Nebraska’s Next Steps in the Quarterback Search

Matt Rhule and Dana Holgorsen appeared to have their man, but now they're left still searching. Here's a look several quarterbacks the Huskers are attempting to lock in visits with over the coming days.

UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea scrambles for a touchdown against Colorado State. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

A swing and miss for Matt Rhule and company signals the latest portal news of the January window, and it leaves a program full of loyal, at times to a fault, fans in upheaval.

Monday evening, former Notre Dame quarterback Kenny Minchey, who had verbally committed to Nebraska just one day before, flipped his commitment and signed with Kentucky, making everything people thought they knew about the portal seemingly incorrect.

Now, forced to reopen their recruiting board at the sport's most important position, the Huskers need to make quick moves to salvage their portal haul before the window closes on the 16th. What started with a bang is now shrouded in dark clouds, and Nebraska is working diligently to ensure this scenario doesn't happen again.

Knowing that Rhule's program probably needs multiple scholarship quarterbacks, here's the latest news surrounding the topic of who the staff will turn to next.

1. Anthony Colandrea - UNLV, Virginia

Anthony Colandrea made stops at Virginia and UNLV before entering the transfer portal this offseason. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Early reports suggest the lead man in Nebraska's new-look quarterback search is will-be senior Anthony Colandrea. He has been the starter in more than 30 collegiate games and will have one year of eligibility remaining at his next school.

In 2025 at UNLV, Colandrea earned the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year award on his way to throwing for 3,459 yards. While completing 65.9 percent of his passing attempts as a junior, the veteran signal-caller threw 23 touchdown passes to nine interceptions. He earned conference Offensive Player of the Week four times this fall and has shown an opportunistic ability to scramble as well.

As a runner, Colandrea has totaled over 1,100 career rushing yards. He had 10 rushing touchdowns this past season alone.

Before UNLV, as an underclassman, Colandrea made 17 starts for the Virginia Cavaliers. In two seasons on the East Coast, he accounted for 4,585 all-purpose yards. However, this season he nearly did the same. As a Rebel in 2025, Colandrea accounted for 4,108 yards in 13 games, bringing his total to almost 8,700 for his career.

2. Beau Pribula - Missouri, Penn State

Beau Pribula has made stops at Missouri and Penn State in his career. He has one year of eligibility remaining. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Though these are not necessarily in any specific order, as that is only known by Nebraska's staff, the Huskers are also eyeing former Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula. He spent the 2025 season as the Tigers' starting quarterback before an injury ended his season early. However, in seven games, Pribula led the Tigers to a 6-1 record, with their only loss coming to a ranked Alabama squad by three points.

Before he was injured, Pribula threw for 1,941 yards, but taking care of the ball during his first season as the starter was a bit of a struggle. The Pennsylvania native's touchdown-to-interception ratio was 11:9.

He also proved to be more than capable as running threat. On 95 carries this fall, the junior gained 297 yards and scored six touchdowns. Keeping in mind the signal-caller was sacked 23 times in seven games, Pribula's numbers would look drastically different were he offered a more stable offensive line. Nebraska would need to surround him with excellent protection for him to truly reach his potential in Lincoln.

3. Aidan Chiles - Michigan State, Oregon State

Aidan Chiles has made stops at Michigan State and Oregon State in his career. He offers one year of remaining eligibility. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After early reports linked Nebraska to be in the mix for former Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles, it appears the Huskers staff has him back on their board. Chiles spent the last two seasons manning the starting role for the Spartans under former head coach Jonathan Smith, but after a coaching change, Chiles is on the open market.

In 2025, Chiles earned starts in eight games before suffering a season-ending injury, and to this point in his career, he has totaled 20 starts. This fall, before injury, the junior amassed 1,392 passing yards while throwing for 10 touchdowns. He also had 81 carries for 227 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

In three years of college football, Chiles has seen action in 30 career games. He's totaled 4,647 all-purpose yards and made himself familiar with defenses in the Big Ten. Though fans meet this potential addition with skepticism, Chiles is one of the most experienced signal-callers still available, and for some time now, has been a player linked to the quarterback opening in Lincoln. He undoubtedly offers athleticism on a large scale, but his less-than-2:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and losing record as a starter are hard to ignore.

4. DJ Lagway - Florida

DJ Lagway has played at Florida for two seasons. He enters the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

If Nebraska wants a player with the highest ceiling, nobody on this list fits that mold more than former Florida Gator DJ Lagway. Ranked as the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2024 class, Lagway took the top quarterback spot in the class over Dylan Raiola late in that year's recruiting cycle.

Through two seasons of college football, the Texas native has seen a mixed bag of results. After becoming a True Freshman All-American in 2024 (On3 and PFF), Lagway entered the 2025 season believed to be in contention for the Heisman Trophy. But, after putting up 2,264 passing yards and just 16 touchdowns this fall, he fell far short of what many had projected.

In his career, Lagway has started in 19 games and seen action in 24. He has accounted for over 4,400 all-purpose yards, but has also thrown 23 interceptions, as opposed to 28 touchdowns. Lagway is more closely related to the Florida State Seminoles' quarterback search, but after seeing what happened with Minchey and Nebraska, it's hard to say that anything is a done deal until the transfer portal is officially closed.

Notre Dame transfer QB Kenny Minchey has flipped his commitment from Nebraska and officially signed with Kentucky per @PeteNakos pic.twitter.com/ijDEF5Wkel

— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) January 6, 2026

On list are several capable quarterbacks the Huskers have been confirmed to be in contact with. However, until visits are confirmed, Nebraska seems to be on the outside looking in.

Dana Holgorsen's offense is sure to look different next fall, and finding a quarterback who can fit that system is top of mind for this staff moving forward. They won't, and shouldn't, drop everything to find their next man, but don't be surprised if Nebraska takes an aggressive approach to add another signal caller over the coming days.

For now, the Minchey news appears to be a serious blunder by Nebraska's staff. But time will tell if they're better off for it in 2026.

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