Nebraska’s edge room is getting a different look this fall, and Cam Lenhardt sounds ready for it.
With the Huskers shifting to a four-down front under new defensive coordinator Rob Aurich, Lenhardt said the move should put him back in the role he knows best: chasing quarterbacks. For a player entering his fourth year in Lincoln, that matters. It also comes with more responsibility.
Lenhardt, a Staten Island, New York, native who arrived with Nebraska’s 2023 recruiting class, is expected to take on the biggest role of his career this season. The former College Football Network Freshman All-American Honorable Mention pick said the adjustment to Aurich’s system has gone smoothly, and he had plenty of praise for the new staff leader.
"For me, he's like a mad scientist; he's a genius," Lenhardt said. "I like his energy level. Great person to be around, and I'm always asking him questions."
What stands out most to Lenhardt is how Aurich presents the defense. He said the coach has a way of making the scheme easy to grasp, even when he’s diving into the details with the edge defenders.
"It's the way he teaches it to you," Lenhardt said. "It's the way he breaks it down. Sometimes he'll come in with the edges, and he'll break it down in the way that he sees it, and you'll be like, 'Dang, he knows what he's talking about.'"
Lenhardt also made it clear that his own role is changing along with the defense. At 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, he’s not just a pass rusher anymore; he’s becoming one of the voices younger players lean on.
"Being in my fourth year, I learned a lot from guys like Ty (Robinson) and Nash (Hutmacher)," he said. "I learned a lot from them, and this year I've been a little more vocal and a lot of guys come to me if they have questions or want advice. It's a privilege."
That leadership piece is showing up in Nebraska’s edge group, where sophomores Kade Pietrzak and William Nwaneri are expected to help build depth this fall. Lenhardt said both players have brought real competition to the room and aren’t shy about asking for help.
"I love having such a competitive group," he said. "We've been pushing each other in spring ball.
But those are the guys that want to learn. They're always asking questions like, 'Hey, Cam, how can I get better here?'
and things of that nature. So, those are two guys that I really enjoy working with."
Pietrzak finished with 7 tackles for loss and 2 sacks, while Nwaneri posted 5 tackles for loss and 2½ sacks. Nebraska will need that kind of production behind veterans like Lenhardt and UCLA transfer Anthony Jones.
Lenhardt has already put together a solid Nebraska career, with 55 tackles and 5½ sacks. He can come back for another season, but he said he isn’t letting that possibility take over his focus right now.
"I haven't really been trying to let it cloud my thoughts," he said. "Just trying to cross the bridge (when the season's over). But it's a blessing to have that extra year."
He went a step further and said he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, making it sound like if he does use that additional season, Lincoln is where he wants it to happen.
Another name to watch in the edge group is Jeremiah Jones, who made the switch from wide receiver to edge after being listed as a receiver during his first Nebraska season. The redshirt freshman, once a four-star athlete recruit out of Kentucky, played the position on Friday nights in high school, and Lenhardt likes what he sees so far.
"He's a freak," he said. "Athletic, strong, fast.
So, I don't think it will be a hard transition for him. I'm excited to see what he does."
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