Following an official visit over the weekend, Syracuse linebacker transfer Stefon Thompson declared his commitment to the Huskers, continuing Nebraska’s trend of completing significant needs outside of the transfer portal.

The 6-foot-1, 248-pound Thompson will provide the Nebraska linebacker room with a physically strong, seasoned presence. Thompson played in 36 games over four seasons at Syracuse, starting 21 of them. He finished with 169 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 20.0 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles. A season-opening injury sustained in the first game of 2022 caused him to miss nearly the entire season.

Additionally, Thompson will reunite with Tony White, the defensive coordinator for Nebraska, who had the same position at Syracuse during Thompson’s time in the ACC programme.

The pledge adds depth to Nebraska’s linebacker group. Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich, two seasoned linebackers from the previous season, were lost by the Huskers. After suffering a knee injury late in the season, Henrich decided not to pursue his career, while Reimer finished his eligibility.

John Bullock and Mikai Gbayor, the team who stole the show the previous season, will be back for the Huskers, but they are hoping for more depth through the transfer portal.

Thompson shown his versatility at Syracuse by being a hard run stopper when necessary in addition to his ability as an edge rusher. Pro Football Focus statistics from last season show that Thompson played 453 snaps at Syracuse, with 257 of those being as an advantage. PFF reports that Thompson recorded 11 pressures and did not miss a tackle in the 2023 campaign.Thompson, a North Carolina native, was a three-star linebacker prospect in high school and decided to attend Syracuse rather than several offers from MAC and Sun Belt schools. Thompson chose the Huskers as a transfer over offers from Kansas State, Florida State, and other schools.