Five Nebraska Football Transfers Expected to Make an Immediate Impact

Nebraska closed out year three of the Matt Rhule era with three consecutive loses to Penn State, Iowa and Utah. The combined scores in those games were 121-48. The writing was on the wall, the offseason wasn't going to be quiet and nobody's job was safe.

The legacy quarterback Nebraska who fans thought would led the Huskers back to the glory days? He is gone. The uncle of the quarterback who was in charge on ensuring he was protected? He's gone as well and on the defensive side of the ball there is a new man in charge with a new scheme and new energy.

Nebraska did not enter this offseason needing minor adjustments on the depth chart. It needed answers and it needed them now and those answers can, will and have to come from the transfer portal and from guys who will make an immediate impact on their side of the ball.

This year's transfer portal class is not built around patience or longterm development. Nebraska went looking for proven production, starting experince and difference makers.

From an award winning quarterback, to SEC offensive line and productive linebackers, these five transfers will help shape how quickly Nebraska make a jump in the right direction in 2026.

Quarterback: Anthony Colandrea

The most obvious and high-profile place to start is the quarterback position.

After what some would say was a disapointing two years from Dylan Raiola both the staff and player decided to part ways this season leaving a ton of questions on who will replace the former five-star legacy recruit. Rather than just hand the job to TJ Lateef (who took over the QB job after Raiola's injury at the end of the year), the Huskers went to the portal and landed one of the most experinced quarterbacks in the nation.

Colandrea comes to Lincoln with 31 career starts, 7500+ passing yards and three season of experince leading an offense. And more importantly, he is comingo off his best year of his colegiate career.

Colandrea started every single game for UNLV in 2025, and completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 3,459 yards, 23 toucdowns and just 9 interceptions. His skills don't just end with his arm, he is just as lethal with his legs adding 649 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns to his state sheet in 2025 as well. His production earned him Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All Mountain West honors.

Anthony Colandrea is nowhere even close to the same type of quarterback as Raiola. Some would say, including myself is that he is a match made in football heaven for Dana Holgerson's (Nebraska's Offensive Coordinator) offense. Dylan was a pocket passer who seemed to struggle to extend plays, Colandrea is a playmaker who thrives when plays breakdown. He is aggressive, mobile and comfortable throwing the ball on the move and downfield. His ability to escape pressure and extend plays is exactly what the Husker offense was lacking.

The biggest question surrounding Colandrea is his decision making. He earned the reputation of being a gunslinger while at Virginia for two seasons, where his willingness to test defenses proved costly. After his stop at Virginia, the gunslinging quarterback went to UNLV where, he "grew up" as a quaterback and had his best year.

On3 gave Colandrea an 89 transfer rating and was listed as one of Nebraska's highest-rated portal additions. He will still have to earn the staring job, but Nebraska didn't bring in a quarterbacl with over 8,600 career yards of total offense to sit on the sidelines. Colandrea give the Huskers experince, mobility and proven production at a position where they need an immediate answer the most.

Offensive Line: Tree Babalade and Paul Mubenga

Finding a quarterback isn't the only part of the equation on the offensive side of the ball. New offensive line coach, Geep Wade enters his first full season leading the Big Red Pipeline after replacing Donovan Raiola. He's inhereited a unit that lost several experinced pieces, including tackles Turner Corcoran and Teddy Prochazka.

Just like the quarterback position, the Huskers couldn't afford to hope linemen would develop quick enough. Wade needs needs to find a way to give their quarterback time to operate and transfer additions Tree Babalade and Paul Mubenga are hoping to be the pieces to that puzzle.

Babalade brings the size and versatlity Nebraska needs at the tackle position. The 6-foot-5, 330-pound transfer played in 22 games and made 15 starts during his three season at South Carolina. He started 10 games at left tackle and five at right tackle, giving Wade the experinced option on either side of the football. All five starts in 2025 for Babalade were at the right tackle, which should make him the natural candidate to compete for the opening on the right side of the ball.

From the jump, Babalade was thrown in to the fire. He made nine starts at left tackle as a true freshmab in 2023, including his first career start being on the road against Georgia. That experience matters for a Nebraska lIne replacing veteran starters and adjusting to a new coach.

Babalade’s 2025 season wasn't perfect, but it gave Nebraska a recent sampleing of him handling a starting role at right tackle. He played 421 offensive snaps, including 398 on the right side, and allowed one sack and one quarterback hit across 255 pass-blocking snaps.

He also surrendered 19 pressures, showing there is still room for development in pass protection. However, Nebraska is betting that his experience, physical tools and familiarity with high-level competition can help him take another step under Wade. On3 gave Babalade an 88 transfer rating.

Paul Mubenga’s football journey has been rapid. A native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he moved to the United States in 2017 and didn’t start playing football until his freshman year of high school. He developed into a highly recruited prospect at Buford High School in Georgia before signing with LSU. On3 also gave Mubenga an 88 transfer rating.

Mubenga brings comparable experience to the offensive line. The 6-foot-5, 317-pound guard played in 20 games and started 11 times during three seasons at LSU. All those starts were at left guard, the same position Nebraska needs to replace after Lutovsky’s departure.

Mubenga started LSU’s final five games in 2024 and made six more starts in 2025. He now joins Nebraska with two seasons of experience playing against SEC defensive fronts.

Neither Babalade nor Mubenga is guaranteed a starting job, but both bring experience that will make the competition for starting positions on Nebraska’s offensive line more serious from the beginning.

For an offense that is replacing its quarterback and rebuilding the protection around him, Nebraska required more than just developmental depth up front. They needed players who could step in immediately and make a significant impact. These guys can and will be the differnce makers Geep Wade needs to set his foundation at Nebraska. Wade is not starting from scratch. He now has two linemen who have already played and started in the SEC, and both have a clear path to competing for open spots on the offensive line.

Linebackers: Owen Chambliss and Dexter Foster

Nebraska’s defensive overhaul extended beyond the appointment of a new coordinator. Rob Aurich assumes his inaugural season as the leader of the Blackshirts, bringing with him a new scheme to implement and a linebacker room in need of proven production. Nebraska’s late-season made finding answers a priority, as the defense gave up at least 37 points in each of its final three games.

Aurich did not have to venture far to secure one of his most crucial portal additions. Owen Chambliss joined him from San Diego State after emerging as one of the most productive linebackers in the Mountain West Conference.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound linebacker commenced all 13 games for the Aztecs in 2025 and led the team with 110 tackles, surpassing San Diego State’s second-leading tackler by 30 tackles. He contributed 9.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, five pass breakups, one interception, and a fumble recovery. Chambliss recorded double-digit tackles four times and earned first-team All-Mountain West honors for his exceptional performance. On3 gave Chambliss with a 90 transfer rating, the highest among Nebraska’s portal additions.

His production did not arise from a struggling defense where tackles were readily attainable. San Diego State concluded the season ranked seventh nationally in scoring defense and twelfth in total defense, with Chambliss serving as one of the unit’s most consistent playmakers Also, Chambliss possesses a profound understanding of Aurich’s expectations for the position. Chambliss has emphasized the significance of communication and ensuring the entire defense is in the right spots, at the right time. This familiarity with Aurich’s system could elevate him beyond an immediate contributor, potentially positioning him as one of the defense’s leaders in 2026.

Dexter Foster arrives with an 86 transfer rating from On3, and he provides Nebraska with another a seasoned option in the middle of the defense. The 6-foot-3, 236-pound linebacker participated in 19 games and made 11 starts over two seasons at Oregon State. He had a total of 95 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, and one pass breakup.

Foster was put into a pivotal role early in his career following Oregon State’s substantial roster turnover. In response, he played in all 12 games as a true freshman in 2024, making four starts and making 43 tackles. His most notable performance that season occurred against Air Force, where he recorded a career-high 13 tackles.

In 2025, Foster was Oregon State’s starting middle linebacker in all seven games in which he appeared. He recorded 52 tackles, three tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries, and one pass breakup before his season concluded prematurely. Despite participating in only seven games, Foster was in fourth place on the team in tackles. He recorded double digit tackles twice, recording 11 tackles against Texas Tech and Appalachian State. Foster was also recruited by Aurich during his high school years, providing Nebraska’s new defensive coordinator with another player he is already familiar with.

Chambliss possesses a more accomplished résumé, but Foster has demonstrated his ability to assume a starting role at a young age. Together, they offer Aurich two linebackers with experience, physicality, and a comprehensive understanding of his expectations for the position.

With Chambliss and Foster, the Blackshirts will have more than just a new coordinator, new scheme and new terminology. They have proven players who are familiar with their new coordinator.

Now They Have to Prove It

Nebraska’s portal class will not erase the way the 2025 season ended, and none of these players arrive with a guaranteed starting job. However, that was never the point. The Huskers needed proven options at the positions facing the most uncertainty. They required a quarterback capable of replacing Dylan Raiola’s production, offensive linemen who could help Geep Wade reshape the protection up front, and linebackers who could immediately understand and execute Rob Aurich’s defense. Colandrea, Babalade, Mubenga, Chambliss, and Foster all bring something Nebraska lacked as last season slipped away: recent production, meaningful starting experience, and the ability to step into pressure without needing years to develop.

There will still be questions throughout the offseason. Colandrea must prove he can carry his 2025 efficiency into the Big Ten, a challenge that will test his adaptability and skill. Babalade and Mubenga must win jobs on an offensive line undergoing significant change, requiring them to quickly integrate and demonstrate their capabilities. Chambliss and Foster must help turn a new defensive scheme into actual results, a task that demands both understanding and execution.

The expectations are not small, but neither is the opportunity. After three straight losses ended Year 3 of the Rhule era, Nebraska couldn't afford to spend another offseason waiting for potential to become production. The Huskers needed difference-makers, and now they have to prove they found them.

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