Nebraska's Ochaun Mathis and Casey Thompson were each ranked among the top 15 newcomers for the 2022 college football season by ESPN this week. Mathis came in at No. 7 on ESPN's ranking, while Thompson was No. 15 on the list, which considered all incoming freshmen and first-year transfers across the country.
Mathis was the highest ranked Big Ten player on the list. The junior edge rusher transferred to Nebraska in the offseason after a productive career at TCU. Mathis started every game for the Horned Frogs from the 2019 to 2021 season, a streak of 34 consecutive starts he carries over into his first season at Nebraska.