I’ve made my stance on redshirting players in today’s landscape pretty clear. Some players aren’t ready to play meaningful snaps — predominantly offensive linemen and interior defensive linemen — and I’m all for redshirting anyone if it happens organically. But in today’s climate, teams should never intentionally plan on redshirting anyone capable of contributing.
If that means a player burns his redshirt and only plays 40-50 snaps on the season, so be it. That’s something I would have vehemently opposed just a few years ago, but NIL and the transfer portal have changed the game.
With several players leaving Nebraska football’s defensive line room in December, there will be opportunities for incoming additions to supplant returning players for spots in the rotation.
Nebraska has demonstrated the willingness to play true freshmen who come in and prove themselves. In 2023, Riley Van Poppel played in 11 games and logged 113 snaps. Last season, Keona Davis played 108 snaps in 12 games. Don’t be surprised if at least one true freshman steps on campus and earns immediate playing time.
The odds-on favorite to follow in Van Poppel and Davis’ footsteps is Hitchcock (Texas) standout Malcolm Simpson.
The standout defensive lineman, who played his first two seasons at Galveston (Texas) Ball High School, came out of his sophomore season viewed as a consensus top-100 player in the 2025 class. Having been named district 9-5A-1 newcomer of the year, he was identified by recruiting services as not only one of the best players in Texas for his class, but someone who was going to be one of the most heavily pursued D-linemen in the region.
He collected over a dozen early offers from Power Four programs including Baylor, Houston, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, SMU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and USC. He was seemingly on the verge of having his stock take off. Unfortunately, he was limited to just six games as a junior because of an injury and saw his recruiting momentum suffer because of it.
In 17 games as a sophomore and junior, Simpson racked up 58 total tackles and 16 tackles for loss. He also had seven sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and one pass deflection.
Even so, due to his injury, most of the schools that had been prioritizing him up to that point pulled back a bit and wanted to see how he bounced back as a senior before deciding how to proceed with his recruitment. There were also concerns over his grades, and programs wondered if he would be eligible if he didn’t course correct in the classroom.
That approach didn’t change much even after Simpson transferred to Hitchcock and showed out on the camp circuit last spring. By all accounts, in March, Simpson had an impressive outing at the Under Armour Next Camp series in Houston. He tested extremely well and made a strong case for top performer honors after a dominant showing during the 1-on-1 portion of the camp.
Former Nebraska defensive line coach Terrance Knighton deserves the credit for getting Simpson to Lincoln. Nebraska’s lead recruiter in the Houston area, Knighton quickly identified Simpson as one of the team’s top overall targets after offering him in-person during the evaluation period on May 20, after stopping by Simpson’s high school to talk with him. Knighton forged a strong relationship with him immediately.
There wasn’t a ton of tape on the defender because of his truncated junior season, but one thing the Huskers haven’t shied away from is betting on their evaluations when it comes to athleticism. Simpson certainly fits that mold.
The 6-foot-3, 265-pound Simpson is also a talented basketball player who was named the defensive player of the year for his district during the 2022-2023 season. His film on the hardwood showed athleticism and explosion, which caught Knighton’s attention. In fact, Simpson initially burst onto the recruiting scene thanks to show-stopping school and AAU basketball dunks.
As soon as Knighton offered, Nebraska became the most consistent and aggressive team in Simpson’s recruitment. Husker coaches moved quickly to try and gain his commitment, knowing he was someone who would likely blow up (again) nationally after a healthy season on the gridiron.
Nebraska brought Simpson to town for an official visit the weekend of June 14. The family vibe and academic support and resources available impressed Simpson. He also clicked with head coach Matt Rhule and several other members of the coaching staff during the visit.
Simpson announced his commitment Sunday afternoon, June 16, after telling Husker coaches he was committing before he left Lincoln.
The coaches were right, however, as Simpson re-emerged as a hot commodity once he returned to the field as a senior. USC and Texas both reentered the picture in the fall.
The Trojans were one of the first offers for Simpson, but it wasn’t until September that the staff turned up the heat on recruiting him. During their bye week on Sept. 13, co-defensive coordinator Eric Henderson traveled to Texas to watch Simpson and Hitchcock play La Marque.
Texas also circled the wagons and made Simpson a priority Plan B option. Both schools were able to get Simpson on campus for unofficial visits. Simpson was in Los Angeles Oct. 12 to watch USC take on Penn State and was in Austin the following weekend, Oct. 19, to watch the Longhorns play Georgia.
As signing day approached, things got a little tense after Tony White took the Florida State job two days before the early signing period. Speculation quickly swirled that he would be taking Terrance Knighton to Tallahassee with him.
Simpson wasn’t deterred, however, and signed with the Huskers on Dec. 4.
Although he won’t arrive until summer, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Simpson on the field immediately for the Huskers. He’s one of the freakiest defensive linemen in the region and is a tremendously high-upside athlete. Simpson has long arms and is naturally strong. He’s twitchy and explosive with an excellent first step and burst off the line of scrimmage.
He’s very fluid and has impressive bend and movement skills to get around the edge. As impressive as his get-off and footwork are, he’s also got a strong upper body and does a good job of going speed-to-power. He has a well-built frame that could easily hold another 20 pounds under Corey Campbell’s guidance.
Simpson has played all over the field during his high school career. He played on a three-man front at both Galveston Ball and Hitchcock and was asked to do a lot of the same things as former Husker Jimari Butler. The staff will likely ask Simpson to play the four, five or seven — like Butler — and even move inside in some packages as a 3-tech in four-man fronts. I could see him getting into the 295-pound range and growing into a 3-tech permanently if the Huskers ever switched to a traditional four-man front.
Simpson is rated a four-star prospect and the No. 98 (On3) and No. 242 (247Sports) player in the country. He has sky-high potential and upside and has all the makings to be a game-changer in a couple seasons.
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