Nebraska’s defense gained a new commitment on Monday. This one comes fresh off a National Championship.
Former Georgia linebacker Mekhail “MJ” Sherman pledged to Nebraska following his official visit and a week after convincingly winning the national title. The former 5-star recruit from the 2020 class tallied one tackle in that game.
Sherman entered the portal on Friday. He largely played special teams in three seasons for the Bulldogs. The vast majority of his true defensive snaps came in a reserve role. Sherman’s stat line over those three seasons includes 15 tackles, 1.0 TFLs and 0.5 sack. He became one of the displaced players who couldn’t crack the lineup as the Bulldogs continued to add highly touted recruits. Last season, he played a team-high 226 special teams snaps but just 42 defensive snaps in 13 games.
The Washington, D.C., native previously told Athens media the team’s national title campaigns helped him grow as a player and a person. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart spoke highly of Sherman’s contributions as well.
“He had some really big plays on kickoff (against Kent State) and he’s a leader on the punt block and return team,” Smart said during the season. “I’m just really proud of the maturity he’s shown, and he’s gotten a lot better as an outside linebacker, too.”
Smart went onto say Sherman would make the most of his opportunities as they came to him. Sherman took the opportunity to play on a competitive roster seriously. He became a vocal part of the team, rallying and motivating his teammates.
Sherman’s choice to Nebraska emboldens Tony White’s defense. Nebraska’s linebacking group lost key contributor Ernest Hausmann but returns the duo of Nick Henrich and Luke Reimer. Former Florida linebacker Chief Borders is already on campus to add immediate depth. Sherman’s position could change, potentially to fit an edge rusher if needed should coaches see a future for him at that position. But his commitment adds needed depth to the linebacking group.
