Like every college football team, come January 2nd Nebraska will be hitting the transfer portal hard. There are several positions the Huskers need to upgrade. Maybe I should rephrase that, I should say add more depth and experience rather than upgrade because there isn’t a position on this team that doesn’t have good young talent.
But before worrying about targeting talent in the portal the Nebraska staff has a more critical task at hand. They must recruit their own roster first. It is an absolute must that they maintain the talent that they’ve brought in and invested in. And when I say invested, I’m not talking about money. Yes, it’s important, but that’s just another check mark on GM Pat Stewarts’s list of things to do. The investment has been in development. Progress has been made, and it does not benefit the program losing that cultural base and starting over.
I can break down the positions and the players I think this staff needs to concentrate on but first let me point out that the dynamics of this team have changed since QB Dylan Raiola went down against USC with a broken fibula and three assistant coaches were fired.
As of now I don’t see Raiola backing out of the portal. I think Nebraska and Raiola have come to an agreement that his moving on is best for both parties and coming back would require a substantial pay cut. The Raiola family’s pride won’t allow that. With that said, it’s a great opportunity for Nebraska to find an identity rather than trying to build an offense around Raiola’s skills.
Last season, because of who their QB was, there was an emphasis put on receivers and offensive linemen. That pushed Rhule to add Dane Key, Nyzaiah Hunter, Hardley Gilmore, Rocco Spindler, and Elijah Pritchett. It wasn’t as if they weren’t needed, but the dollars spent were to protect the dollars spent. Gilmore lasted less than a week and the other four guys were big parts of the 2025 team.
This portal season I anticipate Nebraska to target players across the board and concentrate on team rather than doing what’s best to protect their biggest investment. With the big investment gone and a plan to replace him with something that pays for itself, money will need to be spent to retain some of your top players. But more than money you’ll need to convince them they are still an integral part of this team going forward.
That’s why I’ll argue with anyone who will listen that the bowl game against Utah is huge for Nebraska. Rhule and his staff must be able to sell results rather than hope. Since Rhule’s arrival the pitch has been making the CFP but that seems unrealistic when you look at the results over the last two seasons. Especially in November. Ther Pinstripe Bowl win gave the impression that changes were already happening, and you were headed in the right direction. Once again, that is needed more than ever now. You’ve fired staff, rehired coaches and Raiola has chosen to move on. Change for 2026 has been made, now show you are headed in the right direction with a Las Vegas Bowl victory. Because if you don’t, the fallout on January 1st will be noticeable.
Receivers were more than happy to come to Nebraska when they thought Raiola would be throwing 30 times or more a game. There will be doubts whether that’s still part of the game plan and with good reason. So, that makes receivers like Nyziah Hunter, Jacory Barney, Quinn Clark, and Cortez Mills top priorities. It’s a must to let them know nothing has changed with how they fit into the game plan going forward. Top tier receivers are needed whether the QB is TJ Lateef or a one-year starter from the portal. I’d concentrate on Hunter as I see him as WR1 in 2026. Of these four guys, Barney is the guy I see as most likely to go into the portal. Whatever happens, at the very least you must keep three of the four guys I named.
A big part of retaining your receivers is letting them know who their QB is going to be. That means nailing down TJ Lateef. This staff and the receivers have a working relationship with Lateef and know what he is capable of. Matt Rhule shared his thoughts on Lateef.
“We have a great quarterback in TJ Lateef. What he did at UCLA our team rallied around him. They played to his energy, and I think everyone could feel that,” Rhule said. “I don’t think there’s a guy on our roster that doesn’t believe that TJ is a starting quarterback and that the sky is the limit.”
In the QB room after Lateef, you have Marcus Davila, Brode Soukup, and Luke Longval. That means taking a QB out of the portal becomes a must. Rhule will be walking a fine line here as when OC Dana Holgorsen was asked about adding a QB he said, “You bring in the best guy available.” So, does that mean a one-year guy that you are willing to pay Raiola type money for? Or are we talking about the best guy available for this team, meaning production and the economics of improving your team overall. Either way, someone who can compete for the starting job is needed. Adding a guy will more than likely send at least one QB into the portal.
After receivers and quarterback, the offensive line is your next priority. Some may have this position higher on the list, but I like the talent in this room and I’m banking on new offensive line coach Geep Wade and assistant Lonnie Teasley getting the best out of them. Nebraska has recruited well, but development has been lacking. An effort needs to be made on retaining several guys, but the two top names are Justin Evans and Elijah Pritchett. It all starts with them. I can’t see Evans leaving, and Pritchett already had a relationship with Teasley. But it’ll be interesting to see what happens with Houston Ka’aha’aina-Torres, Preston Taumaua, and Brian Tapu, as there was a deep Polynesian connection with Donavan Raiola. Most of the roster was recruited by Raiola, so there was love there. I expect after evaluations from the bowl and knowing the offensive linemen that have gone into the portal from Georgia Tech and South Carolina that here will be more than a couple of guys entering the portal. While retaining the guys on your roster is vital, look for Wade to bring in a couple of guys with at least one being a starting tackle.
With Emmett Johnson not returning the production from the running back room is slim and none. Isaiah Mozee, Mekhi Nelson, and Kwinten Ives are your top three returning backs. Jamarion Parker has already announced he is entering the portal, leaving Kenneth Williams and Conner Booth on the roster. 2026 RB Jamal Rule could see early playing time. Still the overall feeling is a running back needs to be brought in from the portal. I don’t see Mozee or Nelson leaving, they both have their eyes on the starting position. Plus, no one expects another RB as versatile as Emmett, they are smart enough to know his carries are going to need to be split. If another running back is added, look for at least one more guy to enter the portal. Rhule had this to say about Nelson and Mozee.
“I think if you asked every guy on our team what they think about Mekhi Nelson and Isiah Mozee I think they would say it’s kind of like a ticking time bomb, right, like they’ve been waiting for their opportunity to explode.”
Once again, the bowl game becomes important for that reason. It’s anticipated that one of these guys will set himself apart and get a jump on 2026.
Tight end may be the only position that a portal addition isn’t needed. I can’t see Luke Lindenmeyer going anywhere as he’s flourished under Satterfield and Holgorsen. Mac Markway is too deeply invested in rehab to start over elsewhere. I’d be surprised if Carter Nelson left, but we haven’t seen the production any of us expected. There could be some movement amongst Echternach, King, and Ingwerson but I don’t see more than one guy entering the portal. 2026 recruit Luke Sorenson could also have an immediate impact on this room as he mirrors or exceeds Lindenmeyer’s abilities.
If I were listing guys in order of priority and the list was based on both need and my being worried about them leaving, my list would look something like this.
Nyziah Hunter
TJ Lateef
Jacory Barney
Elijaha Pritchett
Gunnar Gottula
Carter Nelson
We’ve seen two offensive players enter the portal thus far in Raiola and Parker. After the bowl game, the recruits coming in for 2026, and the possibility of portal additions, I anticipate six to eight more entries on January one. This offseason isn’t a rebuild. But it is a roster realignment, a reset, or a tweak. It’s what every football coach has done for the last 100 years, only now with the portal and NIL, it’s magnified a thousand times over. Get the tweaking started Matt Rhule.
GO BIG RED!!
Photo courtesy of the Falls City Journal
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