With Dana Holgorsen now in full control of the offense, he decided to make some major additions to the roster. While we may not know what style of offense Nebraska will be running, all we do know is that all the pieces are there. Coach Rhule and Coach Holgorsen went out and found guys who will not only make an impact this year but for years to come.
Nyziah Hunter. Wide Reciever. University of California. 3 years of eligibility. 6’2” 210 pounds. Former 4 Star WR recruit and a top 200 recruit.
Hunter redshirted his freshman year at California. As a redshirt freshman, Hunter played in 12 games, including 8 starts. In 2024, he caught 40 passes for 578 yards and five touchdowns. Nyziah was heavily sought after in this year’s portal class, and after watching his film, it’s clear why. Hunter is a well-balanced wide-out who is solidly built. While he may not have the elite speed to take the top off of a defense, he still has enough speed to be a problem. He is a great runner after the catch, running violently yet with enough agility to make defenders miss in the open field. It will be extremely exciting to see what an offseason with Dana Holgorsen and Daikel Shorts Jr will do for Hunter.
Dane Key. Wide Reciever. University of Kentucky. 1 year of eligibility. 6’3” 210 pounds. Former 4 Star WR recruit, the #1 Player in Kentucky, and a top 250 recruit.
Key could have easily entered the draft this year and been a day 2 pick. The fact he decided to come to Nebraska with Daikel Shorts Jr and play one more year of college ball says a lot. Key played three years at Kentucky and made an impact since the first day he stepped on the field. Over the last three years at Kentucky, Key played in 38 games with 35 starts, catching 126 passes for 1,870 yards and 14 touchdowns. Many of those catches being against top-level SEC competition.
Key is an excellent route-runner with an elite-level mind and football IQ. Key shows a deep understanding of defensives and uses that knowledge to create separation and find open spots vs zone coverage. Dane Key is the most NFL-ready WR on Nebraska by far, and by returning for one more year, he expects to prove he is one of the best wide-outs in all of college football and be a first-round draft pick. He has the talent to be just that, and I expect him to play a big part in Nebraska’s first full year under Dana Holgorsen.
Hardley Gilmore. Wide Reciever. University of Kentucky. 3 years of eligibility. 6’1” 180 pounds.
Former 4 Star WR and two-sport athlete (Football and Track)
Rumor has it that the coaching staff at Nebraska is most excited about bringing in Hardley Gilmore out of all the receivers in this year’s portal class, and after seeing what the other wide receivers in this class are bringing to the table, it says A LOT about Gilmore. Hardley Gilmore is still very young and has plenty of room to grow and develop but that didn’t seem to be an issue since he would play in the final five games for the Kentucky Wildcats. Over those five games, Gilmore would record six catches for 153 yards, averaging 25.5 yards a catch. If Gilmore decides to stay in Lincoln for the rest of his career, I think Nebraska fans will be hearing his name called a lot on Saturdays.
Marcos Davila. Quarterback. Purdue. 4 years of eligibility. 6’3” 235 pounds. Former 4 Star recruit and the #15 overall QB in his class.
Marcos Davila spent one year at Purdue, where he redshirted and did not play in any game this year. In high school, Davila threw for 9,101 yards and 93 touchdowns against some of the best high school football teams in Texas. While Davila might still be a project, he adds much needed depth in the QB room.
Elijah Pritchett. Offensive Lineman. Alabama. 2 years of eligibility. 6’6” 310 pounds. Former 5 Star recruit and the #1 overall offensive tackle in his class.
Pritchett has it all, size, speed, strength, talent, you name it. The only thing he hasn’t been is consistent. If Pritchett can dial things in he can be a top 5 draft pick in the future. The ceiling is that high for this young man. If Donovan Raiola isn’t able to get Pritchett to play at an elite level, then I think Nebraska needs to take a hard look at Donovan. I guess only time will tell if Nebraska has its next superstar or somehow turns a diamond back to coal.
Rocco Spindler. Offensive Lineman. Notre Dame. 1 year of eligibility. 6’5” 315 pounds. Former 4 Star recruit
Rocco Spindler is a major get for Nebraska. Rocco brings with him experience and known production. Rocco has started 23 games for Notre Dame, including four playoff games this year. During those 23 games, Rocco played over 1300 snaps and only allowed two sacks. Spindler could have been drafted this year but will look to increase his draft stock in Lincoln as he is for sure to be a day one starter. Is it too early to say the ‘Pipeline’ is back?