thing for him was the family feel, and that’s how coach Rhule runs his program,” Knighton said.

Another legacy recruit joining the program.

Jackson Carpenter, who dealt with an injury and missed time during his senior season, is an in-state product out of Lincoln (Neb.) Southwest who has explosive testing numbers — he broad jumps over 10 feet, has a 38-inch vertical jump and is a 10.6-second 100-meter dash guy in track.

“Came to camp, ran a really, really fast time for us,” McGuire said. “…He attacks the football, played some defense which was good to see — shows us his competitive nature and physicality.”

Carpenter plans to early-enroll.

Keep an eye on this four-star running back who Barthel calls “JP.”

Rhule talked all season long about the team’s running backs needing to be more explosive. About breaking more tackles at the second and third level. About turning a 20-yarder into an 80-yard touchdown.

Jamarion Parker had that ability in high school, and he’ll certainly be expected to have it in the Big Ten, too.

Barthel said Parker’s name was buzzing all over the city when he was there to recruit.

“For us to land him is a huge deal,” Barthel said.

Listed at 6 feet and 185 pounds, don’t be fooled by the size, Barthel added. He’s getting bigger.

“He’s actually closer to 200 pounds as far as his frame. We’re projecting him to be 205 when we get him here and want to get him at that weight,” Barthel said. “He has the ability to outrun the defense, that’s the trait we’re looking for. He’s a guy who can score at any moment of the game. He’s a difference-maker for sure.”

Take a look at Nebraska’s 2025 class and there’s a little bit of a thunder-and-lightning feel to the running backs with Booth and Parker. Both players plan to early enroll.

Nebraska has loved it some DBs with length lately, and Bryson Webber sure has a lot of it.

Standing 6-3 and 185 pounds, Webber possesses great size for a cornerback. That’ll come in handy in pass coverage and in run support.

“You want to have length, meaning you want to have the ability to disrupt the passing game, ultimately is what you’re trying to do collectively as a defense,” Butler said. “To do that, you need players who can get their hands on the opponent, they can disrupt the vertical release, and that’s something he can do. Huge upside to this kid.”

The one trait big and long corners like Webber need to have, however, is the ability to flip their hips and run with receivers. Nebraska won’t truly know if Webber can do that until he’s on a Big Ten field and showing it, but right now, Butler believes the Texan has the goods.

“Has the vertical speed we’re looking for and has the ability to run and stay on top of receivers, and then the length and the ball skills to contest,” Butler said. “I think there’s a great future for him.”

Webber is an athlete who’s new to playing corner. He made the switch from receiver earlier in his high school career to help his recruitment. Once he made the switch, power conference programs from all over starting getting interested.

Utah, a program that knows a thing or two about strong defense, was one team very interested. Any time the Utes are on a recruit’s trail, that says something about the potential. Nebraska got a good one here.

Webber plans to early-enroll.

Tanner Terch is another under-the-radar guy in Nebraska’s class.

Terch played several different positions at Heritage — that’s current Husker safety Rex Guthrie’s alma mater, too — and excelled at many of them, especially receiver, where he caught 58 passes for 1,312 yards and 16 touchdowns in the fall. Big-play guy, too. His average yards per catch was 22.6.

At Nebraska, Terch will start out in the defensive back room as a safety. Defensively at Heritage, Terch recorded 31 tackles.

The way Butler sees it, versatility is one of the top traits he looks for when studying players. Terch has plenty of it.

“I think when we evaluated him coming out of high school, his size, his frame and a little bit of his range projected him as a safety, whether it’s boundary safety or rover,” Butler said. “I think he definitely has an upside to develop, put more size and weight on. But with anybody, we’re going to play him at the best position as they develop throughout our program.”

Terch plans to early-enroll.

Yes, Halafihi “Brian” Tapu is a raw football player from New Zealand who has a lot of learning and development to do before he sees a Big Ten field. But take a look at his highlights, see his size and how well he moves, and one can easily get excited about what Tapu could turn into down the road.

Before Tapu was being coached by former Husker offensive lineman Toniu Fonoti at Salt Lake City West, Raiola said he first learned of Tapu two years ago when the lineman was playing at Layton Christian Academy in Layton, Utah.

“Their head coach reached out to me and was like, I have a bunch of these kids from New Zealand who just moved here. I went to go see them and I was just amazed at how big, athletic and the long arms,” Raiola said. “He was obviously just figuring things out, probably never gotten into a stance until that year I saw him. But just really excited. A talented, athletic young man who has the natural aggressiveness to play the position.”

The 6-7, 295-pound Tapu will begin his career as an offensive tackle.

>> GAIN ALL-ACCESS with an annual or monthly subscription for less than $10/month

>> NEW SUBSCRIBERS get 30 days FREE

>> Sound off on the hot topics on our INSIDER’S BOARD

>> Follow us on Twitter (@NebraskaRivals)

>> Follow us on Instagram (@nebraskarivals)

>> Subscribe for FREE to the Inside Nebraska YouTube channel