Nebraska led by proven vets on D-line but has group of 7-8 players able to supply depth

Terrance Knighton isn’t working on his punt catching a few days after dropping one during the open fan workout Saturday night. The Nebraska defensive line coach is locked in on an even more difficult task — finding playing time for all the deserving Huskers in the trenches.

Knighton listed seven players beyond proven veterans Ty Robinson, Nash Hutmacher and Jimari Butler. That’s without redshirt freshman Riley Van Poppel, a promising prospect whose name was likely just lost in the moment of Tuesday’s media session.

“We’ve just got a bunch of guys who are playing well,” Knighton said. “It’s going to be a tough decision to make at the end of the day but we want eight, nine, 10 guys that can go out there and play at starter levels. Right now everybody’s battling at those positions.”

Elijah Jeudy — now a father — is asserting himself as a leader, Knighton said. James Williams is up from 235 pounds to 250 after a full offseason of expanding on his pass-rushing skillset to include lining up on the interior. Kai Wallin, converted offensive lineman Dylan Parrott and true freshman Ashton Murphy are battling in camp too.

Cam Lenhardt, who saw 266 defensive snaps as a true freshman last year, said the key to cracking the lineup is simple — know what you’re doing and go hard.

“Just being able to find your move, pass rush-wise, to figure out what’s for you,” Lenhardt said. “Your game. How to watch film, that’s a big thing you have to learn because it’s not high school no more.”

Knighton also had praise for true freshman Keona Davis, the Arizona native and former Washington commit who flipped to Nebraska in February as Keona Wilhite. The 6-foot-5 defender is up to 270 pounds after a busy offseason.

Davis’s position coach said a few more years could produce a physique not dissimilar to Nebraska’s most famous D-lineman, Ndamukong Suh.

“Every time I see him it looks like he got bigger,” Knighton said. “He’s working his butt off. He’s a young guy — he has no clue what’s going on right now. He’s just doing everything he’s asked to do and he’s a sponge for everyone in the building trying to learn as much as he can. When he leaves here he’s going to look like 93 that used to play here. That’s what I feel — he’s going to be a big guy.”

* Nebraska’s “Jack” linebackers are MJ Sherman, Princewill Umanmielen, Maverick Noonan, Jordan Ochoa, Willis McGahee IV and converted tight end Isaiah Smith Flores. The position is a hybrid between defensive line and linebacker.

* Safety DeShon Singleton was cleared to return from last season’s knee injury on July 1 and has been full go with the defense since then. He said he’s waiting to see if the NCAA grants his petition to retain his season of eligibility from 2023 after he played in four games and a few snaps in the fifth against Michigan before the injury.