Michael Rose had 66 tackles for Nebraska last season
Michael Rose had 66 tackles for Nebraska last season. (USATSI)

Friday was not the best day for the Nebraska defense, as the unit seems to have lost three players for the season during that time.

It started Friday morning when the school announced cornerback Charles Jackson will miss the season with a knee injury that will require surgery. Later in the day the school announced that safety LeRoy Alexander had been suspended for the season, and finally, late Friday night linebacker Michael Rose posted on his Instagram page that he suffered a knee injury and would miss the entire season.

While the school has not confirmed Rose's knee injury, according to the linebacker he “tore my acl possibly mcl and cartilage," and said he'd find out more Saturday. No reason was given for the Alexander suspension, but he will remain with the team.

These are three big losses for the Huskers on defense. Jackson spent most of the last two seasons on special teams, but was fighting for the nickel corner spot this season; Alexander was a projected starter at safety after appearing in 13 games last season with 34 tackles; and Rose had 66 tackles last season, setting a school record for a freshman.

These kind of hits to a team's depth chart in August could make a huge impact on the entire season.