The 10 Most Important Players on the Nebraska Cornhuskers

Prince Amukamara is the most talented cornerback the Huskers have. At 6'1", 195 pounds, he is big enough and has the ball skills to be an effective corner for Nebraska.

The Huskers are not asking him to be a shut-down corner. He just needs to be a play-maker and a lead by example kind of guy.

Although he didn't have an interception last year, he did force two fumbles on punt coverage and had three pass breakups. He only started three games but still had 34 tackles, showing that he is very capable of giving good run support to the rest of the defense.

Larry Asante returns as one of the most experienced Husker defenders. He will start at strong safety for the third year in a row.

His play is very similar to that of former Dallas Cowboys' safety Roy Williams, in that he is pretty good in run support. Although he whiffs on some tackles, and he is an average pass-coverage safety.

He had a total of 78 tackles last year, good for second on the Huskers behind Ndamukong Suh. He was very inconsistent in pass coverage, but did have four pass breakups and one interception.

Near the end of the year, he did look more comfortable in pass coverage.

Alex Henery enters his junior season as one of the best kickers in Nebraska history. His most memorable moment came last year when he hit a game-winning 57 yard field goal against Colorado.

This year, he will also take on the punting duties after the graduation of Dan Titchener.

Henery finished last season with only three missed field goals, two of which were from longer than 50 yards. He has been one of the most consistent kickers in college football the past two years, and will look to do the same this year.

Barry Turner missed most of last season after injuring his leg in the second game of the season. He returns for his senior season after receiving a medical redshirt for his injury last year. He has a lot of experience as he has played in 40 games for the Huskers, starting 13 of them.

Pierre Allen started 11 games last year, taking over in the starting lineup when Barry Turner went out with an injury. He had five sacks and 52 total tackles, both solid numbers for a defensive end.

Both Allen and Turner should have good success this year, as offensive lines will focus most of their attention on star DT Ndamukong Suh.

All three of these players will need to replace the production lost from graduating seniors Nate Swift and Todd Peterson.

Menelik Holt was the third receiver used by Nebraska. Last season, he had totaled 30 catches for 355 yards and one touchdown. He is Nebraska's most experienced receiver, and he will be counted on to produce.

Niles Paul was a reserve receiver last year who had a big impact on special teams. He finished the year with 23 receptions for 214 yards with no touchdowns. He was the Huskers most threatening return man, but this year he will be asked to concentrate more on being a receiver.

Chris Brooks did not see much action last year, totaling only two catches, one of which was a touchdown, for just 27 yards. He has been around Nebraska for a while, and he will finally get a chance to show what he can do in his senior year.

Last season, Nebraska had a very good and experienced line. This season, they will have to replace the whole right side of the line with the departures of Matt Slauson and Lydon Murtha.

Nebraska have very capable players in each position, but they will be counted on a lot by new starting quarterback Zac Lee.

McNeill finished last season as Nebraska's third leading receiver, hauling in 32 catches for 442 yards and six touchdowns.

This season, he will be newcomer Zac Lee's security blanket underneath. McNeill is one of the few proven receivers on Nebraska's roster and should have another big year.

Roy Helu Jr. will take over the starting running back position this year and should do very well. He finished last season as Nebraska's leading rusher (803 yards on 125 carries with seven TDs), despite starting only two games.

He is a very capable receiver and will be heavily relied on this year as Nebraska breaks in a new starting quarterback.

His success in the running game will make things a lot easier for Zac Lee.

Zac Lee has never started a game in his career. He has minimal experience, and will be one of the most important players for Nebraska if they want to win.

He has good mobility and a very strong arm; two very important things for a new quarterback. Nebraska does not have a go-to receiver for him to throw to, but returning TE Mike McNeill should be his favorite target this year.

Ndamukong Suh was the defensive MVP for the Huskers last year. He led the team in tackles (76), tackles for loss (19), sacks (7.5) and interceptions (2). He is the most important player on the team this year.

If he has another year like he had last year, Nebraska will be very competitive in every game and could very easily win the Big 12. Suh is almost guaranteed to be a first round pick in next year's NFL Draft.