The Huskers have recruited the defensive line with enough possibilities to keep anyone from triggering the 10 a.m. warning sirens that drive the dog nuts or happen at that exact moment you're trying to figure out a mishap with a bill over the phone.

But Tony Tuioti's group has a big task ahead, no question, considering the high percentage of snaps that were taken last year from guys who are in Indianapolis this weekend chasing pro football aspirations.

You could express both worry about that and optimism that the situation is going to be handled fine, which is all part of the fun as we dig into Nebraska's defensive line heading into the spring camp of 2020.

What they're trying to fix? They're trying to fill vacancies for three dudes who are working out at the NFL Combine this week. Of significance will be finding a main man or a trustworthy rotation to anchor the middle of the front, that can carry on what Darrion Daniels brought without much drop off. Bringing the rushing defense numbers down further is needed too. That's on the second and third levels just as much as the D-line, but Nebraska still gave up 4.82 yards per rush (1012nd), a slight improvement from 5.00 in 2018. They'd need to go down a full yard allowed per rush to be in the top 40. There's room to travel for making more plays behind the line of scrimmage too. Nebraska's TFLs (73) ranked 72nd last year. They'll especially need to fill the void of Khalil Davis in that department (he had 11 TFLs, 8 sacks). The two buzz words are depth and development. The latter can produce the former.

Three quotes

"It's, hey, we have to be able to go out on the field and even be better than the guys who left last year, or be just as good. And obviously we want to be better. We want this thing to go straight up. We want to keep elevating in our skill. So it's important to talk about it every day. Because we can't forget. We have to remember that we're the defense next year. We're up. And we can't let anyone down."–Casey Rogers in late November

"Started high: energy, momentum, all that. And then we'd lose a game, it just turned to people second-guessing themselves, (that) maybe we really shouldn't have been so high on ourselves. Just second-guessing ourselves. When you don't have confidence in yourself, that's what happens. Then we go out and play well, people get confidence, that's how it goes. If we can get everyone to have confidence in themselves, in each other, all 11 or 12 games, that's how we'll have success." –Ben Stille in the Iowa postgame

"A lot of people have been bought in. But the minority that wasn't, they made their choice and we took care of that situation. And guys see it now. It's kind of hard to see when you're losing. But even amongst losses, everybody sees it. They see the potential. They see what's there for us. What Coach said, 'We're coming,' it's what it is. There's a lot of young guys who know the standard, and know what to expect and know how much to put out." –Darrion Daniels in the Iowa postgame

New faces: Jordon Riley gives a 6-foot-6, 290-pound addition to the D-line competition with FBS experience, having previously spent time at North Carolina. With just two seasons of eligibility remaining, the whole point is for him to aid depth immediately, if not more. "I think he's going to make an immediate impact just by sheer size and ability inside," defensive coordinator Erik Chinander said. Even though he's new to Nebraska, Riley isn't dissimilar from a lot of guys in that room who haven't played many snaps for the Huskers yet and are trying to carve their space. Having finished with 26 tackles, including 3 1/2 for loss and two sacks in junior-college ball last year, Riley has told Husker247, “I’m a run stopper and clogger in the middle ... I got a lot better at pass rushing, but I put a lot of pride in stopping the run." He has a spring to get a running start. Another JUCO D-lineman Pheldarius Payne is coming in the summer, as is Nash Hutmacher and Marquis Black.

Fresh off their redshirts: Ty Robinson and Mosai Newsom enter the fray for real now, as does Keem Green, who is a redshirt junior. There's little doubt in my mind even pre-spring that the 6-6, 315-pound Robinson is about to barge into the rotation. He got to play in two games last year and the good feelings from staffers when they landed him as a recruit haven't left at all. The tough part, even with that size, will be going through that first full grind of a Big Ten season. It's why I don't sell short at all the losses of guys like the Davis twins, who were 23-year-olds last season with four years of college experience under their belts. Newsom may be another year from claiming every-down status, but can start to push into a role now. He's 6-4, 285 and drew some praise from the offensive staff for how he got after it on the scout team a year ago. And Keem Green? There's a lot riding on him. He was a big-time recruit coming out of high school, and had 49 tackles as a freshman and 67 as a sophomore in JUCO ball, working D-line spots that aren't always stat friendly. At 6-5, 315 pounds, he's got a powerful base that seems fit for the Big Ten slog. He got to play in a couple games last year, but Husker coaches did the right thing to redshirt him so that he could build up his conditioning to play at this level. Even though he was here last fall, he'd probably be on most people's top 10 list of most intriguing Huskers heading into this spring. And while they're not redshirt freshmen, young guys in the same boat looking to cash in more this season are Casey Rogers and Tate Wildeman. Both had tough injuries their first fall in campus so this is really only their second year to show what they have.

Notable returning production: They grow up so fast. Native son Ben Stille is already a ... senior? No flippin' way. Yes, way. Stille has been one of Nebraska's most productive players at impact plays behind the line of scrimmage the last two years. Last season Stille had 6 1/2 tackles for loss and three sacks. He actually only started two games in 2019, but was one of the leading guys in the rotation. His snap count figures should only go up with the three big losses. It's also go time for both Deontre Thomas and Damion Daniels, who seemingly have the size and tools to succeed as starters in this league but now have to show it. Thomas was the 'quiet MVP' of fall camp last year, according to D-line coach Tony Tuioti, but maybe wasn't heard from as much as thought during the 2019 season. He had 19 tackles and 1 1/2 for losses. This would be an ideal time for the Huskers for him to bust out. The same goes for Damion Daniels, now a junior, and maybe ready to take over where his brother left off. Guys like Ty Robinson and Keem Green will make him have to earn his reps. You can't coach size, though, and Daniels' 6-3, 340 frame and strength give him the chance to be a 'four-hands guy,' as Tuioti says. That is, eat space and take up the attention of two O-linemen at once. His previous years feel like they've all been sort of building for him to try to make his big move this season.

Walk-on to watch: I feel like the leadership qualities of Damian Jackson deserve notice somewhere here. A story known well by Husker fans now, the 27-year-old is a former Navy SEAL whose background has earned him immediate respect from players in this program. The junior is listed on the D-line now, and actually played in two games on special teams last year, which is some kind of accomplishment for a guy who never played football before coming here. Never. But his influence in the weight room and during these offseason months where guys may be looking for that extra push can't be minimized. "I don’t ever want to run a top-down program that I’m micromanaging and running everything and fixing every little problem," Frost said last year. "The more problems that can get fixed before they even get to the coaching staff, the better team we’ll have." Guys like Damian Jackson loom prominently in this department.

An under-the-radar veteran: There's not that one guy that jumps out to me as 'under-the-radar' for this position group. But how Jordon Riley and Pheldarius Payne, as incoming juniors, join the mix and fit with the group that has been there will be an important part. I feel like Nebraska needs at least one of those guys to carry significance this fall too. And how the Huskers replace that leadership on the D-line of Darrion Daniels, who earned captainship and respect in just one year in Lincoln, will also be a big deal. To that latter pursuit, Stille's care for this program should make him a strong senior representative who could also gain captain consideration.

TL; DR summary: Don't underestimate at all what the Huskers have to replace. It's significant. But also there should be enthusiasm to see who emerges first among those newer guys to the program: Ty Robinson, Mosai Newsom, Keem Green, Casey Rogers, Tate Wildeman, and the JUCO duo. Opportunity is open and the D-line situation is far from as bleak as it was a few years back. But the Huskers just as much need veterans like Stille, Thomas and Daniels to carry heavy weight while those newer to this program grow on the job.