Nebraska football defensive backs named 'best of the best' by ESPN

While the Nebraska Football team's defense has been much maligned over the last few years, it appears there is plenty to be excited about in the team's secondary in the upcoming season. This is despite the fact the Cornhuskers are going to have to learn to work with the team's third defensive coordinator in four years when Bob Diaco starts calling plays this season. ESPN recently put together it's "way too early" look at a number of different units in the Big Ten, and the Huskers' secondary earned itself quite a few plaudits.

Lockdown U

Early in the 2016 season, the Nebraska football defense was calling itself Lockdown U as an apparent way for former defensive coordinator Mark Banker to instill some swagger into the Blackshirts. For a time, it seemed to work, as the defense was one of the better passing defenses in college football. Unfortunately, the secondary had problems later on in the season, finding it difficult to stop almost anyone, even less talented offenses like the Iowa Hawkeyes. It appears ESPN believes the struggles through the air the Huskers saw in the latter part of 2016 had less to do with talent and more to do with sub-par coaching.

Mike Riley apparently agreed as he decided it was time for a change.

The best of the best

For the upcoming 2017 season the sports giant has ranked the Nebraska football team's secondary as better than those fielded by Michigan or even Ohio State. Interestingly, the only team to be close to the Huskers in secondary talent is apparently Northwestern. That should make for an interesting matchup when the two schools square off, and the Huskers are more of a passing team than they have been the last few years.

ESPN points to Kieron Williams, Aaron Williams and Chris Jones all returning as reasons to be excited about what the new iteration of Lockdown U can bring. Of course, with the change to the 3-4, Diaco is going to need Nebraska to bring the pain in the secondary as the front seven adjust to living in a new scheme. If the Huskers can live up to the hype, it could be a surprisingly good season.