Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Nebraska football: 3 second-year players who’ll become stars in 2023

By Connor Muldowney

Sep 10, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Ajay Allen (9) runs with the ball against Georgia Southern Eagles defenders during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Ajay Allen (9) runs with the ball against Georgia Southern Eagles defenders during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
Nov 25, 2022; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Malcolm Hartzog (13) tackles Iowa Hawkeyes defensive lineman Logan Lee (85) at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 25, 2022; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Malcolm Hartzog (13) tackles Iowa Hawkeyes defensive lineman Logan Lee (85) at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports /

Nebraska’s defense hasn’t been up to par for years and Matt Rhule will have some talented defensive backs to work with to ensure that changes.

Malcolm Hartzog is going to be one of Rhule’s first star defensive players in 2023 and I could see him having an all-conference-type season with the Cornhuskers. He played really well as a freshman and with even better coaching (no offense, Scott Frost), he’ll become one of the top cornerbacks in the Big Ten.

Hartzog finished his freshman season with 22 tackles, three interceptions, and two pass breakups. He was a budding star who just barely scratched the surface for the Cornhuskers and he projects to be a starter at cornerback in 2023.

It’s hard to believe that Hartzog wasn’t even one of the top recruits in a fairly lackluster 2022 recruiting class for Nebraska. In fact, he was a mid-three-star who was listed as the No. 99 cornerback in the nation and 27th-best prospect from the state of Mississippi, according to the 247Sports composite.

Talk about exceeding expectations.

Next. Way-too-early Top 25 projections for 2023. dark

Home/Nebraska Cornhuskers