Nebraska Safeties Coach Tyler Yelk Suggests His Room Can 'Really Play'

Husker safeties are gaining a command of the playbook, and Yelk believes his group is off to a hot start.

Donovan Jones celebrates his interception against Northwestern. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Nebraska's safety room might be better than you think.

While comments made during fall camp mean little once the season begins, first-year safeties coach Tyler Yelk seems to believe his group can make a difference this fall. Having spent the last three seasons coaching with the Philadelphia Eagles, he knows a thing or two about quality defensive back play.

Based on what he said after practice Tuesday, Yelk likes what he's seeing from his group as the Huskers enter their second week of fall camp.

Dwayne McDougle makes a tackle for San Diego State against Washington State. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Depth and Competition

The Huskers retained several of their contributing defensive backs from a season ago, including safeties such as Donovan Jones and Rex Guthrie, who are both set to enter their sophomore years.

Yelk believes NU has plenty of players who will see the field this fall.

“We have a group of guys that can really play,” he said. “So, we can mix and match that a little bit, which I like. It creates a little bit more chaos on game days; I have to be a little bit more organized in terms of substitutions and things like that, but that’s no problem. We’ll get that taken care of.

Nebraska defensive back Donovan Jones surveys the Michigan offense. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Safeties Beginning to Take Command in a New Scheme

A large part of implementing a new defensive scheme is having the players consistently communicate what needs to be done. From Yelk's perspective, his room is still growing in that area, but he sees his players beginning to adapt.

“It’s a growth process,” he said. “It comes with the confidence of understanding the playbook and eliminating that hesitation. We used to joke that if you don’t know what to call, just call something. Just take charge. So, [I’ve] just been pushing those guys and really appreciate the way they’ve responded. This early in camp, there’s still room to grow, but I really like where we’re at.”

For players like Jones and Guthrie, along with San Diego State transfer Dwayne McDougle, experience helps ease the learning curve. With multiple players capable of taking command, the Huskers appear to be building a safeties room that can confidently fill their roles.

Rob Aurich instructing linebacker Vincent Shavers during a spring football practice. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Having Rob Aurich as a Teammate in College

Yelk played collegiately more than 15 years ago with NU's first-year defensive coordinator, Rob Aurich, at Minnesota-Duluth. From the safety coach's perspective, many of Aurich's qualities as a player are evident in how he approaches his job.

“He was a stud player,” Yelk said. “He was fun to play behind as a safety. He was going to do his job; he had command, and he was going to get to the football. But his demeanor, I mean, what he is up here (on the podium), that’s who he is (as a coach).”

First-year defensive line coach Corey Brown during a spring football practice. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Chemistry of the Defensive Coaching Staff

Yelk isn't the only member of the Huskers' defensive staff who had an existing relationship with Aurich before arriving in Lincoln. In fact, each of the Big Red's first-year defensive assistants has worked with Aurich before.

Asked how the staff's transition has gone, Yelk suggested there hasn't been much of an adjustment at all.

“In one word, seamlessly,” he said when describing the transition. “That’s a credit to Rob. His ability, his emotional IQ- everybody is confident, teetering on arrogant in this profession, and to be able to humble yourself, to be a part of something bigger than you, is what we all have to do. Everybody has done that, but we're ultimately aligned due to Rob’s leadership.”

Nebraska defensive back Andrew Marshall grabs an interception in front of USC wideout Ja'Kobi Lane. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Andrew Marshall's Development

Before cornerback Andrew Marshall became an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selection in 2025, he was developing at the FCS level with Idaho. Yelk was on the Vandals' staff during that time.

While he wasn't directly responsible for coaching Marshall, Yelk suggested he's seen him grow a noteworthy amount since 2022.

“The biggest thing is his approach,” Yelk said. “His mentality has just been unchanged. He thinks he’s the best, and he’s a fierce competitor, and good things are going to happen when you have those traits.”

Jamir Conn | Nebraska Athletics

Other (Safeties) Following Suit

Within his own position group, Yelk sees players with similar traits. Most notably, Donovan Jones and fourth-year senior Jamir Conn have stood out.

“Those guys just work hard,” he said. “Jamir, I’ve had to pull the reins on him. I’ve had to be like, ‘Hey, we can’t be overtraining.’ They’re always having follow-up questions; they’re always asking for more. Both of those guys are just really great athletes, and I appreciate those guys aligning themselves with where we’re trying to put them.”

Both players are being asked to fill roles they haven't before, even changing position groups. In Yelk's eyes, they're not only willing to make the move but eager to do so.

---

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.