Malcolm Hartzog details his growth as a player

Malcolm Hartzog is ready to come into his own for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2023.

The highly-touted defensive back recognized he didn’t have the 2022 season he wanted, but he’s far from the only player in the program to feel that way. Still, he explained how he believes he’s grown as a player already, and what he’s doing different on the field at the moment.

“I was a freshman, and I was a little scared, like sometimes on the deep balls. I know that play is going to happen, so this year I’m not going to be worried about that,” explained Hartzog. “Just going out there, I play hard. Allow my technique that I’m being taught every day.”

Moreover, Hartzog will be a pivotal player in new defensive coordinator Tony White’s scheme. White ran a 3-3-5 defense with the Orange and will install the same in Lincoln. That means more defensive backs on the field than last season.

Hartzog’s teammate, Omar Brown, went into detail about a new position created by White deemed “Rover” that he and the other DBs have been working to learn this spring.

“It’s been good,” he said. “It’s new. I like it. I think the three safeties, the little thing with the Rover, I like that a lot. It’s different because the Rover, he’s like a linebacker as well. I think we’ve got a lot of guys that can play that position.

“The guys that we did put right there, I think it’s perfect for them. And also they can play safety as well. We all can really play that position so we all learned the Rover position. I love the defense this year. As a DB, you like when more DBs are on the field.”

Moreover, the 3-3-5 defense White employs uses five defensive backs on the field along with three linebackers and three defensive linemen. One of those defensive backs will actually play the Rover position, which a hybrid between safety and linebacker. 

The Rover is typically tasked with following the opposing teams best player all over the field. This can be a running back or even a “QB spy” situation for dual threat quarterbacks. They can also be assigned to cover a designated area of the field. 

While Malcolm Hartzog led Nebraska with three interceptions last season, it’s evident the defensive backs will take on an even more prominent role in 2023. The young Cornhuskers star could break out in a big way next season under Tony White’s tutelage.

On3’s Chandler Vessels contributed to this report.