It looks as if Nebraska will be getting a new defensive tackle soon.
Darrion Daniels, brother to current Husker defensive tackle Damion Daniels and Oklahoma State Cowboy, intends to grad transfer to Nebraska for his final season of eligibility. The news was first reported by 247 Sports’ Robert Allen and confirmed by The Oklahoman’s Nathan Ruiz.
Darrion, a 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle for the Pokes, is a former 4-star commit who started each of the Cowboys first four games this season on the d-line before a finger injury forced him off the field. Surgery to the injured finger cost him the rest of the 2018 season and allowed him to save his final year of eligibility.
A regular rotation player from the jump, Darrion played in every game as a true freshman and logged 16 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. His sophomore season saw him appear in each of the team’s 13 games where he made 15 tackles.
For the last two seasons, Darrion has started every game he’s been available for. An injury cost him the final three games of Oklahoma State’s 2017 campaign — his junior season where he tallied 26 tackles and five tackles for loss — and then the finger injury this past year.
In the four games Darrion played in, he totaled seven tackles and a sack.
With the graduation of Mick Stoltenberg and Peyton Newell on the defensive line, as well as Freedom Akinmoladun on the end, Nebraska will have plenty of snaps open heading into 2019.
After redshirting in 2017, Damion Daniels appeared in every game this season for the Huskers, picking up 12 tackles and one for loss.
The Davis twins, Carlos and Khalil will be entering their senior seasons and both figure to play key roles on the line next season. Khalil led all defensive linemen this season with 41 tackles, including seven for a loss and three sacks. Carlos had 27 tackles, including three for a loss and one sack.
In addition, Nebraska will return Ben Stille, Deontre Thomas and Vaha Vainuku along the line, with recently-redshirted freshmen Casey Rogers and Tate Wildeman adding to the depth in the room.
Line coach Mike Dawson likes for his guys to be interchangeable on the line — the Davis twins both played inside and out, Stille played some nose as well — but with a legit 300-pounder with plenty of starting experience coming to town, Nebraska will certainly find room for him in the middle.
Nebraska also has two defensive tackle commits in the 2019 class in Ethan Piper and Tony Fair.
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