What Does Nebraska QB Anthony Colandrea’s Outstanding 'Pro Football Focus' Grade Mean for 2026 Season?

The Huskers need the senior’s game to transition to the Big Ten from the Mountain West.

Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea looks for a receiver in the Huskers' spring game. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

One of the great unknowns about Nebraska’s upcoming football season is the quarterback. And yet, the expected Husker starter will bring as much experience to the position as anyone in the Big Ten.

Anthony Colandrea, a senior, is the expected starter. Last year, he was the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year at UNLV. The two previous seasons he was at Virginia, in the ACC. He threw 983 passes across three seasons and completed 63.8 percent of them. He had 49 touchdown passes and 29 interceptions.

Interceptions were in an issue for Anthony Colandrea during his time at Virginia and UNLV. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

If you want to worry, think about Colandrea’s interceptions. Turnovers obviously stop drives but they also tend to kill momentum. In a flash, turnovers can change the outcome of a game. He had 20 in two seasons at Virginia. He had nine last year at UNLV. In total, he had 29 interceptions in 33 games.

Worry away.

Colandrea’s biggest unknown is this: How will he handle the highly competitive Big Ten? How will his 6-foot, 205-pound frame — a fearless guy who likes to run the ball — hold up against large, fast and angry Big Ten defenders?

Colandrea making the grade

Coming into the season, Colandrea carries excellent 2025 grades from Pro Football Focus. He had the third-highest grade of Big Ten quarterbacks who are expected to start in 2026. He earned an 89.9 grade behind only Ohio State’s Julian Sayin (92.9) and Oregon’s Dante Moore (90.2).

Colandrea’s grade places him among the top 10 returning quarterbacks in the nation. But his grade was against the Mountain West.

Colandrea's excellent grade is what Husker fans want to hear and need to hear, the quarterback almost always being the catalyst to an accomplished offense, as Huskers coach Matt Rhule knows. But it's not a Big Ten grade.

Here’s a look at the 2025 grades of the expected Big Ten starting quarterbacks. The Huskers will face the quarterbacks marked in bold type.

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin scores a touchdown in the Buckeyes' spring game. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

* Julian Sayin (Ohio State): 92.9 grade
* Dante Moore (Oregon): 90.2 grade
* Anthony Colandrea (Nebraska): 89.9 grade

* Jayden Maiava, USC: 86.2 grade
* Katin Houser, Illinois: 84.0 grade
* Rocco Becht, Penn State: 80.0 grade
* Demond Williams Jr., Washington: 79.1 grade
* Colton Joseph, Wisconsin: 78.9 grade
* Josh Hoover, Indiana: 76.8 grade
* Nico Iamaleava, UCLA: 72.0 grade
* Malik Washington, Maryland: 71.3 grade
* Alessio Milivojevic, Michigan State: 71.3 grade
* Drake Lindsey, Minnesota: 70.5 grade
* Bryce Underwood, Michigan: 69.3 grade
* Ryan Browne, Purdue: 69.1 grade
* AJ Surace (Rutgers’ presumed starter, according to PFF): 66.5 grade
* Aidan Chiles, Northwestern: 63.4 grade
* Jeremy Hecklinski or Hank Brown, Iowa: Not enough stats

Dylan Raiola, who played eight-plus games before his fibula injury against USC on Nov. 1, had a 63.2 grade from PFF in 2025. Raiola, of course, transferred to Oregon after the 2025 season and will back up Heisman Trophy hopeful Moore.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore earned the second-best grades from Pro Football Focus among expected Big Ten starters. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Colandrea’s 2025 numbers

If you look at Colandrea’s 2025 numbers, they are impressive.

* UNLV’s record: 10-4
* UNLV’s bowl game: 17-10 loss to Ohio University in Frisco Bowl
* Attempts: 417
* Completions: 275
* Passing percentage: 65.9
* Yards: 3,459 (best in Mountain West)
* Yards per attempt: 8.3 (best in Mountain West)
* Touchdowns: 23
* Interceptions: 9
* Rushing attempts: 127
* Rushing yards: 649
* Yards per attempt: 5.1
* Rushing touchdowns: 10

There’s no way to know how these stats translate to the Big Ten. If he plays as well in 2026 as he did in 2025, Nebraska can anticipate an offense that will move the ball and score points.

Last year, the Huskers averaged 28.7 points per game, 58th in the nation. Nebraska allowed 24.6 points per game, 67th in the nation. Among the 134 teams, Nebraska’s numbers were right in the middle. Nothing special, not at all.

Facing a rough schedule, the Huskers need more from both sides of the ball. A big season from Colandrea surely will help. A big season might be necessary.

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