A rhythmic smacking noise echoed out amid the hubbub of Nebraska’s first-team practice of fall camp. Concurrently, Hawks Center accommodated skill-position drills for the offense conducted in an air-conditioned environment. You see, there was a new wave of trench enforcers that already soaked their white jerseys with sweat. Hidden behind that “rhythmic smacking” was a deeper undercurrent – an internal defensive chaos that even Matt Rhule might not yet fully know, but his defensive coordinator must. That tension is now cracking the surface.

One voice rising above the thwacks is defensive lineman Riley Van Poppel. He didn’t flinch when confronted with the outside narrative that the Nebraska Cornhuskers aren’t strong up front. Instead, he threw down the gauntlet: “People aren’t out there every day watching us. But we get after it.” It’s not just noise to them—it’s fuel. Nebraska’s D-line doesn’t see it as a handicap; they treat it like a chip to carry.

DC John Butler hasn’t ignored it; he simply refuses to let it define them. “We don’t really address that there is a narrative. Now we’re not fools; we know that [the players] are on social media… What the outside says about any of us doesn’t have an impact on what we’re doing.” That controlled indifference has kept Matt Rhule’s rebuild within a steady groove—even when the lineup has not.

The truth is that this isn’t last year’s veteran-laden ‘Death Row’. Back then, defensive players like Ty Robinson and Nash Hutmacher lent identity and continuity. This year? Only Cameron Lenhardt returns with multiple starts. No player or coach on the D-line staff has been around more than two seasons. Yet that mismatch between experience and expectation may be exactly what makes this group dangerous. At a sweltering dawn practice, they lined up on hands and knees, diving into player-sized inflatables to simulate second-effort tackles. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in our group,” Lenhardt said. “We’re going to go out there and perform.”

“Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!” DL coach Terry Bradden barked after each clean hit: “Good! Good! Good!” That rawness, that physical repetition, is ushering in a new identity. Matt Rhule—a 63-year-old lifer fresh off hip surgery—painted a clear picture during Big 10 Media Days: “The last thing our players need is for me to say they’re not going to be good. They hear that enough. I think they’re going to be really good.” He promised ‘hell on wheels’ as the season unfolded. That’s not delusion—it’s discipline.

Obviously, that mix of youth, intensity, and hope doesn’t guarantee results. D-line rotation plans can unravel if one injury hits. Assignment breakdown. Gaps open. But Matt Rhule has built his belief system around growth in the trenches: “Ideally,” he said, “defensive line is a position where players arrive as teenagers and emerge as contributors when they turn 20 or 21 when their bodies fill out.” So far, the build seems to be on schedule. The question: Can they flip from upstart to dependable before late-season collisions start telling tales? A few things are clear. The outside distractions don’t define them. The practice routines do.

Matt Rhule’s D-line betting on belief and breakouts

Nebraska’s defensive line is entering the 2025 season with fresh faces and even fresher expectations. Matt Rhule isn’t panicking about losing vets; he’s doubling down on the guys stepping up. The trio of Elijah Jeudy (senior), Van Poppel (redshirt sophomore), and Lenhardt (junior) might all start against Kansas State on Aug. 28. Their combined snaps last year? Just 469. For context, Hutmacher logged 440 alone, while Robinson hit 598.

That’s a major leap in responsibility, and Rhule’s ready to let them take it. “I’ve just seen them lift, I’ve seen them run, I’ve seen them grow,” he said. “I think the only thing that’s going to limit them is their own brains.” Translation? They’ve got the tools—they just need to trust their instincts and let it rip.

It’s not just those three. Young returners like Keona Davis (108 snaps), Mason Goldman (35), and Sua Lefotu (15) are all set for increased workloads. Former five-star Williams Nwaneri, who redshirted at Mizzou, could be a secret weapon. Mississippi State transfer Gabe Moore and FCS standout Jaylen George bring more beef to the trenches. Senior OL Henry Lutovsky isn’t sweating the turnover: “I have full belief in Riley Van Poppel, Cam Lenhardt, Elijah Jeudy, and all those guys to really step up and fill those shoes.”