Nebraska wrapped up its fourth practice and defensive coaches and players met with the media to discuss about how early camp action is going.

Here’s what the coaches had to say:

Defensive coordinator Erik Chinander is impressed with the makeover the team has gone even since spring.

"The older guys must have done a great job teaching the young guys, and the young guys put some work in, because they're playing at a high level right now ... To be honest with you, we look like a completely different unit on both sides I think than the spring."

Senior safety Aaron Williams (shoulder injury from the spring) is back on the field. Chinander said they are just being smart with him "to take some hits off him." Important guy. "System aside, he's just very football savvy ... He can guide those young safeties and help them out."

Junior cornerback Lamar Jackson seems just fine with all the added competition at his position.

Recalling what his coach Travis Fisher told him, "You can teach a guy to take your job, but it's up to you say, 'There's no way he's taking my f-----g job.' That's how it goes. All the young guys, they ask me questions, I'm going to tell them exactly what to do, I'm going to tell them to watch me. But at the same time I'm confident in my abilities."

Both linebacker coaches, Jovan Dewitt and Barrett Ruud, marveled at the retention from the upper classmen as it related to knowing the defense. Dewitt said it has been one of the cleanest stretches in terms of what guys know and remember that he could recall. The coach said he felt like it was reminiscent of how UCF started things in August 2017.

Ruud said he felt similar, saying it was obvious his older guys had spent quite a bit of time with the younger linebackers, making sure they knew what would be expected when they were out getting reps. The assistant said he felt like Nebraska has looked better early on than the team did during the end of the spring.

Mo Barry said he felt like a lot of the retention can be traced back to the 7-on-7 work from the summer. He said a lot of that 7-on-7 was so guys would feel comfortable out on the field and it would start to feel second nature. The linebacker said they did the 7-on-7 twice a week on average.

Dewitt said Luke Gifford has been working through the kinks of missing the backend of last season and all of the spring. The Huskers are counting on Gifford to be one of the guys in the outside linebacker mix, and Dewitt said he’s starting to see the senior linebacker get his “sea legs” back under him as he’s out there on the field.

Caleb Tannor has caught plenty of attention from both Barry and Dewitt. The coach feels Tannor has shown he’s physically capable of playing college football and he’s been an aggressive guy in terms of learning whatever he can and trying to apply it. Barry said he’s been impressed by Tannor’s raw ability, and thinks the linebacker will find ways to help the Huskers this year, but said it’ll ultimately be up to the coaches.

Hardest worker on the team? Could be Tyrin Ferguson. The linebacker from Louisiana got a strong endorsement from Dewitt as he explained how hard Ferguson works, particularly with the time he spends in the meeting room and with film. Dewitt said Ferguson is always playing fast, and generally doesn’t need anyone to point out his mistakes, as he’s harder on himself than the coaches will be.

Ruud touched on Will Honas and said this spring he felt like the junior college linebacker transfer wasn’t quite trusting the techniques and the coaching he was receiving and it was limiting his impact during practice. Ruud said he feels like that’s changed some already for Honas, but he’s continuing to work with the defender, to unleash the talent the Huskers sought when they went after the Junior College All-American last December.

"And now, like the other guys, he's on to the next level, progressing, learning the intricacies of our defense, how to attack different offenses, how offenses want to attack us," Ruud said. Is he ready for Sept. 1? "Going to have to be."

Ruud challenged Avery Roberts to have a big summer. "He's improved. He took it to heart. He'll probably tell you too: He's not where he needs to be yet. But he's made a lot of progress since spring."

To a general question about the new toys on offense, Will Honas said, "Somebody that has really stood out to me so far is Maurice Washington, who really can move and is really explosive out of his cuts." Stoltenberg echoed those thoughts about the new Husker RB.

Count Nebraska defensive coordinator Erik Chinander as surprised with how his defensive unit approached the start of fall camp.

Chinander said after Monday’s practice that the defensive staff wasn’t sure how the players would return from the summer, but that he has been impressed with the work his players put in and how quickly they’ve moved on to fall camp.

“We look like a completely different unit on both sides, I think, than the spring,” Chinander said. “It’s knowledge of the system, knowing how Coach Frost wants them to practice and probably more competition out there than there was in the spring.”

Chinander wasn’t coy in his praise for Nebraska’s secondary, which was frequently questioned by the coaching staff in the spring. Chinander said that the additions of grad transfer safety Tre Neal and junior college transfer Will Jackson have ramped up the competition in the secondary. Chinander said the strides made in the secondary haven’t been limited to one or two players however, and has been consistent across the board.

“In spring, it was not very high,” Chinander said of his confidence level. “Right now, I’m really thrilled. Definitely that’s the most improved unit on the team. By no stretch of the imagination are we ready to roll yet. We’re not ready to go out there and play a game yet, but that unit as a whole, the young guys, that group has taken a huge, huge jump.”

The addition of Neal has been particularly helpful for Nebraska’s secondary. Chinander said he likes to present a problem, then offer a solution, but that Neal has been helping teammates because he already knows the answers.

“Those guys have been able to make a call that they don’t even know yet,” Chinander said.