Nebraska Cornhuskers’ defensive backs coach Addison Williams is entering the 2025 season with a versatile and talented secondary, offering a wealth of options to shape the team’s defensive identity, as highlighted by HuskerMax on August 6, 2025. Williams, hired from UCF in December 2024, inherits a group blending veteran leadership, emerging stars, and high-upside transfers, with six Big Ten-ready cornerbacks and a deep safety corps. His praise for head coach Matt Rhule’s culture, calling it “unbelievable” for its tight-knit locker room, underscores the foundation for a unit poised to elevate Nebraska’s defense, which ranked 30th nationally in pass defense (206.8 yards per game) last season.[](https://huskercorner.com/huskers-db-coach-said-what-everyone-knows-about-matt-rhule-and-nebraska)
The cornerback room, led by senior Tommi Hill and FCS transfer Andrew Marshall, provides a strong starting point. Hill, a former Arizona State transfer, recorded 41 tackles and four pass breakups in 2024, while Marshall, praised by Rhule as a “professional” who “practices like a pro,” brings 72 tackles and eight pass breakups from Idaho, along with explosive return skills. Sophomore Blye Hill, with 12 starts and a 66.3 PFF coverage grade, adds reliability, while true freshman Larry Tarver Jr. and Jeremiah Charles, who saw action in four games last season, offer youthful potential. Williams’ experience coaching top-30 pass defenses at UCF (25th in 2023, allowing 196.7 yards per game) equips him to maximize this group’s competitiveness against Big Ten receivers.[](https://fremonttribune.com/sports/college/article_30bcab7d-2e5f-5b47-9d8b-f9797344ec8e.html)[](https://nebraska.rivals.com/news/report-addison-williams-hired-as-nebraska-s-dbs-coach)
At safety, veterans DeShon Singleton and Malcolm Hartzog anchor a flexible unit, with Singleton’s 54 tackles and Hartzog’s three interceptions in 2024 providing stability. Sophomores Rahmir Stewart and Brice Turner, both four-star recruits, are pushing for larger roles, with Stewart’s physicality drawing comparisons to former Husker Eric Lee. The depth allows Williams to experiment with nickel and dime packages, especially with transfer Kahlil Harris, a former FCS All-American from Butler, adding versatility. Williams’ ability to rotate players without a drop-off, as noted by Rhule, gives Nebraska flexibility to counter pass-heavy offenses like Cincinnati’s in their August 28 opener.[](https://omaha.com/sports/huskers/colorado-prep-dbs-find-plenty-of-room-at-nebraska-s-table/article_5664946d-778e-50a1-928b-e3c4ec0e890e.html)
With Fall Camp in full swing, Williams’ focus on fundamentals and communication, honed during his stints at Coastal Carolina and Auburn, is shaping a cohesive unit. The secondary’s depth, bolstered by 15 transfers overall, including Marshall and wideout Dane Key to challenge them in practice, positions Nebraska to improve on last season’s 7-6 record. As Williams told reporters, “The talent here is different—it’s NFL-level competition every day.” With a favorable early schedule and Rhule’s third-year track record of program leaps, the Huskers’ DB room offers Williams a canvas to craft a lockdown defense, potentially elevating Nebraska into the Big Ten’s upper tier.[](https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/nebraska-football-news-db-coach-matt-rhule)[](https://fremonttribune.com/sports/college/article_30bcab7d-2e5f-5b47-9d8b-f9797344ec8e.html)
