The junior defensive linemen told the media as much after the first day of fall camp on Monday.

“This spring, that’s one thing we worked on a lot, was pass rushing, and certain packages out there to help us get to the quarterback,” Lenhardt said. “So I think Coach (John) Butler and Coach (Terry) Bradden, they’re putting together a great plan to go into this season, and we’ve got some guys out there.”

Going into the 2025 season, the Huskers have made several changes to their defensive coaching staff. After former defensive coordinator Tony White left for Florida State, Matt Rhule promoted Butler from secondary coach to DC. Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive line coach Terry Bradden joined the Huskers this offseason after serving eight years as defensive line coach for the Chiefs. Lenhardt said that he’s adjusting well to Butler’s style of defense.

“I like my role in it,” Lenhardt said. “I like how it’s not really the biggest change from the previous staff. That’s one thing I like, so it’s like we’re kind of just building off of last year a bit.”

During his sophomore campaign, Lenhardt played in every game for Nebraska, starting two of them. The Blackshirt had a half-sack, three tackles for loss and 16 total tackles.

Bradden brings a lot of experience and success to the table. While with the Chiefs, he helped lead the team to the AFC West title every season he was there along with three Super Bowl wins. Lenhardt said he’s enjoyed learning from Bradden.

“Big thing Coach Bradden has been working with me is finding the pass rush move that I can perfect,” Lenhardt said. “So now when I go out there, I know my move, and I want to work on it. So that’s one thing we’ve been working on a lot, is just specifying a certain pass rush move that I want to work on this season.”

Having a player-led team is a huge emphasis going into the season. Players were helping each other rather than relying on coaches. Lenhardt was among those seeking to be more vocal.

“If we look at it, only so many people from my class — I’m going on my junior year, and then you always look at it and it’s like dang, there’s not many of us left in this class,” Lenhardt said. “So just being able to just be that voice for the guys, being able to step up, take charge, that’s something, I took pride in this offseason.”

The Huskers lost some key pieces from their 2024 defense, particularly up front. The Philadelphia Eagles took Ty Robinson in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and players such as Nash Hutmacher exhausted their eligibility. The Huskers will be younger at defensive line next season, but Lenhardt sees a lot of potential for his group.

Lenhardt highlighted Keona Davis, Riley Van Poppel, Elijah Jeudy and Dylan Parrott, an offensive line convert, as linemen who have made a leap from the end of last season. He also called Missouri transfer Williams Nwaneri a “freak” who “runs crazy fast and jumps high.”

This year’s team will have big shoes to fill with the veterans’ departures, but Lenhardt believes that the team will continue their legacy.

“We got a little chip on our shoulder,” Lenhardt said. “But I think we’ve got great leadership. Coach TB coming in there, he’s definitely preached a lot and taught us a lot since he’s been there. And I got a lot of confidence in our group, and we’re going to go out there and perform.”