Jeremy Pernell: Tapping the SEC for Linebacker Talent

Transfers MJ Sherman from Georgia and Chief Borders from Florida give Nebraska weapons at a position where versatility is a plus

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Seventh in a series on Nebraska football’s transfer additions heading into fall camp.

In Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White's 3-3-5 system, players need to be able to take on multiple assignments so the defense can throw different looks at offenses. One of the principles of his system is that linebackers may be asked to be edge rushers, run stoppers or drop into coverage from one call to the next.

The system is designed to create havoc. It generates pressure on the quarterback from different angles. At Syracuse, White played 3-man, 4-man and 5-man fronts. He was good at confusing the offense by changing up the box count. He disguised his coverages well and had some pretty exotic blitz packages.

The onus is on the second and third levels of the defense to make this system run at optimal performance.

Nebraska will need a few years to recruit and develop players who fit the physical and athletic profiles to be most effective in this scheme. Tony White needs fast linebackers who can cover ground and defend large areas of the field. He'll need them to be comfortable playing in space.

The three linebacker spots in this defense are the "Mike," "Will" and "Jack." The Mike will cover the inside gaps and primarily stay inside the box. The Will covers the weakside of the offensive formation and needs to be adept in coverage. The Jack is a hybrid of the traditional "Sam" linebacker who lines up on the strongside of the formation. In White's system, the Jack will occasionally be asked to play off the ball and cover like an outside linebacker, but primarily his job will be to rush the passer as an edge rusher, sometimes in a four-man front.

Two-time honorable-mention All-Big Ten performer Luke Reimer, who has started 27 career games, is the only sure bet heading into the season. I think he's your Mike. Most people are expecting oft-injured junior Nick Henrich to join him in the starting lineup, but I wouldn't count out former walk-on safety John Bullock being the primary Will this season. Either way, those are the three guys you can expect to handle the bulk of the reps at those two spots this fall.

The Jack position should have several candidates. Jimari Butler is a guy the staff likes and should get a lot of snaps this fall. True freshman Maverick Noonan is being groomed for the position and Princewill Umanmielen is another new arrival who could ultimately end up at that spot.

The guy most are expecting to win the No. 1 job is Mekhail "MJ" Sherman, one of the most celebrated transfer additions of the offseason.

MJ Sherman / Nebraska Athletics

MJ Sherman was a consensus four-star recruit in the 2020 class, ranking as the No. 18 (ESPN), No. 39 (Rivals) and No. 75 (247Sports) player in the class. He was also selected to play in the prestigious Under Armour All-American game.

As incredible as it may sound, his recruiting profile actually took a hit late in his high school career. He was on track to be a consensus five-star recruit and the best linebacker in his class.

In the spring and summer of 2018, heading into his junior year, Sherman was absolutely dominating camps. He was arguably the best player at The Opening Regional in New Jersey (April) and the Under Armour Camp in Baltimore (May). His performances earned him the invitation as an underclassmen to The Opening Finals that summer.

Competing against the best players in the 2019 and 2020 classes, Sherman once again stood out. At the event, he clocked a laser-timed 4.53-second 40-yard dash, making him the fastest linebacker at the event.

His stock was soaring heading into the season and he was named one of five finalists for the 2019 High School Butkus Award. Unfortunately, a torn ACL and partial meniscus tear in the first game wiped out his junior year. It was a long, frustrating rehab and he wasn't completely over his knee injury as a senior, as he struggled to regain all of his explosiveness.

Even so, he earned over 30 offers, including Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin, among many others. Sherman chose Georgia over finalists Ohio State, Florida and Penn State.

Sherman arrived in Athens and was a key member of Georgia’s special teams units while playing a reserve role at outside linebacker as a true freshman.

Over the next couple seasons, Sherman continued to be a full-time special teamer, appearing in 39 career games, but never moved up the depth chart ladder and saw only 140 snaps on defense.

The Bulldog recruiting machine is in a stratosphere that only one or two other programs can see from orbit. They stockpile talent on an annual basis, and Sherman got lost in that churn.

During his postseason meeting with Georgia coaches, he was told they planned to focus on the younger guys' development and didn't foresee a future for him beyond special teams.

That's a reflection of the embarrassment of elite defensive talent on the roster rather than an indictment against Sherman. The consensus among Georgia insiders was that Sherman could start and be a difference-maker for the majority of Power Five schools.

He simply got lost in the shuffle playing for one of the most talented defenses in modern history. Following this year's NFL draft, Georgia's 2021 title team has now had seven defenders drafted in the first round. In total, 14 players from that defense have been drafted thus far, including every starter.

With three years to play two more seasons, Sherman entered the transfer portal on Jan.y 13. Once again, new Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule used his connections to Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown to get intel on Sherman and a jump on his recruitment.

Nebraska moved quickly, getting MJ and several of his family members to Lincoln that night to start an official visit the following day. On Monday, Jan. 16, Sherman committed to Husker coaches at the conclusion of his visit.

The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Sherman arrived with big expectations due to his recruiting profile and as a member of the Georgia program. He's lived up to the hype so far. He quickly established himself as a leader on defense both on and off the field during spring, which culminated with him getting four tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss playing with the No. 1 defense in the Huskers’ spring game.

He spent most of spring working at the Jack position, but with his size, speed, and athleticism, he could line up at linebacker or defensive end in Tony White's system.

I really like this pickup on several levels. Beyond what he'll bring to the table as a player on the field, Sherman is a high-character kid. He's coming from the premier college football program in the country. He knows what championship locker rooms look like. How hard they have to work. Their day-to-day approach. It lines up with the culture Rhule wants to build.

Half of Nebraska's 12 portal additions come from two SEC schools. MJ Sherman, Arik Gilbert and Jacob Hood get most of the attention, but there are a trio of Florida Gators now in Lincoln that should make their marks too.

Chief Borders / Nebraska Athletics

I talked about long snapper Marco Ortiz on Monday and I'll get to safety Corey Collier tomorrow. The staff also added a versatile front-seven piece with Hassan "Chief" Borders.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Borders was born and raised in Chicago, but he played high school football at Heard County in Carrollton, Georgia. He was rated a four-star recruit and the No. 124 player by ESPN in the 2021 class. He finished second for the High School Butkus Award in 2020 and was selected to play in the prestigious Under Armour All-America Game.

He had over 40 offers and chose Florida over Arkansas, Auburn, Michigan State and Stanford, while also having notable offers from Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Pitt, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and West Virginia among many others.

Borders enrolled early at Florida and played four games as a true freshman - the most allowed to preserve his redshirt. This past season he appeared in all 12 of the Gators’ regular-season games, once again playing primarily on special teams, and he was recognized as one of four special teams players of the year by teammates and coaches.

Borders was recruited by former Gator head coach Dan Mullen to play the Sam linebacker spot in former defensive coordinator Todd Grantham's 3-4 system. He stayed during the transition to Billy Napier last season but wasn't a fit for what Patrick Toney wanted to do on defense.

Not happy with his role and unsure of his place in the defense moving forward, Borders entered the transfer portal on the first day it officially opened, Dec. 5. Florida coaches tried to convince him to stay, but Borders wanted a fresh start.

Matt Rhule contacted him on Dec. 8 and after a long conversation offered Borders a scholarship. Borders came to Lincoln for an official visit the weekend of Dec. 16 and committed to the Huskers on the 20th.

Being in on the ground floor of a rebuild, Borders will have the chance to reset the trajectory of his career. Tony White's 3-3-5 system seems ideal for a player with his skillset. Not only should he provide help as a pass rusher, but after playing cornerback early in his prep career, Borders offers versatility as someone who can drop into coverage as well.

Borders has three years of eligibility remaining and should be a mainstay on special teams this year. MJ Sherman and Jimari Butler are the early favorites to receive the majority of snaps at the Jack position as training camp opens Monday, but don't count Borders out from forcing his way into that conversation.