Maverick Noonan

After beginning his college career with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, defensive lineman Maverick Noonan enters a new chapter with the Fresno State Bulldogs, carrying valuable Power Four experience, a productive high-school résumé, and a record of academic achievement.

Defensive line play is often defined by work that never appears in a highlight reel. It is the ability to occupy blockers, disrupt offensive schemes, close running lanes, and create opportunities for teammates to make game-changing plays. For Maverick Noonan, those responsibilities represent the foundation of his football journey.

A native of Omaha, Nebraska, Noonan began his college career with the Nebraska Cornhuskers before joining Fresno State for the 2026 season. His path has included an injury that interrupted his first collegiate season and limited playing opportunities during his early years at Nebraska.

Listed as a defensive lineman for the Fresno State Bulldogs, Noonan brings experience from a major college football program. His high-school production demonstrated an ability to pressure quarterbacks and disrupt plays, while his college career has introduced him to the demands of competing at the collegiate level.

His story is one of continued development. After establishing himself as a productive defensive player in high school, Noonan now has an opportunity to build on his previous experience and pursue a larger role with the Bulldogs.

• Full Name: Maverick Noonan
• Sport: American football
• Position: Defensive lineman
• Jersey Number: 95
• Height: 6 feet 4 inches
• Weight: 250 pounds
• Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
• High School: Elkhorn South High School
• College: Fresno State University
• Current Team: Fresno State Bulldogs
• Class: Junior
• College Career: Nebraska (2023-2025); Fresno State (2026)

Noonan’s football journey began in Nebraska, where he attended Elkhorn South High School. The program provided the setting for his development into a highly regarded defensive prospect.

His performances earned him first-team All-Nebraska recognition from the Omaha World-Herald in both his junior and senior seasons. He also received first-team Super-State honors from the Lincoln Journal Star, distinctions that recognized his accomplishments among high-school football players in the state.

His senior season was particularly productive. Noonan led Elkhorn South in tackles while recording nine sacks and 17 tackles for loss. Those statistics reflected his ability to penetrate opposing offensive lines, disrupt plays in the backfield, and contribute to defensive stops.

Noonan also played on the offensive line in high school, gaining experience with the physical demands of football from both sides of the ball. His defensive production and overall versatility helped attract attention from college recruiters.

A three-star recruit, he was ranked among the nation's top 40 edge rushers by Rivals. He received offers from several prominent college programs, including Arizona State, Iowa, Michigan State, and Stanford, before beginning his college career at Nebraska.

Football also has a documented connection to his family. His father, Danny Noonan, played for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and earned unanimous first-team All-American recognition in 1986. Danny was subsequently selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys and played six seasons in the league.

Noonan began his college career with Nebraska in 2023. However, a preseason injury prevented him from playing during his first season, and he redshirted.

The interruption delayed his introduction to college competition. For a young defensive lineman, the transition from high-school football involves adapting to stronger offensive linemen, faster decision-making, and more complex schemes. Missing an entire season can make that adjustment more challenging.

Noonan returned to the field in 2024, appearing in three games. He made his collegiate debut against UTEP and recorded his first career tackle in the game, bringing down an opponent for a five-yard loss.

In 2025, he appeared in four games for Nebraska. One of his notable contributions came against Akron, when he recorded a tackle and recovered a fumble. The recovery helped Nebraska establish a touchdown drive, illustrating how an individual defensive play can create opportunities for the offense.

Although his playing time remained limited, his seasons at Nebraska provided experience within a major college football program and opportunities to continue developing as a defensive lineman.

Noonan joined Fresno State for the 2026 season, beginning another chapter in his collegiate career. His move brought him into a new program after three seasons at Nebraska.

Transferring between college programs requires players to adjust to different coaching expectations, defensive terminology, teammates, and competitive environments. For Noonan, Fresno State represents an opportunity to apply the experience he gained in Nebraska while competing for a role within the Bulldogs’ defensive front.

His previous experience provides a foundation, but his future contributions will depend on his development, performance, and opportunities within the team's defensive rotation.

Noonan’s most clearly documented strength is his ability to disrupt plays near the line of scrimmage. His nine sacks and 17 tackles for loss during his senior season at Elkhorn South demonstrate a history of reaching opposing backfields and preventing offenses from executing their intended plays.

At 6 feet 4 inches and 250 pounds, he possesses the physical dimensions associated with defensive line play. His experience on the offensive line in high school also gave him exposure to blocking techniques and the leverage involved in close-contact situations.

Defensive line performance requires more than size. Hand placement, balance, recognition of offensive formations, and the ability to disengage from blockers all influence a defender’s effectiveness. His college experience provides opportunities to continue developing these skills against stronger and more experienced opponents.

Noonan’s high-school accomplishments remain the strongest statistical evidence of his defensive impact. His nine sacks and 17 tackles for loss as a senior helped establish his reputation as a productive defensive prospect.

His individual honors included first-team All-Nebraska recognition in consecutive seasons and first-team Super-State honors from the Lincoln Journal Star. His recruiting profile also reflected interest from multiple major college programs.

At Nebraska, Noonan continued developing as a college player, recording a tackle for loss during his collegiate debut and recovering a fumble against Akron in 2025.

His accomplishments extended beyond football. He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and was named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. He was also included on Nebraska’s Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll and the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.

These distinctions reflect academic achievement and recognition within Nebraska’s student-athlete community, adding another dimension to his college experience.

Noonan’s career has included both achievement and adversity. His high-school production established his potential, while the injury that sidelined him during his first college season interrupted an important stage of his development.

The available record establishes that he returned to competition in 2024 and continued appearing in games during 2025.

His academic honors also demonstrate that his college experience has involved responsibilities beyond football. Balancing athletic commitments with academic work is an important part of collegiate sports, and his recognition at Nebraska provides documented evidence of achievement in that area.

For the 2026 season, Noonan is listed as a defensive lineman for Fresno State. His arrival followed three seasons at Nebraska, where he gained experience but had limited opportunities to appear in games.

His next stage of development involves competing for opportunities and translating his physical attributes and previous experience into consistent contributions. Defensive linemen can affect games through tackles, quarterback pressure, tackles for loss, and turnovers, making those areas important measures of future performance.

His high-school statistics demonstrate that he has previously produced disruptive defensive performances. Establishing similar consistency at the college level would strengthen his position within Fresno State’s program.

Noonan’s collegiate career remains in progress, making it too early to define his lasting impact on Fresno State or the broader sport. His journey nevertheless illustrates the challenges faced by college football players as they transition from high-school success to a more competitive environment.

His background includes significant high-school honors, academic recognition at Nebraska, and experience with a major college football program. Those elements provide a foundation as he continues his career with Fresno State.

The next stage will be measured by his contributions on the field and his ability to make the most of the opportunities available to him.

Maverick Noonan’s football journey is defined by development, adaptation, and the pursuit of greater opportunities. From a productive high-school career in Omaha to an injury-interrupted start at Nebraska and a new chapter with Fresno State, he has experienced several important stages of collegiate football.

His nine-sack senior season demonstrated his ability to disrupt opposing offenses, while his academic honors showed achievement beyond athletics. His time at Nebraska added college experience, and his move to Fresno State provides another opportunity to build on that foundation.

For Noonan, the next chapter is an opportunity to turn potential and experience into measurable contributions. As he continues his career with the Bulldogs, his progress will ultimately be defined by what he accomplishes on the field.