Part 3 of the Huskers season review/preview is here and we’re less than a week away from getting to make fun of my wild guess attempt at the depth chart!
However, today’s piece will focus solely on roster movement between the seasons, namely portal transfers in and out and the incoming 2026 recruiting class. No reason to over-explain this – let’s jump to it.
Final 2025 Power Rankings and Strength of Schedule
(Using ESPN’s Football Power Index/Strength of Schedule and Jeff Sagarin’s Power Rating/Strength of Schedule)
I am using these two, but letting
you know the caveats each have for me (and all ranking have caveats). The big one for ESPN is the trust level involved when they have aligned themselves financially in multiple ways with the SEC (they have also done so with the ACC but this is an obviously weaker conference overall at this time, Miami making the CFP final notwithstanding). When you stand to profit financially by a particular group’s success, it is silly to expect them not to use their position in the industry to “put their thumb on the scale” as it were when given the opportunity.
For Jeff Sagarin, it is his use of recency bias to tip the scales when it comes to current rankings which leaves his power index with some pretty wonky results by seemingly ignoring strength of schedule at times. By recency bias, I mean that it scales back the importance of wins and losses the farther in the rear view they are. For example, Notre Dame’s losses were both early in the season and thus almost ignored by season’s end. The Irish finished #3 in his final power ranking despite an SOS of only #37 and not making the CFP. Nothing nefarious here, Sagarin is just trying to find the strongest teams at the present point in time but he hasn’t perfected the statistical method yet.
Put it this way – Notre Dame shouldn’t be getting a bigger boost from beating up on Syracuse and Stanford while their only two losses are all but brushed off for happening early.
Anyway, thanks for making it through my stat nerd screed – here’s where the Huskers finished:
Final Record – 7-6 overall, 4-5 Big 10 (10th place, tied with Northwestern but won HTH)
HUSKERS Final Rankings – ESPN FPI – #45, Sagarin Power Ranking – #54
HUSKERS Final Strength of Schedule – ESPN – #42, Sagarin SOS – #41
2025 started with the possibility of the Huskers jumping to 9 or 10 wins simply because the schedule was not a rough one. It wasn’t nearly as weak as the soft schedules with which Mike Riley was gifted in his three years, but it was the reason they didn’t receive much of a boost in the power rankings. They avoided the big three of Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State. They played only four ranked teams (0-4), none of whom were in the Top 10 with Utah ranked highest at #14.
A 7-6 record in 2026 would appear to carry more weight based on early rankings. The Huskers appear to have a preseason schedule ranking anywhere from 5th – 20th with the Big 3 on the slate all ranked in the Top 6.
TRANSFER PORTAL MOVEMENT
PORTAL OUT
This isn’t an in-depth player-by-player review here, but I thought I’d toss in a few comments just based on what I’m hearing from coaches and players at the presser. And their not talking about certain players doesn’t necessarily indicate where they stand. But when they do talk about them, we listen.
Dylan Raiola – QB (Sophomore, transferred to Oregon) – I think this has been covered pretty thoroughly, yes?
Malcolm Hartzog Jr. – DB (Senior, transferred to Arizona) – many more openings in a Wildcat secondary than in Lincoln where they finished #3 nationally in pass yards allowed despite his early injury
Keona Davis – DL (Sophomore, transferred to Miami) – Coaching turnover plus NIL valuation possibly exceeding what Nebraska thought they were getting in returns
Kenneth Williams – RB/KR (Sophomore, transferred to Michigan State) – a logjam at RB in Lincoln and a chance to move closer to home
Tristan Alvano – K (Sophomore, transferred to South Dakota State) – a fresh start after nagging injuries and Cunanan locking down the job
Marcos Davila – QB (Redshirt Freshman, transferred to Abilene Christian) – far down the depth chart and likely not a good fit for Dana’s offense
Houston Ka’aha’aina-Torres – OL (Freshman, transferred to Michigan)
Jason Maciejczak – OL (Sophomore, transferred to Wyoming)
Jaylen George – DL (Junior, transferred to Tulsa) – considered a nice portal grab but never managed regular playing time
Maverick Noonan – LB (Sophomore, transferred to Fresno State) – turned heads as a freshman but injuries left him down the depth chart; gets a fresh start with possibly 3 years of eligibility
Preston Okafor – DB (Redshirt Freshman, transferred to Fresno State)
Jamarion Parker – RB (Freshman, transferred to Grambling State) – another casualty of a packed RB room
Caden VerMaas – DB (Freshman, transferred to Rice)
Roger Gradney – LB (Redshirt Freshman, transferred to Southern)
Brice Turner – DB (Sophomore)
Rahmir Stewart – LB (Sophomore)
PORTAL IN
Anthony Colandrea – Sr. – QB (from UNLV) – will be QB1 to open the season
Brendan Black – Sr. – OL (from Iowa State) – likely starter
Tree Babalade – RS Jr. – OL (from South Carolina) – likely starter
Paul Mubenga – RS Jr. OL (from LSU) – likely starter
Kwazi Gilmer – Jr. – WR (from UCLA) – likely starter
Tikey Hayes – RS Fr. – RB – Iowa Western CC (Penn State) – has already been dismissed from the program
Owen Chambliss – RS Jr. – LB (from San Diego State) – likely starter and defensive captain
Anthony Jones Jr. – 5th – Edge (from UCLA) – likely in the rotation (Coach Aurich has said he wants to rotate 6)
Owen Stoudmire – 5th – DL (from Boston College) – likely in the rotation
Jahsear Whittington – RS So. – DT (from Pittsburgh) – likely in the rotation
Dwayne McDougle – 5th – S (from San Diego State) – in the mix
Dexter Foster – Jr. – LB (from Oregon State) – in the top 4
Will Hawthorne – RS Fr. – LB (from Iowa State) – not hearing his name yet but young with 3 years left
Victor Evans III – Sr. – CB (from Florida International) – in the mix at CB
Jasin Shiggs – Jr. – S (from Towson) – not hearing his name yet
Jack Wills – So. – LS (from Michigan State) – likely starter
2026 RECRUITING CLASS – INCOMING FRESHMAN
Same here, obviously, especially since this was a smaller class to get the team a little older, and as James Clow explained very well in this article, these guys were almost solely selected for future development instead of needing guys on the field right now.
Danny Odem – **** Star Industry Consensus – #52 Nationally – #7 CB – #4FL
Claude Mpouma – **** – #161 N – #16 OT – #5 IL
Dylan Berymon – **** – #251 N – #26 DL – #9 LA
Luke Sorensen – *** – #668 N – #41 TE – #51 CA
Rex Waterman – *** – #1002 N – #95 IOL – #17 AZ
Nalin Scott – *** – #706 N – #115 WR – #85 GA
Larry Miles – *** – #978 N – #139 WR – #106 FL
Hayden Ainsworth – *** – #1079 N – #105 IOL – #33 MS
Maurice Purify II – *** – #1334 N – #198 WR – #13 NE
Jase Reynolds – *** – #1580 N – #152 LB – #15 NE
Jamal Rule – *** – #865 N – #54 RB – #32 – NC – This is the one which is looking like steal out of the gate as, for now per coaches, he is competing for a big role this season
Michael Sarikizis – *** – #3049 N – #29 K – (International) – drilled a 49-yd FG into a stiff wind in the Spring Game, maybe keep an eye open here
