Mikai Gbayor, Jr., LB

6-foot-2, 220 pounds

Mikai Gbayor sure does check a lot of boxes any coach would want in his football program.

First of all, he’s talented and can play Mike, Will, and Jack linebacker spots. He was an All-Big Ten Academic team member the last two years, and will do whatever the coaches tell him.

So, when he arrived at Nebraska for the 2021 season, redshirting made sense. When he didn’t get on the field the next year, Gbayor understood why and that it was a process of which he was in the middle.

And when the coaches told him special teams was his destination in 2023, Gbayor jumped at the chance. Anything to get on the field and help the team. He said that gave him a chance to get noticed.

“Showing that you have the dog in you; the ability to go down and make plays when it’s hard and even when it’s late in a game and we’re down,” Gbayor said in a press conference early last season, when asked a series of questions about his path to being a regular in the Cornhuskers’ rotation.

“That translates to never giving up and showing ultimate effort.”

It’s also a way to get in some big hits on opponents, something Gbayor is known for, but on defense as well as special teams.

Gbayor’s pops became associated with him the last two seasons in Lincoln that an article was written about it early last season. An article about big hits.

There were also pieces about him making big plays, missing a half after a targeting call, and the general weekly stuff as he was usually available to the media most game weeks.

There is a wholesomeness about Gbayor, which is why he was on the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team for three straight years, an award named after the legendary Huskers coach who led the program to three national championships from 1973-97 before being elected to Congress.

While Carolina is getting all of that in Gbayor, it almost didn’t. He initially transferring to Missouri but left after spring practice for undisclosed reasons. The Tigers’ loss will be the Tar Heels’ gain.

As we are doing all spring and summer, here is a dive into Gbayor’s numbers:

2024 Stats:

*12 games, 375 snaps, 49 tackles, 6 missed tackles, 6 TFLs, 1 sack, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 QB hit, 2 hurries, 23 STOPs (plays that result in failures for opposing offenses), and 18 targets allowing 15 receptions for 100 yards, 2 TDs, with 3 PBUs.

Career Stats:

*24 games, 617 snaps, 73 tackles, 8 misses tackles, 9 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 3 QB hits, 4 hurries, 3 PBUs, 39 STOPs, and 26 targets allowing 21 receptions for 146 yards, and 3 TDs.

2025 Outlook:

Gbayor is a candidate to start for the Tar Heels, and if not play a significant role at linebacker while also playing on multiple special teams units. He is athletic, smart in pre-snap, and versatile. He will find himself on the field quite a bit.