Anthony Jones has already packed a lot of college football into one career, and now his path is about to circle back on itself in a big way at Nebraska.
The veteran edge rusher said after Friday’s practice that he’s aware he’ll line up against three of his former schools this season, but he isn’t turning those games into anything larger than they need to be.
“Yeah, for sure. But, you know, when those games come, you feel it a little bit, but I try to take it one game at a time,” Jones said. “I don't try to make anything too much bigger than what it is because it's not just about me, you know, it's about the team.”
Jones’ college route has been a long one. The former three-star prospect from Liberty High School in Las Vegas spent time at Oregon in 2022, Indiana in 2023, Michigan State in 2024 and UCLA in 2025 before arriving at Nebraska. This season, the Huskers will face those first three programs, giving Jones a chance to go against familiar colors from earlier stops in his journey.
That journey has also given him a wide lens on the game. Through 37 appearances and 14 starts, Jones has posted 58 tackles, 6½ tackles for loss, 3½ sacks and one pass breakup. He called the whole experience “a big blessing.”
“For me, it's been really good. I've been able to make a bunch of relationships. I've gotten to learn a bunch of ball from a bunch of different coaches,” Jones said.
At Nebraska, that background is now feeding into a defensive line room that has spent the offseason sharpening itself. One of the biggest positives for Jones has been working with edges coach Roy Manning, whose Big Ten playing experience has helped the two connect quickly.
“Man, it's been awesome. Especially coming from a guy that's played in this league before. You know that he knows what it takes to be a successful player,” Jones said.
That relationship has turned into more than standard coach-player interaction. Jones said the two have traded ideas throughout the offseason and leaned on each other in different ways.
“So, you know, there's some drills that I will tell him I think are going to work for us and, you know, he comes to me for certain ideas and same same for me to him,” Jones said. “So, it's been really good.”
Fall camp has also given Jones a daily test against Nebraska’s offensive line. Facing Elijah Pritchett, Tree Babalade, Gunnar Gottula, Justin Evans, Paul Mubenga, and Brendan Black has made sure he isn’t getting comfortable.
He said the variety up front has made those reps especially useful.
“You're seeing new things. You're getting different sets.
You're getting all different types of body types,” Jones said. “And with Justin leading them and you know how much ball he's played, it's honestly been really good.”
Manning’s message to the edge group has gone beyond chasing sack totals. The focus has shifted toward controlling the pocket, and Jones said that means staying disciplined inside the scheme rather than freelancing.
“You have to rush four as one. I can't go and try to just chase sacks and run up the field and then if I'm not on the same page as Jahsear or anybody else who's out there,” Jones said. “We all have to be on the same page.”
For Jones, the goal is to make quarterbacks uncomfortable without breaking structure.
“If we force the quarterbacks to throw from the pocket, it's going to be a lot harder for them to beat us,” Jones said. “Just being able to have situational awareness, know how to rush within the defense.”
That kind of approach may end up defining Jones’ role in his senior season, as Nebraska looks to keep building on the defensive progress it has made.
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