Glenn trying to be a quickstudy at linebacker for Huskers

One of the big reasons Cody Glenn left his home state of Texas to play for Nebraska was that the Cornhuskers recruited him as a running back.

With that in mind, it's perhaps at least a little ironic that Glenn heads into his senior season poised to be Nebraska's starter at weakside linebacker. Glenn, who opted to make the switch during spring practice, said he saw enough positive signs to make the move a permanent one.

After seeing sporadic playing time -- partly due to injuries -- at I-back the past three seasons, Glenn said he's thrilled at the prospect of being a full-time starter. The position he plays no longer matters to him.

"I've been excited the whole summer about this and just to get out on the field," Glenn said. "Playing linebacker is so much fun and I enjoy it a lot. It's going to be great."

The decision to suddenly change to the other side of side of the ball for his senior season wasn't an easy one, Glenn said.

"I thought about it a lot and that it was my last season and what would happen if it doesn't work out," Glenn said. "It's something where I just said I was going to do it and I was going to make the best of it. I have to. I have one year left, so I really have no choice."

Nebraska linebackers coach Mike Ekeler said Glenn's progress is coming along nicely.

"Each day, Cody gets more and more comfortable in the defense and he gets more and more confidence," Ekeler said. "He's making good strides and he'll continue to."

With Nebraska losing its top four linebackers to graduation following the 2007 season, Ekeler said he joked with Glenn during winter conditioning about coming over to the defensive side. Then, the conversations got more serious and Glenn told head coach Bo Pelini that he'd like to try a position change.

"The next thing you knew, we had them," Ekeler said. "He's been a fantastic surprise."

Glenn said that learning the basic defensive scheme has been easier than learning a new offense like he did when he first came to Nebraska.

"The basic stuff, it took me maybe two to three days, but there are still a lot of little things within a defense that I still have to learn," Glenn said. "There's a lot of different things, just like knowing the gaps and the run fits and knowing where to go and what to do when you get there."

Glenn said learning pass coverage responsibilities and techniques has been the biggest adjustment. He did say that it has been easier to learn to cover running backs than tight ends.

"I know what they want to do, so I know what to take away from them," Glenn said of covering running backs. "(Covering) the tight ends is definitely something I have to work on."

Ekeler concedes that making the change in such a relatively short amount of time won't be easy.

"It's probably like becoming a doctor in a year," Ekeler said. "But the thing I love about Cody is that he's in there and he takes notes every day in meetings and goes home at night and studies.

"It's important to him. It means something to him and he doesn't want to just be good, he wants to be great. It's our job as coaches to give him the tools to be great."



Position breakdown: Linebackers

KEY LOSSES: Bo Ruud, Corey McKeon, Lance Brandenburgh, Steve Octavien.

KEY RETURNEES: WLB Cody Glenn, Sr.; MLB Phillip Dillard, Jr.; SLB Tyler Wortman, Sr.

OTHERS TO WATCH: WLB Latravis Washington, So.; MLB Colton Koehler, Jr.; SLB Blake Lawrence, So.; LB Will Compton, Fr.

WORTH NOTING: Dillard, who has two career starts, is the only linebacker with starting experience for the Huskers. ... Wortman made a big impression in the spring game and uses his intelligence (3.955 GPA) to his benefit on the field, linebackers coach Mike Ekeler said. ... Glenn's projected backup, Latravis Washington has been hampered by a knee injury in fall camp.