Terrance Knighton, Nebraska football’s defensive line coach, feels that every defense and defensive line should be nicknamed.
“Purple People Eaters” became synonymous with the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive line during the 1960s and 1970s. After winning four Super Bowls in the 1970s, the Pittsburgh Steelers insured that their “Steel Curtain” nickname would go on in perpetuity. The “New York Sack Exchange” may be the most underappreciated nickname in NFL history, owing to the team’s lack of playoff success during its 1980s tenure.
A short Google search will yield a few more prominent examples of NFL mythology, but you get the point: Nicknames are nice, nicknames are fun, and nicknames are for everyone.
And the Huskers’ defensive line has a solid one, a new one developed this offseason by their position coach.
“Death Row”
This fall, expect to see that name on your favorite (and least favorite) social networking platforms, apparel, and other items. Especially if the Huskers’ good combination of veterans and youngs – both of which might contain multiple future NFL players – has the type of season envisioned in Year 2 under Knighton, Tony White, and company.
“It’s a name that we picked up, it’s a name that the guys enjoy, we have a secret handshake, we take a lot of pride in it,” says Knighton. “And as close as we are as a team – we do a lot of things together off the field – those guys like it, and it gives us individuality. And I believe that every defensive lineman should have a nickname. Those men enjoy it. “They enjoy it, but they take it very seriously.”
Knighton would most certainly consider himself a master of the nicknaming craft.
“Yes, it is what I do. That’s what I do, and it brings everyone together. It challenges them every day,” Knighton stated when asked about his propensity for generating nicknames during a recent interview with Huskers Radio Network.
He offered the example of James Williams, a redshirt sophomore defensive end whose profile improved in the middle of the 2023 season after transferring from Iowa Central Community College in the summer.
“Him being labeled as Sack Man, he knows like, ‘OK, third down, everyone’s looking at me,’ so he gotta get the job done,” said Knighton.
Williams has two nicknames: “Sticks,” which the second-year Husker earned on his JUCO team after the long and slender true freshman racked up 18 tackles, six sacks, and two forced fumbles in 2022. And now for the one that will stick – “Sack Man” – but let’s throw in another one.
“It’s odd that you use the word ‘fireworks.’ “That’s exactly who James is every day,” Knighton stated. “He pushes me to be a better coach, and he’s simply a fantastic person. Had a different route to Nebraska than most, arrived at a camp, and had to start the following week. Every day, James strives to do the right thing and pushes himself to be one of the toughest guys in the weight room in terms of competition. That was his struggle this year: not just being a third-down specialist, but also being able to play every down.
“His body has transformed; he’s gained 10-15 pounds of muscle. He’s simply doing the right things; life is beginning to calm down for a while, and he’s becoming comfortable. He was bashful last year and didn’t spend much time with the men, but today he’s a guy who the guys seek out. James is doing an excellent job, and I expect huge things from Sack Man this year on both first and second down.”
Williams isn’t the only person Knighton has high hopes for in 2024. We’ll get more over the weekend, since he went over practically every scholarship player in his position room during a 30-minute interview. Here are three more players who jump out as potential breakout performers this fall:
JIMARI BUTLER
Jimari Butler, what started to click for him that allowed him to play his best ball at the end of the season
Jimari Butler missed the season opener at Minnesota with an injury but recovered to play in the other 11 games, including six starts, en route to setting career highs in tackles (34), TFLs (8.5) and sacks (5.5), the latter two of which led the team as he earned honorable mention All-Big Ten.
Butler had logged 87 snaps across 15 games played across his first three years at Nebraska (which includes the true freshman season in which he redshirted in 2021), so putting up those numbers could already considered to be a “breakout season.”
As he enters his fifth season, though, we are still waiting for Butler to have that truly dominant or explosive run in which he showcases his 6-4, 245-pound frame and athleticism.
This very well could be that year year as he flourished in 2023 after finally finding his home in the Husker defense and settling into a full-time role.
“He’s a great athlete, and he’s very smart,” Knighton said. “When we first got here, he was playing linebacker – like outside linebacker – and one day, in the run period, he dominated the guy. And I was like, ‘This guy can play D line.’ He’s rugged enough and tough enough to do it. He’s a guy who’s changed his body this offseason, put on 25 pounds of muscle. He looks like a D-lineman now, doesn’t look like a linebacker.
“He’s a very smart player, he sees the game well, (the game) moves slow for him, and towards the end of (last) year he became one of our better players. He’ll be a guy that we depend on this year as well, and I expect him to take a big step and be one of the better players in this conference.”
Along with the increased on-field production comes a louder, and more respected, voice in the locker room. Butler has become one of core leaders on the defense, in addition to fellow D-line mates Nash Hutmacherand Ty Robinson.
“Those three guys – Nash, Ty and Jimari – are all different, and they all have different forms of leadership,” Knighton said. “Jimari is more the vocal guy on a day in, day out basis, Ty is more the vocal guy on the field, and Nash is just, ‘follow me, just do what I do.’ It’s a dynamic combination.
“Jimari is just one of those guys that has a huge impact on the team, he has a huge impact on other position groups, like, I see him hanging with wide receivers and running backs. So he’s just a great all-around leader, he’s well-liked off the field, and it carries onto the field. He’s a guy that, during the (summer) break, didn’t leave. He worked out every day, stayed here, was with Kristin and her staff, made sure he’s doing the right thing so his mind is right. The guys like to follow him, and it’s definitely going to help our group.”
SUA LEFOTU
Sua Lefotuhas been a name mentioned here and there – almost with an undertone – from August 2023, when he was a true freshman, all the way to the spring of 2024. He doesn’t get talked about a ton, but there is definitely something there.
Lefotu is one who we would peg as a breakout candidate on this Husker roster for 2024. And that is despite the fact that he recorded just two tackles and a fumble recovery (which set up the Huskers’ garbage-time touchdown in the waning seconds against Colorado) while playing 25 snaps across three games last season (seven snaps in Week 2 against Colorado, 17 snaps in Week 5 against Michigan and one snap in the finale against Iowa).
When we saw him up close in the spring and once more in the summer, however, it’s impossible to not come away with the same feeling about the 6-3, 300-pounder out of famed California football factory St. John Bosco: That guy looks like he’s going to be a dude.
“Sua has taken the biggest jump on the field (among the defensive linemen),” Knighton said. “He’s a guy that I challenged a lot this offseason. A guy who, as a freshman, I thought could come in right away because he’s very dynamic, has the same skillset as Elijah Jeudy and played a little bit as a freshman to get a good feel. The beautiful thing about the four-game (rule) and still redshirting is they can get a great feeling of, ‘OK, I gotta get stronger. I gotta do these things to get better.’ And Sua got a good taste for that his freshman year, and now he took a big leap this offseason and this spring.
“He’s changed his body, something I challenged him to do. He’s doing well academically – always done well with that – but his personality is starting to show in the room. He’s probably the quietest guy – well, now it’s Ashton Murphy who’s probably the quietest guy – but now he’s starting to feel comfortable in the room, and his personality is coming out.”
PRINCEWILL UMANMIELEN
The fourth and final guy on this list is another, like Butler, who you could argue has already experienced somewhat of a breakout season in 2023. He’s a guy who is not identified as strictly a defensive lineman, but he will certainly get his share of time with a hand in the dirt as a hybrid Jack linebacker.
Princewill Umanmielen, however, was still miles away from the ceiling he’s capable of hitting by the end of his true freshman season. He played in 11 games and logged 250 snaps to finish third behind Malachi Coleman (335) and Cam Lenhardt (266) for the most snaps among the Huskers’ true freshmen.
“Just like Cam was last year, he was a young guy trying to figure out his role and how successful he can be on the field,” Knighton said. “So he’s doing all the things he needs to do. The leadership of our senior group is tremendous. So it might sound like I’m saying the same thing by everybody, but those guys have just been doing a great job.
“With how dynamic Princewill is, we’re expecting him to be one of those game-changing guys off the edge and, with his versatility, be able to drop, pass rush, play the run, slip blocks and those type of things. We’re expecting big, big things out of him where he should be one of the better guys in the conference as a young guy.”
He produced 22 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, one sack and four QB hurries.
Again, that was somewhat of a breakout season, given that he was a true freshman. An impressive all-around campaign and strong building block. Now it’s all about laying down some more brick in 2024.
“Just take it a day at a time, take it a day at a time, focusing on the process, and we’ll rest at the end,” Knighton said of what it will take for Umanmielen to reach another level. “Right now, he’s just focused on being on time to breakfast, being at his lift, getting stronger, getting in his playbook, get in the film room, going out doing field work, taking it one day at a time and just trusting the process, taking the coaching and just doing what he has to do. Not focusing on the end, not worrying about the first game. We’re just focusing on being the best we can on Thursday.”
