A Nebraska football true freshman has joined the ranks of the Blackshirts.
Vincent Shavers, a linebacker from Miami Central High School in Florida, claimed the coveted black practice jersey as the Huskers prepare for their game Saturday against Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl. On his social media accounts, Shavers posted a photo of himself wearing the practice jersey with the caption ‘BLACK SHIRT’.
Shavers has played in every game in 2024 as a true freshman with one start, against Indiana. The linebacker has recorded 19 tackles and a half tackle for loss.
BLACK SHIRT pic.twitter.com/oH6pamvNWJ
— Vincent Shavers Sr (@VinceShay1) December 24, 2024
Prior to coming to Lincoln, Shavers was one of the top players in the Miami area, totaling more than 170 tackles during his prep career, including 30 tackles for loss and 20 sacks. He was rated as the No. 27 outside linebacker recruit by Rivals, earning a four-star ranking in the 2024 recruiting cycle.
Shavers flipped his commitment from in-state Miami to Nebraska in late December of 2023. He was reportedly squeezed out of the Hurricanes’ 2024 class due to a numbers crunch. After his scholarship was pulled by Miami, Shavers moved on to Nebraska following visits from Texas and West Virginia.
The Blackshirt is not the first honor for Shavers during the season, as the linebacker was awarded a single-digit uniform in the middle of the season. Shavers’ No. 1 was given following former Husker Jimari Butler’s change back to No. 10 prior to the Rutgers contest. The true freshman has been a backup to starter John Bullock throughout the season and is listed as Bullock’s backup for the upcoming Pinstripe Bowl against Boston College.
Coach Matt Rhule was impressed from the start of the preseason with the freshman. “There might be a freshman moment here or there, but I got no doubts about him. None,” Rhule said about Shavers on Aug. 19.
With several defensive players transferring out, including linebackers Mikai Gbayor, Stefon Thompson and Princewill Umanmielen, Shavers’ role may have increased significantly for the Saturday matchup against the Eagles as well as for the 2025 season.
MORE: Nebraska Men’s Basketball is First Team Out in Latest Bracketology
MORE: Adam Carriker Gut Reaction: Dane Key Is a Husker!
MORE: Nebraska Volleyball Finishes Fourth in AVCA Rankings
MORE: Brice Williams Scores Career High to Lead Nebrasketball Past Hawai’i
MORE: Finally, It’s Bowl Season
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login