Last month, Nebraska Huskers parted ways with JD Spielman after the talented wide receiver entered the transfer portal. Spielman was widely considered the best skill position player for the Huskers due to his valuable contributions on offense as well as on special teams. The former Nebraska player will join Texan Christian University once the NCAA makes him eligible to play out his final college season. After Spielman’s departure, another Huskers player has entered the transfer portal as he seeks a move away from the team.

The linebacker position

This week, Nebraska linebacker Joseph Johnson entered the transfer portal. Johnson played three games as a walk-on for the Huskers, and while he showed a lot of promise, he could struggle to get onto the field next season due to the many players ahead of him on the depth chart. Nebraska appears to be well stacked at the linebacker position heading into the 2020 season. Seniors Will Honas and Collin Miller will likely get a lot of playing time this year, while players such as Nick Henrich, Garret Snodgrass, and Jackson Hannah will be significant contributors for the Huskers. Given the heightened competition for playing time at the position, Nebraska fans will understand Johnson’s decision to enter the transfer portal.

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound linebacker could develop into a useful player for any college football team looking to add a defensive playmaker. Johnson recorded 288 tackles as a high school player. In a past interview, Nebraska linebackers’ coach Barrett Ruud had spoken highly about Johnson’s potential. Ruud praised Johnson for his dedication in the weight room and expressed his faith that the walk-on player would get better once he got a few reps at the college level.

However, after Johnson joined the Huskers program in 2018, he has had limited playing opportunities, and it may be time for him to move on from Nebraska Huskers.

Ruud on linebacker position

Coach Ruud has admitted that the linebacker position has a lot of depth heading into his third year with the team. Ruud is confident that his players will be a nightmare for any offense whether they play in the first or second rotation.

The third-year coach is confident that his linebacker unit will be the strongest part of the Husker’s defense. Now that Johnson has officially entered the transfer portal, any college team will be free to offer him a scholarship. However, Nebraska fans will be confident about their team’s chances of winning the Big Ten conference despite losing the talented linebacker. The Huskers are under pressure to record a winning season after posting a dismal 9-15 record over the past two years. The team’s head coach, Scott Frost, has expressed optimism that his team will make the playoffs this season despite losing two players to the transfer portal.
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