Nebraska football has entered a three-week runway of bowl preparation, and for one of the youngest rosters in the country, it’s a critical window for growth.

Every rep matters, and this month offers the team a chance to reset and respond after a discouraging close to the regular season.

For redshirt freshman cornerback Donovan Jones, it’s a second go-around with bowl prep, but the stakes feel different now. A year removed from using this same stretch to make his own jump, Jones enters December 2025 with starting experience and a much deeper understanding of what these practices can mean for younger players. Meeting with the media earlier this week, he broke down the progress he’s made in his expanded role and outlined what still needs to improve heading into 2026.

With that in mind, here’s everything the up-and-coming cornerback had to say during his time at the mic.

For Jones, bowl preparation has already proven to be more than just extra practice time. After redshirting in 2024, the weeks between the regular season and the bowl game became a turning point in his development, offering a volume of reps that simply weren’t available once the season was underway. With a single game to prepare for and a sharper focus on individual growth, that stretch provided Jones a runway to refine his skills and build confidence across multiple roles in the secondary.

“I’ve told a couple of the younger corners, I was playing both safety and corner during the bowl prep, just getting a whole bunch of reps. And that’s where I made my little jump. And then obviously when I got put in the bowl game, it showed,” Jones said. The versatility he gained during that stretch allowed him to transition more comfortably when his number was called. And 12 months later, Jones has already started 10 games in his collegiate career.

Now, on the other side of that experience, the Omaha native understands the value of the process better than most. Rather than viewing bowl prep as additional work, he sees it as an extension of the season itself and one that younger players can take advantage of, if willing. With a starting role already secured this fall, Jones is approaching this go-around with purpose, hoping the same formula that sparked his initial jump can serve as a springboard towards even more growth in 2026.

While looking forward to his team’s next test, Jones didn’t shy away from addressing Nebraska’s late-season struggles, pointing directly to a lack of physicality as the defining issue in the losses to Penn State and Iowa. For the Huskers, the breakdown wasn’t necessarily schematic. The soon-to-be sophomore said it was about tone. When Nebraska failed to control the line of scrimmage, the results quickly followed.

“We were just getting beat physically. That’s just not how we can be at Nebraska,” Jones said. “We need to be the one beating on people. We need to be the most violent team in the country. We didn’t do that those last two games, and it showed.” The blunt assessment reflects a growing maturity within the underclassmen and a player learning what the standard must look like on a weekly basis.

That mindset has carried into bowl preparation, where physicality has become a focal point rather than an afterthought. From Jones’ words, practices have emphasized a sustained effort from everyone on the field. For a defense trying to find its identity under new leadership, the lessons from November now serve as fuel, reinforcing what Nebraska must become if it expects to take the next step in 2026.

As Nebraska prepares to face Utah, Jones views the bowl game as a measuring stick for how much the team will grow over the next month. With a physical opponent on deck and a national stage awaiting in Las Vegas, the opportunity to respond comes now. For the Blackshirts able to return next fall, it’s a chance to apply the lessons learned late in the season and show tangible growth before turning the page.

For Jones specifically, bowl prep represents another milestone in his development. A year ago, extra reps helped kickstart his rise. Now, with a full season of starting experience behind him, he’s entering this stretch with clearer expectations of what it takes to play at a high level in the Big Ten. The focus is no longer on earning opportunities, but maximizing them.

That progression mirrors Nebraska’s trajectory as a program. With a young roster, new leadership across the staff, and an offseason ahead filled with competition, moments like these carry added weight. How the Huskers finish will help shape the foundation for 2026. And for players like Jones, the bowl game serves as both a test and a preview of what’s to come.

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Nebraska senior linebacker Dasan McCullough declared for the NFL Draft earlier this week. He made the surprising decision to play in the Huskers’ bowl game against Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl on New Year’s Eve.

Many times, players will opt out of bowl games to not risk injury.

McCullough has a different approach. He is attacking the bowl-preparation practices as a training ground for his hoped-for NFL career.

And, he has a more heartfelt reason to play. His dad can watch him play.

“I know it’s [playing in Las Vegas] huge for all of the guys,” McCullough said at a news conference Friday. “It’s even bigger for me being back home so my dad can see my final game. It’s huge for me.

“I was really going to play regardless, but I was just waiting to see who we played against. I think Utah is a great opportunity and a top-15 team, so I’m excited.”

Bowl practices

The Huskers (7-5)  are busy preparing to play the 10-2 Utes. Nebraska, with a victory, can finish with a better record than last year’s 7-6 mark. After a disappointing, up-and-down season, that should be strong motivation for the Huskers.

“I’m treating them [bowl practices] like I’m getting ready for the league [NFL], as I am,” said McCullough a 6-foot-5, 235-pounder from Kansas City.

“I’m working on my technique every day. I’m still improving on stuff I got to improve on. And at the end of the day, we still got to end this season on our terms. We feel like we didn’t do that with Iowa and this is a great second opportunity.”

McCullough said he enjoys working with interim defensive coordinator Phil Snow, who replaced John Butler, who was fired after the Iowa game.

“It’s been pretty cool, actually,” McCullough said. “You know, Snow’s already been really involved with our defense, so it hasn’t been like something like crazy, but he’s just more vocal now. But we all love him.”

Head coach Matt Rhule, who comes from a defensive background, also has been involved with defensive drills. So has special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler.

“Yeah, he’s been coaching with me pretty directly and that’s been pretty cool honestly because I’ve known coach Eckler since I was 10 or 11 when he was at Indiana,” McCullough said.

“So, it’s been pretty cool for us just kind of been going through this together. We’ve definitely been having our smiles out there.

“I’d definitely say coach Rhule, I guess as a whole, has the whole D-line very amped up every day. I mean, if you could see it now it looks crazy out there the way the guys are moving around and playing.

“So, it’s definitely that juice that they both brought. Coach Eck as well. He definitely brings a lot of juice.”

McCullough’s season

McCullough played in 10 games this season, starting seven. He missed a game due to injury. He has 21 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks and one pass breakup. He is tied for the Huskers’ lead in sacks and is third in tackles for loss. He was a media choice as an honorable mention All-Big Ten player.

He was asked what happened in the final two games of the season, blowout losses against Penn State and Iowa.

“Just execution,” he said. “That’s all I can really say. Guys not executing right. We got to be more on point with our jobs.”

Nebraska is McCullough’s third school. He started at Indiana and played one season there. He transferred to Oklahoma and played two seasons with the Sooners. He was at Nebraska for one season.

Now, he hopes to play in the league, “on Sundays” as they say.

“I think I showed that I’m really relentless on all levels of the game,” McCullough said. “I give outstanding effort.

“I’m very well at getting off the ball and bending and rushing the passer. I could bring a lot as a stack-backer as well. So, I feel like my versatility is second to none, seriously.”

He was asked what he learned at Nebraska to prepare him for the NFL.

“A lot. Just taught me a lot of discipline, a lot of technique things, too, from a football perspective that coach [Phil] Simpson [assistant coach-outside linebackers] taught me along with coach Rhule that I’ll be taking to the next level,” McCullough said.

“They’ve redefined a lot of my technique as an edge. So, just taking that to the next level and, you  know, there’s a little something I learned from all three schools that I feel like are going to help me be complete.”

Portal time

It’s December, so players are exploring the possibility of entering the transfer portal. Since McCullough has transferred twice, other players seek his advice.

“It’s really different now,” McCullough said. “I mean, there’s still a lot of guys who transfer for really good reasons.

“Obviously, as you guys know, when guys hit the portal the main thing now is the money. It’s how much money they can get and stuff like that. But more importantly it’s going somewhere where you have an opportunity to start and play.

“So I guess that’s kind of how I’ve been kind of trying to help the guys. They asked me a lot of questions about the portal since I’ve been through it and I just tell them the same thing.

“If you guys are looking for a perfect location, you’re not going to find one. There’s nowhere, there’s no perfect university out there. That’s why every school has guys enter the portal. It’s about situations for you.

“So I tell the guys that all the time. Definitely don’t make your decisions just based off money. You need to go somewhere where you’ll actually perform and play.

“Yeah, I transferred a lot, but I also played a lot at all three of those places. So, I was just kind of telling the guys that, to have the right mindset if they’re going to make that decision.”

And about those three transfers?

“I think I made the three perfect decisions,” McCullough said. “I think they all fell in line for an exact reason. So, I have no regrets about anything.”

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