Get to Know Transfer Linebacker MJ Sherman

Nebraska went back into the transfer portal on Monday and landed Georgia outside linebacker MJ Sherman. A former 4 Star and Top 50 prospect, there is a lot of excitment amongst the fan base.

However Sherman saw little playing time on a loaded Georgia defense and fished with only 14 tackles and a half sack in 24 career games. Most of those tackles came on special teams. So what is Nebraska getting in Sherman? After breaking down the tape here is the best case and worse case scenarios.

Best Case Scenario

While it was in a limited amount of defensive snaps, MJ Sherman did show the traits that made him a highly touted prospect. Sherman showed good burst and acceleration to be able to chase down the ball. Against the run Sherman shows the strength to win at the point of attack but still shed blocks to make the tackle. You pair those traits up with a clearer path to playing time and Sherman is finally able to live up to the hype.

For a more detailed look at MJ Sherman, check out my film breakdown above.

Worse Case Scenario

MJ Sherman ends up being this years version of Stephon Wynn Jr. Last year Stephon Wynn Jr. came to Nebraska after being a highly touted recruit who couldn’t see the field at Alabama. Wynn struggled in his first year to be an impact player at defensive tackle and ended up being just a rotational player.

Overall Thoughts

It’s ok to be excited about getting a former Top 50 prospect, but we can’t be expecting be getting the next Randy Gregory. Hopefully Sherman can come in and help give Nebraska a presence on the edge and hopefully along with some teammates help replace some of the production that Garrett Nelson had.