Nebraska Football Portal Acquisition Rated as One of Top Transfer Quarterbacks by PFF

Anthony Colandrea could end up being the steal of the 2026 offseason for Nebraska football.

The former UNLV quarterback and Husker transfer was listed by Pro Football Focus as one of the highest graded transfer quarterbacks this offseason, placing third amongst all active players. Colandrea beat out other Big Ten newcomers, such as Illinois' Katin Houser, Penn State's Rocco Becht, and Wisconsin's Colton Joseph. Colandrea graded at 90.1 in his PFF Grade, slightly behind Texas Tech transfer Brendan Sorsby (90.5) and Auburn transfer Byrum Brown (91.5).

The PFF grading scale is a 0-100 model that was originally intended for only NFL player evaluation. The model transitioned to college football as well, as every player on every play is evaluated with grades on production and contribution to production on a given play.

Highest Graded Transfer Quarterbacks This Offseason🔁 pic.twitter.com/eI8K89tOZr
— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 9, 2026

The 6-0, 205-pound senior signal caller arrives at Nebraska after two seasons in the ACC at Virginia before moving on to UNLV for his 2025 season. Colandrea was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year after earning four conference offensive player of the year nods. The quarterback would complete 275-of-417 passes for 3,459 yards and 23 touchdowns, averaging over 250 passing yards per game. Colandrea was also a dual-threat in the Mountain West, rushing for 649 yards and 10 touchdowns.

With 33 games played, including 31 starts in three seasons of college football, Colandrea has had plenty of film on his play across two different conferences. The former Rebel improved his PFF grade during his true junior season in Las Vegas, going from a 64.2 grade in 2024 with the Cavaliers to 90.0 in 2025. That jump rated Colandrea as the 42nd best-available player in the transfer portal according to PFF, rating him as the 10th-best available quarterback prospect.

UNLV Rebels quarterback Anthony Colandrea (10) celebrates after the game against the Colorado State Rams at Sonny Lubick Field at Canvas Stadium. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Although other Group of Five quarterbacks are listed ahead of Colandrea, the former Virginia and UNLV signal caller still graded higher than other players making the same transition. Drew Mestemaker, the former North Texas quarterback, graded at 86.3, making the new Oklahoma State Cowboy the fourth best acquisition. Only Brown, a former quarterback for USF now taking his talents to Auburn, rated higher than Colandrea at 91.3.

Colandrea rated head-and-shoulders above Big Ten foes' new additions, as former East Carolina quarterback and Illinois transfer Katin Houser listed at 84.0, Iowa State captain and Penn State acquisition Rocco Becht earned an 80.0, and former Old Dominion signal caller Colton Joseph takes his 78.9 grade to Wisconsin. Colandrea's rating also beats former Husker starter Dylan Raiola's two-year grade at 72.1 in 2024 and 63.3 in 2025.

Nebraska football's new addition's ability to scramble and design runs in Dana Holgorsen's offensive scheme aided not only his PFF grading, but also coach Matt Rhule's excitement in what the 2026 offense may look like.

Nebraska head football coach Matt Rhule during the Huskers' 2025 season opener against Cincinnati. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

"If you have a quarterback like Anthony, or TJ (Lateef) or Danny (Kaelin) who has proven he can extend plays and not worry about 'hey, what's going to happen?'" Rhule said during his Sports Nightly appearance on the Huskers Radio Network in January.

Likewise, Colandrea arrives at Nebraska with plenty of weapons stockpiled for the Big Red's starting quarterback. Rhule and company retained talented star receivers Nyziah Hunter, Jacory Barney Jr., Quinn Clark, as well as tight end Luke Lindenmeyer. The program added UCLA wideout Kwazi Gilmer, who added 50 receptions for 535 yards and four touchdowns in the 2025 season for the Bruins.

Before Colandrea can get settled with Nebraska's talented pass-catchers, he will need to solidify himself as the true No. 1 option for Dana Holgorsen's offense. Competing with the UNLV transfer is returning part-time starter TJ Lateef and former Virginia quarterback Daniel Kaelin. Both quarterbacks earned playing time in the 2025 season, as Lateef closed out Nebraska's season following Dylan Raiola's injury against USC.

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