Jeremy Pernell: Stefon Thompson Gives Nebraska Depth at Linebacker

Though not likely to be a starter this season, the transfer from Syracuse appears on track to play an active role this football season, likely seeing time at all three linebacker spots for the Huskers.

Oct 30, 2021; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange linebacker Stefon Thompson (7) sacks Boston College Eagles quarterback Emmett Morehead (14) in the second quarter at the Carrier Dome. / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Seventh in a series on Nebraska's additions via the transfer portal. Previous installments: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

This is the deepest Husker defense we've seen since Bo Pelini's heyday of 2009 and 2010.

Although I do think this could be a top 15 defense nationally, I'm not suggesting these Blackshirts are going to run roughshod over everyone they play like those Nebraska football teams did. Those squads — particularly 2009 — were truly special.

I'm just highlighting the quality depth throughout the unit.

Thanks to tremendous recruiting and development, these coaches have stacked nearly every position group.

All three starters on the defensive line — Ty Robinson, Nash Hutmacher, Jimari Butler — were honorable-mention All-Big Ten last season. There are probably 10 guys in that room who the coaches would feel confident playing key snaps; Robinson, Hutmacher and Butler, along with Cam Lenhardt, Elijah Jeudy, Riley Van Poppel, James Williams, Sua Lefotu, Vincent Jackson and Kai Wallin. Also, don't sleep on true freshman Keona Davis. I think he'll push for playing time this fall as well.

The secondary has more scholarship players in its room than any other position group on the team. They return honorable-mention All-Big Ten players Isaac Gifford and Tommi Hill, and like the D-line, probably have 10 guys the staff feels comfortable with; Gifford and Hill, along with Marques Buford, DeShon Singleton, Malcolm Hartzog, Blye Hill, Jeremiah Charles, Ceyair Wright, Dwight Bootle and Mario Buford. Caleb Benning is another true freshman who might be difficult to keep off the field this season.

The Jack position is in good hands with MJ Sherman and Princewill Umanmielen splitting most of these reps. Maverick Noonan is someone to keep an eye on in the future. The redshirt freshman was on a trajectory to play last year before a knee injury took away his season.

If there's a position where coaches may have been a bit worried heading into the offseason, it's probably linebacker. The team was set to lose 37-game starter Luke Reimer, who leaves Nebraska with 293 career tackles, which is third-most in program history.

They also lost Nick Henrich to retirement. The Omaha native was a 2022 team captain and a single-digit jersey recipient in 2023. He played in 35 career games with 22 starts and brought tremendous leadership to the team.

A number of players went into the offseason with decisions to make about their futures. Among that group was 10-game starter John Bullock, another single-digit jersey player. He was on the fence for a while and had he decided to walk away, there would have been a pretty big void left at linebacker.

Thankfully he returns, along with part-time starters Javin Wright and Mikai Gbayor, giving Nebraska a solid three-man rotation. The staff is also extremely high on true freshman Vincent Shavers, who is likely going to play a lot of snaps this season.

Nebraska sought to add depth at linebacker for the coming season through the transfer portal. The Huskers came away with one of defensive coordinator Tony White's former pupils. Someone with plenty of experience and production who has a chance to be an instant-impact player for the Blackshirts.

Coming out of Charlotte (N.C.) Vance High School, Stefon Thompson signed with Syracuse over Wisconsin and won a starting job in White's 3-3-5 defense after enrolling early as a true freshman in 2020. In doing so, he became just the fourth Orange freshman — and the first true freshman linebacker — to start a season opener on defense in 10 years.

He started all 12 games the following season, finishing second on the team with 79 tackles and 8 tackles for loss. Thompson also had 6 sacks, which was the sixth-most by a sophomore in program history.

Expectations were high for Thompson heading into the 2022 season. He was named preseason third-team All-ACC by both Pro Football Focus and Athlon. Unfortunately, just as his career seemed to be taking off, it was sidetracked after he tore the ACL in his right knee during the first half of the season opener against Louisville and missed the remainder of the season. His absence was noticeable throughout the year as the Orange struggled to defend against the run and consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks.

Last season, Thompson appeared in every game for Syracuse. Although he started only one contest — the Boca Raton Bowl versus South Florida — Thompson was a key rotational player, finishing sixth on the team with 52 tackles.

Across four seasons at Syracuse, Thompson appeared in 36 games, making 21 starts and amassing 169 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles — which ranks 20th in Syracuse history.

Thompson entered the transfer portal on Dec. 27, a little more than a month after the firing of Syracuse head coach Dino Babers.

A number of schools inquired about Thompson, who quickly narrowed his focus to four teams; Nebraska, Florida State, Kansas State and Arizona State.

Thompson took a visit to Tallahassee coming out of the recruiting dead period and followed that up with a trip to Lincoln for the Jan. 5 weekend.

Along with Tony White, Thompson also had existing relationships with Husker defensive staffers Josh Bringuel, Jack Potenza and Kevin McGarry, who were brought to Nebraska from Syracuse by White when he took the job in Lincoln.

Thompson was sold on the opportunity to compete for immediate playing time in a scheme he knew front to back for coaches he had extensive backgrounds with. He announced his commitment to Nebraska on Jan. 11, choosing the Huskers over Florida State.

I wrote yesterday about the difficulty most incoming transfers have at initially meeting the standards Matt Rhule has at Nebraska. Having a three-year history playing for Tony White didn't prevent Thompson from struggling to assimilate after arriving in Lincoln.

“Stefon’s had a difficult transition,” Rhule stated bluntly in late March. “He didn’t come in in the best of shape, hadn’t really done our offseason program before. All very new to him. And it’s been a struggle.” Rhule would go on to add that Thompson had “worked hard to catch up physically” so his body looks “significantly better,” Rhule said, in those last few weeks.

To his credit, Thompson got dialed in as the spring progressed, losing 10 pounds and getting into the shape needed to contribute this fall.

The 6-foot-1, 240-pound Thompson's size and physicality should be a good fit in the Big Ten. He'll bring a veteran presence to the linebacker room, and his knowledge of White's 3-3-5 defense should provide a smooth transition to Nebraska. Thompson also played in a similar version of the defense last season under White's mentor, Rocky Long, who was hired by Syracuse when White left for Nebraska.

Thompson has played 1,486 snaps in his college career, meaning he has an advanced degree in the 3-3-5. He'll be another resource — particularly for the younger players — to come to if they have questions about the scheme.

When he was healthy, Thompson thrived in this defense and was a crucial part of White's scheme during their time together at Syracuse. He showed versatility as both an edge rusher, as well as someone who was physical in stopping the run and adequate dropping into coverage.

Thompson is capable of playing all three linebacker roles; he'll be able to play either the Mike or Will inside spots, or even the Jack position, which usually aligns on the line of scrimmage and goes up against offensive linemen and tight ends.

Thompson didn’t miss a tackle during the 2023 season, according to Pro Football Focus, and posted elite tackling grades during his time at Syracuse; 91.3 in 2023 and 90.2 in 2021.

Thompson has two seasons of eligibility remaining on his six-year clock and should be a mainstay in Nebraska's linebacking corps during that time. I don't think he'll come out of fall camp as a starter this season, however.

John Bullock seems a lock at one linebacker spot and Javin Wright is a high-upside ascending player who likely lines up next to him. The staff also loves the long-term potential of Princewill Umanmielen at the Jack spot. Regardless, Thompson will have an active role this season, likely seeing time at all three spots.

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