Nebraska Football's Cortez Mills Lands Spot on South Florida Elite Freshmen Watch List

If you’re looking for early fireworks in Nebraska’s 2025 football season, your eyes should be locked on true freshman Cortez Mills. The electric wide receiver from South Florida hasn’t played a college snap yet. However, he’s already earning national attention.

Mills has landed on Rivals’ prestigious list of five freshmen from South Florida expected to make an immediate impact in 2025, and for good reason. For a program trying to reboot its passing attack, Mills’ arrival isn’t just exciting. It’s potentially season-defining.

Cortez Mills Went From Homestead to Husker Red

Mills didn’t just show flashes in high school; he put on a full-blown light show. Miles hails from Homestead High School, one of Florida’s elite prep programs. The athlete helped lead his team to back-to-back state championship games.

His junior year numbers were video game-worthy. Wanna know why? Because Mills bagged 79 catches, 1,640 yards, and 18 touchdowns. Even when his senior season was cut short to just five games, Mills still stacked up 466 yards and six scores.

Mills became a national name right after being a local legend. A four-star recruit, he earned a coveted spot in the Navy All-American Bowl. And if that wasn’t enough, he was ranked as high as the No. 15 wide receiver in the nation by ESPN and Rivals.

He joins Nebraska with all the tools. Be it speed, agility, crisp routes, or big-play ability, he is here to show it all. And now, with a roster light on veteran wideouts, he’s got something else, too: an opportunity.

Mills' Fast Track to the Field

With Dane Key transferring in from Kentucky as a veteran presence, the rest of the wide receiver room is largely unproven. It is filled with underclassmen still adjusting to the college game. That leaves Mills in an ideal spot to fight for reps and possibly snag a starting role before the season opener.

Add to that the coaching influence of offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, who took over play-calling late in 2024 and now holds the keys to Nebraska’s offense. Holgorsen has long been known for trusting talent, not seniority. If Mills proves himself, he’ll play.

Mills fits that mold to a T. That one-two punch could be deadly. Being named to the South Florida Watch List is more than just preseason hype. It’s a signal that Cortez Mills is already being viewed as a national breakout candidate.

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