With Adrian Martinez entering the transfer portal, Nebraska football will be searching for a quarterback to add to the roster to compete with Logan Smothers for the starting job.
Scott Frost stated on Wednesday in his signing day press conference that he and his staff were taking serious looks at the quarterbacks in the transfer portal.
Frost said QB is "definitely a spot where we're taking a look at every kid we can" in the portal. Has to be the right guy, but said they're leaning toward taking a quarterback in the portal. As most probably have suspected.
— Brian Christopherson (@Husker247BC) December 15, 2021
Most would assume the Huskers are looking for a guy who can come in and start next year or at the very least, challenge Logan Smothers and Heinrich Haarberg while creating competition in the QB room.
Do not overlook this possibility people.
If I had to bet on it I would say whoever comes to Nebraska from the portal will most likely start against Northwestern in the 2022 season opener in Ireland. However, I’m sure Logan Smothers does not want to give away the position and has proven he can make some plays.
As far as Haarberg goes, all fans really know about him is that he has a good arm with a lot of potential.
With the hiring of Mark Whipple, it will be interesting to see the direction and style the offense decides on. Whichever quarterback does transfer to the Huskers could be a major indication of what Whipple and Frost are thinking.
While that may still be up in the air here are a few possibilities I would like to see Nebraska seriously pursue (in order).
1. Kedon Slovis (USC)
If Kedon Slovis can stay healthy, he would be a great get for Nebraska football. Injuries have been the problem the past two years and it’s led to him entering the transfer portal and playing elsewhere in 2022. During his freshman year he came in to play for an injured J.T. Daniels and did not give the job back to him causing Daniels to transfer to Georgia.
Slovis threw for 3,502 yards, 30 touchdowns, and nine interceptions during his freshman season with a 167.6 rating. Slovis would be geared more toward a pro style offense as his rushing stats are essentially non-existent. Expect a totally different look for the offense if Slovis is the guy.
2. Zach Calzada (Texas A&M)
I’m not sure if the final two quarterbacks listed here are heads and shoulders above the other. I personally liked what I saw from Zach Calzada this year as he started the majority of the season for A&M with Haynes King getting injured early in the year. He throws a fastball and has a heck of an arm but is inaccurate at times.
Calzada threw for 2,185 yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 12 games. He’s not a runner, which doesn’t fit what Frost looks for in a quarterback but he can make things happen when he’s under center.
3. Jack Miller (Ohio State)
Jack Miller is yet another Ohio State quarterback to enter the transfer portal. He didn’t get much of an opportunity to play for the Buckeyes due to the loaded quarterback room so we still don’t have a ton of film on him from his collegiate days.
Miller is a pro-style quarterback, according to Rivals, and is an interesting name to watch.
All of these guys are capable of being solid quarterbacks especially if Whipple is able to do anything resembling what he did with Heisman finalist Kenny Pickett.
What do you think? Is there name left off that you’d like to see from the portal? Or is there someone already in Lincoln who claims the starting job for 2022?