Special teams are an extreme sport
Plus, Nebraska gets some help on the d-line and assistant coaches depart.
On the ghost of what used to be the biggest day of the college football offseason, Nebraska got the best news it was eligible to receive—4-star defensive tackle Dylan Berymon was in. The Huskers didn’t offer the Monroe, Louisiana, native until Nov. 10, five days after Berymon decommitted from Texas. He already had nearly 30 offers at that point and had been on official visits to Texas A&M, Texas Tech and USC among others.
Nebraska had a lot of ground to make up, and as happens with surprising frequency, this battle came down to the Huskers and new-look Kentucky. Past Big Red/Big Blue battles aside, this NU win felt somewhat notable given the Wildcats, under new head coach Will Stein, have something the Huskers do not after going .500 over the past three seasons—perceived momentum. (More on that later.)
Of course, there are many criteria for making a college choice in today’s game, and, whatever it took, Nebraska got it done. Listed at 6-2, 330 pounds, Berymon is already the heaviest player1 on the just-updated roster if those measurements are close to accurate. But NU landed more than just size. As a senior last fall, Berymon made 21 tackles for loss, including 4 sacks, and served as a blocking back in short-yardage situations, a role that netted him a 3-yard touchdown reception and at least one 10-yard carry. He also threw shot and discus as a sophomore and junior for Ouachita Parish.
It was a bit of good news at a good time, a potential salve2 for anyone who maybe felt burnt by the Huskers missing on a handful of defensive tackles in the portal. Though, as has been the story lately, the news around the football program remains a wintry mix of “not bad” and “potentially concerning.”
