Nebraska’s activity in the transfer portal has paid off. The Huskers landed their quarterback of the future in Kenny Minchey and Iowa State offensive lineman Brendan Black. What does this mean for Dana Holgorsen’s offense?
Huskers’ Portal Adds
A Fresh Start At QB
The Huskers have wiped the slate clean at the quarterback position. After two seasons with the program, Dylan Raiola moved on from Nebraska. Plus, Marcos Davila will also look for a new home. The redshirt freshman only played in two games as a Cornhusker. This now leaves offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen with two young quarterbacks on the roster. TJ Lateef will likely have the upper hand in the quarterback battle. As a redshirt freshman, Lateef passed for more than 900 yards and had five touchdowns last season. However, he didn’t win any big games for the Cornhuskers. In the program’s last three games of the season, Nebraska only scored 10 points against Penn State and 16 against Iowa. He was able to slightly improve his stock in the Las Vegas Bowl. Against Utah, he completed 54% of his passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. But it wasn’t enough. The Utes found a way to sack Lateef three times and force an interception out of him. Can Minchey do better? He certainly has better stats than Lateef. In 2025, he completed 20 out of 26 passes with one touchdown.
Immediate Offensive Line Help
In order to protect Minchey in the pocket, Nebraska will have to load up on offensive linemen from the transfer portal. Huskers offensive line coach Geep Wade needs immediate help in that area. Teddy Prochazka and Turner Corcoran have both graduated, and Rocco Spindler has moved on to the NFL Draft. The Big Red got some good news on the offensive line front with the addition of Brendan Black. The former Iowa State offensive lineman should be a day-one starter at right guard for the Cornhuskers. He has the size to do so at 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds. But what’s more important is his production. In at least 30 games with the Cyclones, Black was part of a unit that allowed under two sacks per game.
Nebraska adds proven help up front.
The Huskers land Iowa State IOL Brendan Black — a 3-year starter and plug-and-play interior lineman for 2026.
➡️ Three takeaways on the big portal win:
https://t.co/ZAc6Tj6z9u pic.twitter.com/eW1ntZ1hIT— Sean Callahan (@Sean_Callahan) January 5, 2026
Skill Players Incoming?
Now that Minchey and Black are both a part of Nebraska’s offense, the former Notre Dame quarterback should be able to use his influence to bring some wide receivers with him. The Huskers are in the market for an experienced wideout that can contribute immediately in Lincoln. Former Kentucky Wildcat Dane Key is out of eligibility, and Jacory Barney is now a junior. This should allow Nyziah Hunter to become the starter in 2026. The 6-foot-1 receiver established himself as the program’s top receiver with five touchdowns and 617 receiving yards last season. This should allow Hunter to make a return to Lincoln, but not as the Huskers’ top option. The California native will need to take some time off from football to recover from his hand injury. This should give former UCLA wideout Kwazi Gilmer a chance to shine in Nebraska’s offense. He’s a top Husker target because of his time with the Bruins last season.
The Running Back Reunion
Nebraska may bring in a familiar face at the running back position. The Huskers’ top priority is replacing Emmett Johnson. As a junior, he rushed for over 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns. This allowed him to earn first-team All-American Honors as well as the Ameche-Dayne Running Back Of The Year. Kentucky running back Dante Dowdell doesn’t have this type of production. But his name is still worth mentioning. The Mississippi native split carries with Johnson in 2023 and fulfilled his role well. During that season, he was able to lead the program with 614 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Is he a good option inside EJ Barthel’s room? Nebraska’s offense currently favors running backs who are small and quick. Dowdell is much more of a bruiser at 6-foot-2 and 227 pounds.
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