Nebraska Football Signee Analysis: Defensive Back Bryson Webber

It’s a testament to Matt Rhule and his holistic approach to recruiting that Nebraska didn’t suffer any decommitments when news broke that defensive coaches Tony White and Terrance Knighton were leaving to join Mike Norvell’s staff at Florida State in the days leading up to college football’s early signing period.

In fact, the only attrition to the recruiting class all cycle — WR CJ Simon, WR Bryson Hayes and TE Bear Tenney — was initiated by Nebraska.

That’s not to say there weren’t a few nail-biting moments. On Saturday, I touched on the concerns Jeremiah Jones had when speculation started about Garret McGuire’s future at Nebraska.

Tense moments weren’t reserved for just December, though. Nebraska needed to do some damage control when secondary coach Evan Cooper resigned for personal reasons the first week of July. On July 12, despite being considered the favorite coming out of June, the Huskers missed out on their top safety target — Aiden Manutai — in part because of Cooper’s departure.

Cooper’s unexpected exit nearly cost the team their No. 1 cornerback target as well.

Nebraska was the first school to extend an offer to Bryson Webber, whose recruiting attention was basically nonexistent while he spent his freshman and sophomore seasons playing wide receiver at Missouri City (Texas) Ridge Point High School.

In the spring of 2023, prior to his junior season, the decision was made to move him to corner thanks to an abundance of talent at wide receiver on his high school team. Even before Webber took a single snap on defense, Evan Cooper encouraged him and told him the move was in his best interest and that he was going to monitor his progress.

It’s no secret how much Matt Rhule believes in metrics. He has an analytical approach to scouting and recruiting and places a high value on prospects who are multi-sport athletes. Webber’s prowess on the track put him on Cooper’s radar even as he struggled to make his mark as a receiver.

Despite having never played the position before, Webber took to his new spot straight away. Of course, it helps when you get extensive one-on-one instruction from your stepdad, who happens to be Gareon Conley, a former cornerback at Ohio State who was selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders.

The process was slow at first, but after candidly admitting he was “pretty lazy” during his first two years of high school, Webber worked hard at his new craft during the offseason and the payout was immediate.

He had a coming-out party during the fourth game of the season. Webber was matched up against consensus four-star recruit Zion Kearney, who signed with Oklahoma in the 2024 class. Despite being a novice at the position, Webber shut down one of the best receivers in Texas, not allowing a single catch.

The performance was two-fold. It provided a huge confidence boost that helped propel him to work even harder, while also getting him noticed around the region and putting him on some radars.

Webber was named all-district as a junior, finishing with 22 tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions and four pass breakups, while allowing just one catch all season.

True to his word, Evan Cooper had been keeping tabs on Webber and offered on Jan. 19, 2024, immediately treating him like a priority target. The Huskers weren’t alone. His strong play as a first-year corner prompted over a dozen teams to follow the Huskers with offers of their own last spring.

Cooper fostered a strong relationship with Webber, but it was a team effort in his recruitment. In late May during the evaluation period, Nebraska sent the entire defensive staff — Evan Cooper, Tony White, Terrance Knighton and Rob Dvoracek — down to Ridge Point to see him. The gesture made a huge impression on Webber, as did their point to call his mother while on the visit too.

That same month, Webber listed a top six of Nebraska, TCU, Utah, Oregon State, Baylor and Kansas. He would eventually take official visits to all but Kansas, checking out the Beavers (May 30), Utes (June 3), Bears (June 7) and Horned Frogs (June 13) before heading to Lincoln June 21.

Nebraska had been Webber’s leader by a decent margin since March, but the official visit sealed the deal. Like most visitors from outside the region, he came to Lincoln envisioning a small town and nothing but cornfields. The trip definitely exceeded expectations.

He was part of the group — which included Jeremiah Jones — that got the chance to go on a fishing trip with legendary coach Tom Osborne.

Webber was impressed by the facilities and by the presentation given by strength coach Corey Campbell and head of nutrition Kristin Coggin, who emphasized the staff’s focus on recovery and nutrition during the tour.

Webber was hosted by fellow defensive back and Texan Jeremiah Charles, and also spent a lot of time around several other current players. The interactions left him with a positive impression about the culture within the program.

He was also intrigued by the plan coaches laid out for how they would develop him. Evan Cooper made sure to highlight the evolution of Tommi Hill as a corner — and the fact that he played wide receiver — in the direction that Webber’s career could take.

Nebraska being the last visit allowed Webber to compare everyone else to the team he had been leaning toward for months. None compared. In the end, it was his relationship with Cooper and his belief in him before anyone else that put the Huskers over the top.

Webber silently committed to Nebraska on the last day of his visit, June 23, and planned to make a public announcement on the same day as Jeremiah Jones — July 1. He’d even called coaches at other schools to let them know of his decision.

Those plans were pushed back, though, after his commitment graphic wasn’t available. He then settled on July 9 as the day he would go public with his commitment to the Huskers.

A few days later, however, Even Cooper resigned and Webber had some reservations about his decision. He loved Matt Rhule and the Husker program, but understandably wanted to hold off until Nebraska found a replacement, so he decided to postpone his announcement.

John Butler’s name surfaced as Cooper’s successor on July 6 and Webber took it upon himself to do some research on the prospective coach. He learned Butler had spent the previous 10 seasons coaching top-level secondaries with the Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills. There was no doubt he had a strong résumé as a position coach in the NFL. He just needed to see how they vibed.

Butler reached out to Webber almost immediately on July 11, the same day his hiring became official. The pair had a really good initial conversation and Webber felt comfortable enough after their talk and with Butler’s record as a developmental coach, to officially commit to Nebraska on July 14 over finalists Utah and TCU — who tried hard to exploit the uncertainty and convince Webber to reconsider in the weeks leading up to his announcement.

Despite his having only one year under his belt as a cornerback, opposing teams avoided Webber this past fall. He finished with 10 tackles, an interception and two pass breakups as a senior while not allowing a single reception all season.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Webber is also an accomplished track and field athlete. This past spring he ran a 10.42-second 100 meters at practice while running official times of 10.55 (100m) and 21.79 (200m) at meets before suffering a hamstring injury that limited him somewhat. Webber was also a member of 4×100 and 4×200 teams that were ranked in the top 10 nationally.

You have to love Webber’s traits. He’s the total package physically with impressive size, length, physicality and speed. His change of direction and lateral movement stands out for someone with his frame. He’s already an impressive, aggressive man corner who was often asked to play press coverage against the opponent’s No. 1 receiver and would erase them from the gameplan.

He’s also good working zone with his long arms and range helping him close passing lanes. His father, Montre Webber, played receiver at Texas (2006-2009) and Bryson has inherited his dad’s ball skills. He excels at making plays on the football in the air, knocking down passes or intercepting them.

During Webber’s official visit, Evan Cooper brought up the possibility that he could at some point move to safety if he continues to grow and add weight. Webber was initially against the idea, but his trust in Cooper left him open to it. With Addison Williams taking over the room, it’ll be interesting to see how a new set of eyes will view Webber’s versatility. Personally, I hope he stays at corner and doesn’t outgrow the position, although he still has the frame and natural aggression to be an impressive boundary safety or rover if that’s where his body takes him.

Webber chose to enroll early because he recognizes he’s still new to playing corner and wants the extra reps and development from his new coaches. His improvement in technique and instincts between his junior and senior years was significant. He’s just scratching the surface of the player he can be.

Webber was able to join the Huskers on their bowl trip and took part in a few practices as well. On paper, Nebraska seems to have several cornerback options heading into 2025: Ceyair Wright, Andrew Marshall, Blye Hill, Donovan Jones, Jamir Conn, Jeremiah Charles, Amare Sanders, Mario Buford and Larry Tarver. Thus, I would expect Webber to develop behind the scenes for a year before throwing his hat into the ring in 2026.

More from Jeremy Pernell’s series

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