As expected, additional players have announced their entry into the portal. Up until today we knew QB-Dylan Raiola, RB-Jamarion Parker, DB-Caden Vermaas, and DB-Malcolm Hartzog had entered. Today four more players said they will be entering, bringing the total to eight. They are DB-Preston Okafor, LB-Danny Noonan, QB-Marcus Davila, and K-Tristan Alvano.
With Raiola and Davila leaving it means there is only one scholarship quarterback on the roster. TJ Lateef. It was common knowledge that Nebraska would attempt to add an experienced QB to compete with Lateef, but with the departure of Davila it seems as if two QBs will now be needed. It’s clear the Husker are going to look for players with the same skill sets as Lateef, someone who can use their legs as well as their arm. The question is how much they will be willing to spend.
As of now some of the top available players at the QB position are Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby, Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt, Florida’s DJ Lagway, North Texas’s Drew Mestemaker, Missouri’s Beau Pribula, Iowa State’s Rocco Becht, and TCU’s Josh Hoover. I can’t see Nebraska seriously pursuing any of those names. In a roundabout way they’ve made it clear they felt they were overpaying for the production they were getting from Raiola. The money can be better used elsewhere, and they aren’t looking to go down that road again.
More realistic names for Nebraska may be Notre Dame’s Kenny Minchey, Old Dominion’s Colton Joseph, East Carolina’s Katin Houser, and Saginaw Valley State’s Mason McKenzie. But the portal doesn’t officially open until Jan 2nd, so keep your eyes open until then for players entering. One name I will be watching is Ohio State’s Lincoln Kienholz. Nebraska recruited Kienholz out of high school and he played with Nebraska offensive lineman Jason Maciejczak. At Ohio State he’s stuck behind Julian Sayin, and it isn’t unrealistic to think he may look for an opportunity elsewhere.
HuskerOnline reported today that one of the names mentioned at quarterback out of the portal is Michigan State’s Aidan Chiles and it’s expected he’ll be visiting. Personally, I’m not a fan and I don’t think he’s a good fit.
If the Huskers are seriously looking at Aidan Chiles in the transfer portal, then Matt Rhule and Marcus Satterfield didn’t learn anything from the Jeff Sims experiment. Chiles is a clone of Sims and is far from the answer needed at quarterback.
I won’t deny Chiles has talent, but as we’ve seen it doesn’t translate onto the field. Not consistently anyway. Chiles is 6’3” 225lbs and has played one season at Oregon State and the last two seasons at Michigan State. At Michigan State he passed for 3,807 yards with a 61.3% complete rate, 7.2 yards per completion, 23 TDs, and 14 INTS. He was sacked 51 times. He had 178 carries for 452 yards, with a 2.6 yard per carry average, and 9 TDs. In three seasons he has fumbled 11 times losing 7.
I know you must consider the yardage lost when sacked, but 2.6 yards per carry is less than impressive for a running QB and 7.2 yards per completion is the same old song and dance the fans witnessed this season. Chiles participated in 30 games and started 20 in his career. He has a win-loss record of 8-12 as a starter.
If the Chiles rumors are true, then I just don’t get it. There are better options in the portal, several in fact. Remember when Rhule first got here and he said he told his staff at Temple and Baylor that if they ever had the opportunity to recruit for a logo school people better look out. Yeah, well this can’t be used as an example of that.
While I have no expectations of Nebraska trying to land Sorsby, Levitt, Lagway, or Hoover, they can and should do better than Chiles. The right fit is out there and if it’s Chiles, then TJ Lateef truly will be the Lone Ranger.
GO BIG RED!!
Photo courtesy of the Falls City Journal
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