Evaluating whether Nebraska’s recent transfer portal efforts were a hit or a miss

The transfer portal has completely changed the way college football teams are built.

Even a heralded recruiting class can look entirely different a year or two down the road as players transfer out and transfers come in to fill those gaps. Like every other school, Nebraska has been busy in the portal with both additions and subtractions over the last two seasons.

Here’s a position-by-position look at NU’s recent transfer portal efforts, and whether the Huskers succeeded or failed to improve at each position.

Out: Luke McCaffrey (Rice), Adrian Martinez (Kansas State).

In: Casey Thompson (Texas), Chubba Purdy (Florida State).

This is a tricky one to evaluate. A four-year starter at Nebraska, Martinez immediately benefited from a new situation at Kansas State, where he’s led the Wildcats to a Top-25 ranking already. McCaffrey only lasted a few months at Louisville before moving on to Rice, where he’s become a wide receiver.

NU’s additions of Thompson and Purdy have made up the quarterback rotation this season, with Thompson performing well despite challenges along the offensive line.

Grade: Wash. Martinez had great moments as a Husker, and Thompson has offered similar levels of production. It’s hard to say NU has either upgraded or downgraded significantly at the most important position on the field.

Out: Wan’Dale Robinson (Kentucky), Ronald Thompkins (no school), Sevion Morrison (Kansas), Marvin Scott (Florida Atlantic), Markese Stepp (No school).

In: Anthony Grant (juco).

Perhaps the biggest loss from a production standpoint, Robinson transferred to Kentucky in order to play wide receiver — and it worked out pretty well for the current New York Giant. Apart from that, NU’s other losses don’t hurt too much. Thompkins retired from football, Stepp appears to have ended his career, and Morrison and Scott have less than 20 carries apiece this season.

NU’s lone addition from the portal was certainly worth it. After plucking Grant from the junior college ranks, he’s immediately stepped in as Nebraska’s leading rusher.

Grade: Hit. Losing Robinson hurt last year, but it felt inevitable. Gaining Grant makes up for it, and he’s been a huge part of the offense this season.

Out: Marcus Fleming (Maryland), Kade Warner (Kansas State), Demariyon Houston (juco), Jamie Nance (Utah State), Will Nixon (Washington), Latrell Neville (North Texas).

In: Oliver Martin (Iowa), Samori Toure (Montana), Trey Palmer (LSU), Marcus Washington (Texas), Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda (New Mexico State).

It’s a pretty grim list of scholarship wide receivers that never latched on at Nebraska and transferred out. Fleming caught 18 passes at Maryland before leaving the team this summer, Nance converted to a rarely used cornerback at Utah State and Nixon is now a running back at Washington, while Houston and Neville have yet to catch a pass for an FBS school. Warner, a former walk-on at Nebraska, has caught 14 passes for Kansas State in each of the last two seasons.

In terms of NU’s additions, Martin has been a solid depth piece while Toure had a standout 2021 season before moving on to the NFL. Garcia-Castaneda only lasted four games as a Husker, but Washington and Palmer have led the team’s receiving efforts this season.

Grade: Hit. None of the transfers out made a big impact for NU or their new schools, while Toure led the way in 2021 and Palmer is the nation’s leading wideout this year. Both those transfers were worth all the departures.

Out: Kurt Rafdal (Boise State), Jared Bubak (Central Missouri).

In: Chancellor Brewington (Northern Arizona).

A graduate transfer from Arizona State, Bubak wasn’t a contributor for NU before he moved on to Central Missouri. Rafdal caught six passes for NU over a four-year career, while he’s hauled in nine receptions for Boise State since.

While Brewington had the best receiving season of his career at Northern Arizona in 2018, he’s been a key contributor for Nebraska over the last two seasons.

Grade: Hit. The two transfers out didn’t establish themselves in NU’s tight end rotation, something Brewington immediately did. He’s made a big impact as a blocker.

Out: Boe Wilson (Western Kentucky), Matthew Anderson (Louisiana-Lafayette), Will Farniok (Tulsa), Jimmy Fritzsche (no school).

In: Hunter Anthony (Oklahoma State), Kevin Williams (Northern Colorado).

A key contributor along the offensive line from 2018-20, Wilson started every game for Western Kentucky last season. A three-star prospect out of high school, Anderson never played for Nebraska and has transferred twice since. Farniok only played four games for Tulsa last season, and Fritzsche didn’t land at another school.

Nebraska didn’t take any transfer offensive linemen after the 2020 season, while Anthony and Williams joined after 2021. Anthony has rotated in at right tackle over the last three games, while Williams hasn’t played since the Oklahoma game.

Grade: Miss. Despite being highly touted prospects, Anderson and Fritzsche never made an impact. Wilson was a solid contributor and perhaps Farniok could have been, too. Neither Anthony nor Williams have elevated a poor offensive line this season.

Out: Keem Green (South Carolina), Jordon Riley (Oregon), Casey Rogers (Oregon), Damian Jackson (Buffalo), Pheldarius Payne (Virginia Tech).

In: Devin Drew (Texas Tech), Stephon Wynn (Alabama), Ochaun Mathis (TCU).

When defensive line coach Tony Tuioti left Nebraska for Oregon after the 2021 season, Riley and Rogers followed him there and have emerged as solid rotation options for the Ducks. Green didn’t latch on at South Carolina and moved on to Florida Atlantic this season, while Jackson seems to have found his level at Buffalo with a career-high 12 tackles this season. Payne suffered a season-ending Achilles injury over the summer and hasn’t played for Virginia Tech.

Drew arrived late at Nebraska late in fall camp but has still served as a rotational defensive lineman alongside Wynn, who has made a career-high 21 tackles this season after totaling 16 in four years at Alabama. Mathis hasn’t equaled the sack numbers he put up at TCU, but he’s been one of Nebraska’s most important defenders this season.

Grade: Hit. Rogers was the most impactful departure, but Mathis’ production makes up for that loss. Wynn and Drew haven’t quite been game-changers for NU, but neither were the players who transferred out.

Out: Niko Cooper (Western Kentucky), Keyshawn Greene (Florida Atlantic), David Alston (Montana State), Jamin Graham (Jacksonville State), Jackson Hannah (Tennessee), Will Honas (Kansas State), Wynden Ho’ohuli (Hawaii).

In: Chris Kolarevic (Northern Iowa).

Most of NU’s linebacker transfers were also recruiting misses, such as four-stars Hannah and Ho’ohuli, who combined to make one tackle in their Husker careers. Cooper has made 19 tackles in two seasons at Western Kentucky, Alston is a rotational player at Montana State, Graham hasn’t played for Jacksonville State and Green never latched on at Florida Atlantic. The biggest loss was Honas, who made 144 tackles from 2018-20 at Nebraska but hasn’t played at Kansas State due to injury.

Most of Nebraska’s additions at linebacker came from the high school ranks, leaving Kolarevic as the only transfer. He’s played all 19 of NU’s games over the last two seasons.

Grade: Miss. Kolarevic has been a good depth option, but it’s easy to imagine Honas being a key contributor in the middle of NU’s defense this season. Especially given that Nebraska has struggled to stay healthy at inside linebacker, Honas is a big loss even if he’s struggled with injuries himself.

Out: Ronald Delancy (Toledo), Malik Williams (no school), Nadab Joseph (no school).

In: Tyreke Johnson (Ohio State), Omar Brown (Northern Iowa), Tommi Hill (Arizona State), Kaine Williams (Alabama), Brandon Moore (Florida State).

Nebraska’s three transfers out of the secondary all failed to make an impact at NU. Joseph appeared in four games over two seasons and Delancy played sparingly in 2020 before finding more playing time at Toledo. Joseph and Williams haven’t continued their college football journeys yet.

Meanwhile, NU’s transfers in haven’t quite elevated the secondary either. A former top-15 national recruit who spent three seasons at Ohio State, Jackson has only played in two games during his time at Nebraska. Hill began the year as a starting cornerback before being converted into a wide receiver, Brown has played a total of 23 snaps and Williams hasn’t played due to injury. A late addition to the roster, Moore has played plenty of snaps at cornerback each of the last two weeks.

Grade: Hit. None of the transfers out made an impact, something Moore has done quickly. There’s still hope for NU’s other portal additions, especially for Williams when he’s healthy enough to play.

Out: William Przystup (Arkansas State).

In: Timmy Bleekrode (Furman), Brian Buschini (Montana).

After two seasons as NU’s starting punter, Przystup moved on to Arkansas State, where he’s played in three games this season.

Nebraska replaced him with Buschini, who started the year strong before struggling with injuries in recent weeks. Nebraska was just 8-of-16 on field goals last year, and while Bleekrode hasn’t been called upon often, he’s 4-of-6 on field goals and 28-of-28 on extra-point attempts.

Grade: Hit. Buschini’s power has dropped off since his injury, but he’s still a consistent punter. Bleekrode has been an upgrade at kicker considering NU missed four extra points last season.

The vast majority of the players to leave Nebraska were highly touted recruits who never quite lived up to the expectations during their Husker careers. Martinez, Robinson and Honas stand out as three starters who were missed at different points, but Nebraska has found capable replacements at most positions.

Grade: Hit. By and large, Nebraska has improved across the board thanks to the transfer portal. But if the Huskers had been able to develop and keep their talented high school recruits, would the portal be needed as much? That’s a question that the program’s next head coach will have to ponder.