Most Intriguing Huskers: No. 18, sophomore ILB Luke Reimer | Football

No. 18: ILB Luke Reimer, so. 

Much of the intrigue in this case stems from Reimer’s explosive athleticism. In short, he gets to the ball quickly. 

That’s why the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Lincoln North Star graduate was able to finish fifth on the team in tackles (40) last season despite missing two games in Nebraska’s 3-5 season. 

Some of the intrigue in this case stems from Reimer’s overall importance to the defense, which increased in the spring when senior inside linebacker Will Honas went down with a knee injury that could sideline him for most if not all of the coming season. Honas played well down the stretch last season and opted to return to Lincoln for a fourth year after a two-year stint in junior college ball in Kansas. 

It certainly helps matters that Northern Iowa graduate transfer Chris Kolarevic clearly is going to be a key piece of the ILB puzzle. He started out by finishing as one of NU’s top performers in the index and strength testing, then seemed to fit right in with the top group in the middle of the defense during spring ball. 

As for Reimers, his quickness was quickly apparent last season in his first career start, against Northwestern in the season’s second game. He led Nebraska with 10 tackles against the Wildcats, including a sack. He came off the bench the next week to record four tackles in a home win against Penn State, including a four-yard sack. He then had seven tackles, including one for a two-yard loss, against Illinois.

Reimer led Nebraska with a career-high 12 tackles at Iowa, including 11 solo stops. His 11 solo tackles were the second-most by a Husker in a Big Ten Conference game, trailing only the 14 solo tackles Lavonte David made at Michigan in 2011. 

Is Reimer Nebraska’s most explosive defender? Make no mistake, he’s high on the list.

— Steven M. Sipple