After the conclusion of the 2024 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, where the Nebraska Cornhuskers won its first bowl game in eight years, Coach Matt Rhule and his staff continued their work at rebuilding a roster depleted by the transfer portal and the new roster requirements beginning for the 2025 season. It has been a success and has shown how great Rhule and his staff are at recruiting, with a sense of urgency to build off the success in 2024. Nebraska has also made a coaching change that many of its fans have been calling for back the last offseason.
Here’s what the Huskers have been up to in the past few weeks since the bowl win over the Boston College Eagles.
2025 Huskers Offseason: Transfer Portal Updates & Coaching Shake-Up
Coaching Change
Late last week, Nebraska made a coaching change. Special teams coordinator Ed Foley parted ways after two seasons in Lincoln. Foley led a position group with ups and downs but was a net negative both in 2023 and 2024. Special teams have been something equivalent to an Achilles Heel for the Huskers and made games more difficult to win with the mistakes that were made in that aspect of the game. Those mistakes, such as field goals and punts blocked and place-kicking operation struggles that go farther beyond the kicker, led to unfortunate issues that played a role in an eventual loss.
Even in the bowl win, the Huskers had a PAT blocked and returned for a two-point conversion and had a poorly timed fake field goal after converting a fake punt earlier on during that drive.
No replacement for Foley has been announced, but it’s fair to assume that one will be made in the coming weeks as the College Football season comes to an end later this month.
Transfer Portal Abundance
When Rhule returned to college football in Lincoln, there were concerns about his ability to learn how to recruit in the age of the Transfer Portal and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). However, he did well in his first two off-seasons and now in his third, Nebraska has certainly made a name for itself in portal recruiting.
So far this offseason, the Huskers have exceptionally recruited in the portal. According to 247 Sports, Nebraska currently has the No. 6 ranked transfer portal recruiting class in the country and is No. 1 in the Big Ten with 16 signees. Here are those signees:
Four Stars
R-Fr. Williams Nwaneri (Edge, Missouri)
Sr. Dane Key (Wide Receiver, Kentucky)
So. Nyziah Hunter (Wide Receiver, California)
Sr. Dasan McCullogh (Linebacker, Oklahoma)
Jr. Elijah Pritchett (Offensive Tackle, Alabama)
Three Stars
So. Hardley Gilmore IV (Wide Receiver, Kentucky)
Jr. Marquis Groves-Killebrew (Cornerback, Arizona-Louisville-Texas A&M)
Jr. Jamir Conn (Cornerback, Southern Illinois)
Sr. Marques Watson-Trent (Linebacker, Georgia Southern)
Jr. Andrew Marshall (Defensive Back, Idaho)
So. Justyn Rhett (Defensive Back, Georgia)
Sr. Kevin Gallic (Long Snapper, New Hampshire)
So. Gabe Moore (Defensive Line, Mississippi State)
Jr. Jaylen George (Defensive Line, East Tennessee State)
R-Fr. Marcos Davila (Quarterback, Purdue)
Sr. Jack McCallister (Punter, Washington)
Overall, the transfer portal class has been very successful, especially with the additions of two former five-star prospects, Nwarneri and Pritchett. This portal class so far should also go really well alongside another top-25 high school recruiting class. The additions of Hunter and Key will give now sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola more veteran targets to throw to along with young receivers like sophomores Jacory Barney Jr, Demitrius Bell, Carter Nelson and incoming freshmen receivers Cortez Mills and Isaiah Mozee.
The addition of Pritchett adds a veteran offensive tackle that was very crucial for the Huskers to add to the roster, especially with losses of Bryce Benhart and Micah Mazccuua. With Pritchett, it will also allow the young offensive linemen to get another year of learning and development to be able to play in a conference like the Big Ten. Nebraska also addressed the need for defensive backs in the portal as well, adding Rhett from Georgia, Marshall from Idaho and Groves-Killebrew from Arizona. These players will fit nicely along side Ceyair Wright, Marques Buford Jr. and Malcolm Hartzog and as well as filling the losses of Tommi Hill, Isaac Gifford and DeShon Singleton, who all graduated this past season.
However, Nebraska still needs to reduce its roster to 105 by the 2025 regular season, and more players will transfer out, especially after spring ball ends after the spring game in April. The Huskers might not be done in the portal this offseason, but they should be something to keep tabs on in the next few weeks and months as spring practice inches closer.
The program’s future is heading in the right direction. Rhule and Co. are doing everything possible to bring Nebraska back to the Promised Land of national relevance and compete for conference and national championships.
Main Image: © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
