Get to Know New Husker Stephon Wynn Jr

After losing four defensive lineman to transfer or graduation, the Huskers turned to the portal to add TCU pass rusher and Texas Tech tackle Devin Drew. But Nebraska’s coaching staff wasn’t done as Alabama’s Stephon Wynn Jr is the latest commitment. Here is a look at Stephon Wynn Jr and what we could expect out of him at Nebraska.

Concern of Lack of Playing Time

Wynn Jr. may not have gotten a ton of playing time at Alabama as he only has 16 tackles and no sacks to his name. But let’s not forget that coming out of IMG Academy he was the 70th best prospect and #3 defensive end according to 247 Sports. So there is some talent to work with.

And while he was on the bench, Wynn Jr wasn’t sitting behind a bunch of scrubs. Wynn Jr. had to sit behind Raekwon Davis, Christian Barmore and Phidarian Mathis who all were 2nd round NFL Draft prospects over the past three seasons. Not to mention Alabama returns DJ Dale and Byron Young who are expected to be top 50 prospects for the 2023 NFL Draft.

What is Nebraska Getting

When I watched Wynn Jr play the thing that stood out to me was his ability to stop the run. Wynn Jr shows good strength at the point of attack and is able to anchor in, while putting himself in a position to shed and make tackles. Mathis was also good at eating up blocks which should be good news for Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich.

As a pass rusher, Wynn Jr is limited. He does show the ability to use his power to move interior lineman off their spots. However Wynn Jr lacks good lateral agility and burst to really become a consistent pass rusher. But if he can eat blocks and allow guys like Ochaun Mathis and Garrett Nelson to get more one on one blocks, then he’s doing his job.

Where does Wynn Jr. Fit In

Adding Wynn Jr to the mix really helps the Nebraska defensive line that was lacking experience. Ty Robinson is presumed to be locked into starting at one of the tackle positions while the other is up for grabs. I look for Wynn Jr to battle it out with Devin Drew and some of the young guys on the roster. Don’t be surprised if Wynn Jr. wins the starting role and is used as a the run defender while Devin Drew rotates in as a pass rusher.